Mavericks 104, Hawks 97

That should have been a little easier.

The Mavs exploded early in the game, leading 39-19 after one quarter of play. But a steamroll it did not turn out to be. They got outscored by 6 in the second and third quarters, and by 1 in the fourth quarter to end up winning by 7. Not bad, but they didn't play very well the rest of the game. Except with about 4 minutes left when Nowitzki and Terry hit some big 3's as the Hawks kept edging closer and closer. But even then the game was still in doubt because the Mavs were fouling Atlanta like crazy at the end of the game, it seemed almost every possession was a trip to the foul line. Which is cheap and easy points, and also a clock killer. Pachulia was the benefactor more often than not, hitting 10/13 from the line, most of them late in the game. This is not a team that you want hanging around and the game should never be in doubt. But at the end of the game, there was a victory.

The Big 3 played like it, with Dirk & Josh leading the way with 28 points, and Terry not far behind with 27. But like I said earlier, it was Dirk & Terry's big 3's at the end of the game that helped ice it. Very big shots. I picked this game to be the one where Nowitzki goes off and gets his first triple-double of his career, but it was not to be. Oh well. Terry turned the ball over many times, but he once again took smart shots and looked very efficient out there. He and Devin Harris had 6 assists, but Harris disappeared with 6 points. He did steal the ball 4 times, though. Dampier had 7 rebounds. Devean George was back in the lineup, but didn't contribute anything meaningful. Stackhouse made use of his time, getting 8 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. Diop had 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Mavs hit 7/13 on their 3's and Atlanta only took 3 shots from that far. Very low total indeed. Free throws were nowhere close, however. The Mavs took 30 and the Hawks took 49. This time was more accurate, though. Avery Johnson even applauded the officials. Rebounds were about even and the Mavs had many more assists.

They just beat a better team and have started another mini-streak. Good thing, too.