DALLAS (AP) --With former coach Avery Johnson in the house,
the Dallas Mavericks kept their emotions in check and rolled to a
comfortable victory.
Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points and 10
rebounds, Shawn Marion added 18 points, and Dallas stretched its winning
streak to 11 games with a 102-89 victory over the New Jersey Nets on
Thursday night in Johnson's return to Dallas.
Johnson, fired by the Mavericks after the 2007-08 season, is in his first season with the Nets.
Jason Terry and Caron Butler added 15
points each, and J.J. Barea had a career-high 13 assists to help the
Mavericks extend the NBA's longest current winning streak.
"I got to shake his hand and hug him
before the game," said Terry about Johnson, who became the Mavericks'
coach late in the 2004-05 season, and led Dallas to its only trip to the
NBA Finals in 2006 when the Mavs were beaten by the Miami Heat in six
games.
"I actually thought it would be even a little more emotional. But it subsided as we got into the flow."
Barea got his start in the NBA with Johnson as his coach.
"He was the guy that gave me a chance to
be in the NBA," Barea said. "He showed me a lot my first two years
here, so it's always special."
Brook Lopez led New Jersey with 24
points, Anthony Morrow had 21, and former Maverick Kris Humphries
finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Nets have lost six straight
and 11 in a row on the road.
Johnson admitted his first game in
Dallas since his firing meant more to him than a standard regular-season
visit, but the short-handed Nets had a tough time handling the veteran
Mavericks.
"It was pretty emotional," said
Johnson, who hugged several Mavericks as the teams left the court. "A
lot of friends and family are here tonight...but it was good seeing some
of the guys."
New Jersey point guard Devin Harris sat
out the final three quarters because of a sprained left shoulder.
Harris, who played for the Mavs from 2004-08, was injured when he tried
to deflect an alley-oop pass to Tyson Chandler and fell to the floor. He
was scoreless in 9:22.
Harris said he hoped to play in New Jersey's next game Sunday at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.
"It doesn't feel good," Harris said.
"It's the one part of the body I wish I didn't hit was the left
shoulder. It was just a tough play. I kind of used him to brace myself
up to get the ball, but he wasn't there to break my fall, fell kind of
hard. I was going to try and give it a go, but coach thought otherwise."
New Jersey also was without rookie
forward Derrick Favors, sidelined by a bruised thigh. Favors, the third
overall pick in the June draft, was hurt Tuesday night in a loss at
Atlanta.
The Mavs pushed their lead to 21 points
early in the third quarter, but the Nets cut it to 79-69 with a 28-17
run over the final 9:53 of the quarter. New Jersey caught up by driving
to the basket and getting fouled, going 15 for 18 from the free throw
line in the third quarter.
New Jersey crept as close as 81-73
early in the fourth quarter, but Terry's basket with 6:04 left capped a
13-3 run for a 94-78 lead.
"(The Nets) hung in," Mavs coach Rick
Carlisle said. "They played hard and kept grinding. We did the same and
were able to get the win."
Dallas shot 72 percent from the floor (13 for 18) to grab a 30-19 lead after one quarter.
The Mavs were up by 18 in the second
quarter and carried a 55-40 edge into the break with the help of a 19-3
advantage in fast-break points.
Marion went 6 for 6 from the field in the first half, and Dallas was 24 for 37 (64.9 percent).
NOTES: Dallas has won its last 11 at home against New Jersey. The Nets' last
victory in Dallas was on March 2, 2000. ... Chandler returned to the
starting lineup after missing the previous game with a stomach virus.
Chandler is still feeling the effects of the illness and lacked energy,
finishing with two points, five rebounds and five fouls... Nets rookie F
Damion James got his first NBA start. James played for the University
of Texas. ... Johnson said Favors will try to practice Saturday with the
aim of returning Sunday against the Lakers. ... Dallas' longest winning
streak is 17 games.
