DALLAS — The injury-ravaged Houston Rockets delivered
a haymaker to the Dallas Mavericks in the first quarter. The Mavs starters
didn't belong on the same floor with Luis Scola and Goran Dragic, so coach Rick
Carlisle did the logical thing and turned the game over to his reserves.
None other than Lamar Odom — no really — ignited a rally that allowed the Mavs to
overcome a 16-point deficit in the first quarter and eventually cruise to a
90-81 win. To be sure, this is not the recipe for playoff success. You can't
allow Scola, Dragic and Chandler Parsons to shred your defense for a 30-19 lead
at the end of the first quarter.
But a funny thing happened when Odom, who received a "DNP" Friday in
San Antonio, checked into the game with 5:22 remaining in the first quarter.
For one night, he appeared to have an interest in pursuing a career in
basketball.
With the Mavs trailing 21-8, Odom blocked Parsons' layup
attempt and later swooped in to finish at the rim. He played with an energy
that has been largely missing this season, which drew heavy applause from one
of the most forgiving fan bases in the country. Odom finished with nine points
(4-of-5 shooting), four rebounds and three assists. It normally takes him at
least three games to reach that total, so he was a popular topic after the
game.
"I like the way he played tonight, and this is a great step in the right
direction," said Carlisle, who admitted his patience had worn thin with
Odom in the aftermath of his 10-day sabbatical from basketball. "This is
how he plays. I've said all along we believe in the guy.
“Fifteen games doesn't sound like a long time, but in this
particular case it's almost a quarter of a season. It's a long time and there's
a long way to go, but it's obvious that we need him and everybody else."
Odom donned a headband for the first time in years. A former teammate reminded
him before the game that he'd wore one with the Clippers his rookie season, so
he decided to give it a whirl. He warmed up in it and then sank a shot off the
glass from midcourt 30 minutes before tip-off.
Perhaps it was a good sign for the mercurial player who
constantly refers to himself as a "sportsman" during interviews. He
was greeted with a smattering of boos Tuesday upon taking the court, but the
American Airlines Center faithful quickly changed its tune.
"I'm finally getting to the point where I get my second wind," Odom
said. "I finally feel like I'm getting my legs under me."
The Mavs have been extremely patient with Odom on the off chance he could
actually provide a spark down the stretch. But it's wrong to make any sweeping
judgments about Odom's effort against the Rockets because we've seen flashes of
this in the past.
The Mavs also received a big lift from guard Roddy Beaubois who had seven of
his 14 points in the second quarter. Beaubois infused the team with energy and
overwhelmed Rockets veteran guard Earl Boykins. Beaubois slashed through the
lane for two layups to trim the Rockets lead to 34-25 early in the second
quarter. The Mavs closed the quarter with a 10-2 run to pull within 49-46 at
halftime.
Rockets forward Scola had 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the first half, but
the Mavs used double teams to slow him down considerably in the second half.
Scola was indecisive with the ball and had three turnovers in the third quarter
alone.
Dragic had nine points and five assists in the first half,
but Shawn Marion did a superb job on him in the second half. The Mavs' bench
had a 48-17 scoring edge over the Rockets, including 13 from center Brandan
Wright, who is becoming automatic near the rim.
"We mixed up the coverage on Scola," Wright said. "He didn't
know what was coming. When we get a lead, we're in good shape. They went with
that small lineup, and we like seeing that."
The Mavs now return to the scene of their greatest franchise victory for a game
against the Heat on Thursday. Jason Terry said he "definitely"
planned to wear his NBA title ring into the arena, but Dirk Nowitzki said he'd
be leaving his at home. Nowitzki said he wore his ring to the symphony once
because he wanted to have some "swag," but that's about it.
The Mavs will play at Orlando on Friday before returning home to face the
Clippers on Monday.
Now, everyone will wait to see which Odom shows up in Miami. At this point,
back-to-back solid games would represent a major breakthrough. But on Tuesday
evening, he was just glad to keep the boo birds at bay.
"That's a really good feeling," Odom said. "Even when I checked
into the game it was a little different tonight and I think they kind of
understand me and where I'm coming from and what I want to do. And nobody wants
it as bad as me."
OK, let's not get ahead ourselves, Lamar.
