March 6, 2009

Running on Empty

With seven games in 10 nights, including four in the last five, the Mavs looked gassed in the second half of last night’s game against the New Orleans Hornets.

Josh scored seven points and only played 17 minutes, watching from the sidelines during the second half as the New Orleans Hornets pulled away from Dallas en route to 104-88 victory.

The Mavs shot just 39.5 percent and allowed the Hornets, Chris Paul in particular, to take the game over in the third. Tied at 56, New Orleans went on a 15-3 run and never looked back.

The Mavericks have gone 6-5 in their last 11 games, dropping to 37-25 overall. They remain in eighth place in the Western Conference, 2 1/2 games up on ninth-place Phoenix.

NOT 100 PERCENT
Ed Sefko of the Dallas Morning News knew before the game that Josh was far from fully healthy:

Josh Howard was walking around pregame with a big, protective bandage on his left ankle.

He tried to play, but after limping through the first half, he sat out the second half. It was the second time in three games he's shut it down after halftime. He did so Monday at Oklahoma City before playing the entire game Wednesday against San Antonio.

"It's the same thing," Howard said. "I didn't do anything to it. It's just not right."

NEXT UP
Dallas host the Washington Wizards (14-47) on Saturday.

The Mavs won the first matchup earlier this season as the Show tallied 17 points.

RELATED STORIES
Big wheezy: Weary Dallas Mavericks no match for Hornets (Dallas Morning News, Mar. 5, 2009)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/...
Dallas Mavericks' third-quarter headaches continue (Dallas Morning News, Mar. 5, 2009)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/...
Hornets down Mavs 104-88 (AP, Mar. 5, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/games/20090305/DALNOH/recap.html