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Mavericks-Pistons Preview
January 23, 2009
By MATT BEARDMORE, STATS Writer
In Rick Carlisle's final season coaching Detroit, the Pistons led the NBA in fewest points allowed per game.
In his first season at the helm in Dallas, the Mavericks likely won't match that effort with the way they've been defending.
After watching the Mavericks allow their most points in a game in seven seasons, Carlisle leads Dallas into the Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday night, where he guided the Pistons from 2001-03.
Dallas (24-18) looks to improve to 2-1 on its four-game road trip following a 133-99 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday. It was the Mavericks' most lopsided defeat since falling 124-87 to Houston on Nov. 17, 2001.
"The second quarter they shot 83 percent from the field. The third quarter they shot 74,'' said Carlisle, who led Detroit to back-to-back 50-32 records. "I am just disappointed particularly in the way the second and third quarters came down. We're better than that, and we should be better than that.''
Dallas allows 99.0 points per game this season, but has surrendered an average of 109.6 while losing five of its last seven.
"It's just embarrassing, really,'' Dirk Nowitzki said on Wednesday. "They got whatever they wanted - wide-open shots, drives, layups.''
The veteran power forward is averaging 31.4 points while shooting 52.0 percent from the field in his last five games. In the teams' last meeting in Auburn Hills, though, Nowitzki missed 15 of 18 shots and scored just 15 points in a 90-67 loss on Feb. 3.
Playing with New Jersey, Kidd averaged 4.0 points, 14.5 assists and 6.0 boards in two games against the Pistons in 2007-08. Kidd is averaging a career-low 9.1 points this season while posting just one game with 10 or more assists in his last 11 contests.
The Pistons (24-17), meanwhile, look for their third straight win after Wednesday's 95-76 win over Toronto. Detroit held the Raptors to 42.5 percent shooting after limiting Memphis to 41.6 percent from the field in an 87-79 victory on Monday.
Detroit is off the 87.7 points-per-game pace set under Carlisle in 2002-03, but is still among the NBA's best defensive squads in 2008-09 - its first under Michael Curry. The Pistons are fourth in the NBA in field goal defense (44.3 percent) and fewest points allowed per game (92.7).
Although they've scored 100 or more points just once in the last 15 games, the Pistons have a number of players that can shoulder the team's scoring load.
On Wednesday, it was Tayshaun Prince, starting at small forward as Richard Hamilton came off the bench for the first time since Feb. 1, 2002 while with Washington. Prince hit 11-of-16 from the field and scored a team-high 25 points.
"I call him the 'Quiet Assassin' because he gets the job done quietly,'' said Jason Maxiell, who posted a double-double with season highs of 16 points and 10 rebounds. "People may forget about him, but he gets the job done.''
Prince hit all four shots and went 8-of-8 from the foul line as he scored 16 points in last season's victory over Dallas in Auburn Hills.
Despite averaging a career-low 17.9 points per game this season, Allen Iverson was named an All-Star starter on Thursday. He is averaging 29.7 points and 8.7 assists in his last three games versus the Mavericks.
Detroit and Dallas have alternated wins and losses in their last eight meetings in Auburn Hills.
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Originally Posted by DVC
ARE EXTREMELY FOCUSED ON TRYING TO WIN
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