Box Score

 

INDIANA (97)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
J O'Neal            26  7-16   5-7   5-7   1   3   20
R Artest            20   3-8   0-2   1-5   0   3    6
B Miller            23   3-7   5-5   1-5   0   3   11
J Tinsley           33  4-10   1-2   1-9   6   4    9
R Miller            29   3-8   4-5   0-3   2   0   11
A Harrington        27  6-10   2-2   3-7   2   3   15
R Mercer            29  3-10   0-0   1-2   0   3    6
E Strickland        24   2-6   1-2   0-1   4   2    6
J Foster             7   0-1   2-2   1-5   0   1    2
A Croshere          15   3-4   2-2   2-5   0   1    8
P Brezec             7   1-3   1-2   0-0   0   0    3
J Bender           DNP  - SORE LEFT CALF                                 
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 35-83 23-31 15-49  15  23   97
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.422, FT-.742. 3-Point Goals:
4-19, .211 (J O'Neal 1-2, R Artest 0-1, J 
Tinsley 0-4, R Miller 1-6, A Harrington 1-1, 
E Strickland 1-4, A Croshere 0-1). Team 
Rebounds: 8. Blocked Shots:7 (J O'Neal 2, R 
Artest 2, R Mercer, J Tinsley, P Brezec). 
Turnovers:18 (E Strickland 4, J Tinsley 4, J 
O'Neal 3, B Miller 2, J Foster 2, A 
Harrington 2, R Mercer). Steals: 5 (R Artest 
2, R Miller, R Mercer, A Croshere).


DALLAS (118)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
A Griffin           19   2-5   0-0   2-6   1   4    4
D Nowitzki          28  8-15   2-2   1-5   1   3   20
R LaFrentz          17   5-8   2-3   0-1   0   6   13
M Finley            35 13-21   1-1  3-13   3   0   33
S Nash              26  4-11   5-5   0-2   7   2   13
R Bell               6   0-0   0-0   1-1   1   2    0
W Williams          29   1-4   1-2   1-6   2   3    3
S Bradley           26   2-5   2-2   5-5   1   4    6
N Van Exel          31  8-20   3-3   0-2  10   1   20
P Jones             11   0-4   0-0   3-5   0   0    0
A Johnson            8   3-3   0-0   0-1   1   0    6
A Harrington         4   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 46-97 16-18 16-47  27  25  118
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.474, FT-.889. 3-Point Goals:
10-24, .417 (D Nowitzki 2-6, R LaFrentz 1-2, 
M Finley 6-9, S Nash 0-1, W Williams 0-1, N 
Van Exel 1-5). Team Rebounds: 5. Blocked 
Shots:8 (S Bradley 4, R LaFrentz 2, D 
Nowitzki 2). Turnovers:11 (S Bradley 3, A 
Griffin 3, W Williams, R LaFrentz, D 
Nowitzki, A Johnson, N Van Exel). Steals: 9 
(W Williams 2, S Nash 2, M Finley 2, S 
Bradley, A Griffin, A Johnson).

-------------------------------------------
INDIANA              26  24  28  19   -  97
DALLAS               35  27  37  19   -  118
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Indiana - 5 (J Tinsley, 3:10
1st; R Artest, 3:45 1st; R Artest 2 
(ejected), 1:24 2nd; J Foster, 0:27 3rd; 
Defensive Three, 2:44 3rd). Dallas - 3 (D 
Nowitzki, 3:45 1st; R Bell 2 (ejected), 1:24 
2nd; W Williams, 7:06 4th).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 19,954. T: 2:15. 
Officials: Joe Forte, Luis Grillo, Violet 
Palmer.

Extended Box

 

INDIANA (97) AT DALLAS (118)

INDIANA

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
J O'NEAL          F    26    7-16     5-7      5   2   7    1   3   0   3   20
R ARTEST          F    20    3-8      0-2      1   4   5    0   3   2   0    6
B MILLER          C    23    3-7      5-5      1   4   5    0   3   0   2   11
J TINSLEY         G    33    4-10     1-2      1   8   9    6   4   0   4    9
R MILLER          G    29    3-8      4-5      0   3   3    2   0   1   0   11
A HARRINGTON           27    6-10     2-2      3   4   7    2   3   0   2   15
R MERCER               29    3-10     0-0      1   1   2    0   3   1   1    6
E STRICKLAND           24    2-6      1-2      0   1   1    4   2   0   4    6
J FOSTER                7    0-1      2-2      1   4   5    0   1   0   2    2
A CROSHERE             15    3-4      2-2      2   3   5    0   1   1   0    8
P BREZEC                7    1-3      1-2      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    3
J BENDER              DNP  - SORE LEFT CALF                                           
  
TOTALS                240   35-83    23-31    15  34  49   15  23   5  18   97
                            (.422)  (.742)  TEAM REBS:  8 TOTAL TO: 18 (24 PTS)    

DALLAS

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
A GRIFFIN         F    19    2-5      0-0      2   4   6    1   4   1   3    4
D NOWITZKI        F    28    8-15     2-2      1   4   5    1   3   0   1   20
R LAFRENTZ        C    17    5-8      2-3      0   1   1    0   6   0   1   13
M FINLEY          G    35   13-21     1-1      3  10  13    3   0   2   0   33
S NASH            G    26    4-11     5-5      0   2   2    7   2   2   0   13
R BELL                  6    0-0      0-0      1   0   1    1   2   0   0    0
W WILLIAMS             29    1-4      1-2      1   5   6    2   3   2   1    3
S BRADLEY              26    2-5      2-2      5   0   5    1   4   1   3    6
N VAN EXEL             31    8-20     3-3      0   2   2   10   1   0   1   20
P JONES                11    0-4      0-0      3   2   5    0   0   0   0    0
A JOHNSON               8    3-3      0-0      0   1   1    1   0   1   1    6
A HARRINGTON            4    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
  
TOTALS                240   46-97    16-18    16  31  47   27  25   9  11  118
                            (.474)  (.889)  TEAM REBS:  5 TOTAL TO: 12 (11 PTS)    
  
   INDIANA            26   24   28   19   -   97
   DALLAS             35   27   37   19   -   118
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: INDIANA - J O'NEAL 2, R ARTEST 2, R MERCER, J TINSLEY,
P BREZEC.  DALLAS - S BRADLEY 4, R LAFRENTZ 2, D NOWITZKI 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: INDIANA 4-19 (.211), J O'NEAL 1-2, R ARTEST 0-1,
J TINSLEY 0-4, R MILLER 1-6, A HARRINGTON 1-1, E STRICKLAND 1-4, A CROSHERE 0-
1. DALLAS 10-24 (.417), D NOWITZKI 2-6, R LAFRENTZ 1-2, M FINLEY 6-
9, S NASH 0-1, W WILLIAMS 0-1, N VAN EXEL 1-5.
TECHNICAL FOULS: INDIANA - J TINSLEY, R ARTEST 2, J FOSTER, DEFENSIVE 
THREE. DALLAS - D NOWITZKI, R BELL 2 (EJECTED), W WILLIAMS.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JOE FORTE, LUIS GRILLO, VIOLET PALMER.
A - 19,954. T - 2:15.

Game Story

DALLAS (Ticker) -- James Brown would be proud of the Dallas 
Mavericks' style of payback against the Indiana Pacers.

Michael Finley scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Nick
Van Exel added 20 points and 10 assists as the Mavericks
avenged their first loss of the season and improved to 12-0 at
home for the first time with an emphatic 118-97 victory over the
Eastern Conference-leading Pacers.

"Mike, from the get-go, put us on his back and carried us when
things were the toughest," Mavs coach Don Nelson said.  "Van
Exel struggled early but just kept going and had a sensational
game.  The guys gave me what they could and it was an amazing
team effort."

After missing two games with a sprained right ankle, Dirk
Nowitzi returned to score 20 points for league-leading Dallas,
which was aiming to become the third team in NBA history to
begin a season 15-0 before falling to the Pacers in Indiana on
November 28, 110-98.

"It was not bad," Nowitzki said.  "It could have been better.  A
couple of movements made it sore.  I expect it will be a little
sore.  It's going to be all right.  It can't get worse than it
was, so from now own I'm just looking forward to it getting
better."

"Dirk is amazing," said Mavs guard Steve Nash, who had 13 points
and seven assists.  "His ankle is still bothering him, but he
was still able to come out and have a really good game for us."

The Mavs led wire-to-wire in this one, taking a 35-26 lead after
one quarter and a 62-50 advantage into the break.

The Pacers got within 66-60 on a layup by Reggie Miller with
8:13 to play in the third quarter, but the Mavs countered with a
32-15 run, taking a 98-75 lead on a layup by Finley with 46
seconds remaining in the period.

"I had some really good looks at the basket," said Finley, who
made 13-of-21 shots, including 6-of-9 3-pointers.  "My teammates
were penetrating and then dishing the ball out to me for the
open look and I was knocking them down.  We wanted to attack
them tonight and stay aggressive offensively."

"They really controlled the game from start to finish," said
Jermaine O'Neal, who led Indiana with 20 points.  "They had so
many guys step up and play well, that every time we tried to get
back in the game and put them on their heels, they had somebody
else hit a 3."

Al Harrington chipped in 15 points for Indiana, which had won
three games in a row and four of six.

"They were ready for us," Pacers coach Isiah Thomas said.  "They
had three or four days to prepare.  They knew everything that
they wanted to do, and they came out and played well.  They are
a good basketball team and a fun basketball team."

Dallas shot 47 percent (46-of-97) and made 10-of-24 3-pointers.
Indiana was limited to 42 percent (35-of-83) and 4-of-19 from
the arc.

"They made shots and we didn't," O'Neal said.  "It was really as
simple as that.  It was the same way when we got them in
Indiana - we made shots and they didn't.  They did the exact
same thing."

Indiana's Ron Artest was ejected after picking up a second
technical with 1:24 left in the first half.  Dallas' Raja Bell
was ejected at the same time for taunting.

"From what I saw on the tape, Bell elbowed him and then Bell
walked into his face and Ron stood his ground," Thomas said.  "I
didn't see that Ron did anything wrong other than standing his
ground and standing up for himself.  I thought all the contact
and the instigating was done by them."

"They beat us up in Indiana, but it wasn't because they played
more physical," Van Exel said.  "I looked at it as us missing a
lot of shots that we normally make.  Tonight, we just played our
game and let them do what they had to do, try to get all riled
up or whatever, and beat the (crap) out of them."

It was the Mavericks' fourth victory in five games and fourth
straight at home over Indiana.

"I am glad we don't have to play Indiana every game," Nelson
said.  "We wouldn't have any players left.  They were very
physical tonight.  I thought the referees did a good job of
controlling that, in what easily could have gotten out of hand."

"We knew what we were in store for before the game even
started," Finley said.  "They're a physical team who wanted to
use their physicality as an intimidation factor, but for us, we
withstood that and we were aggressive as well.  We kept our
composure and came away with the win."