| Dallas Mavericks News: |
| Last season, of course, the bottom fell out in the first round against Golden State after the Mavs won 67 games in the regular season.
So Johnson has seen both sides. And he faces the critics going into his third season. It's not fire-and-brimstone stuff. But it's still a situation in which the coach has to prove he can lead the Mavericks back to where they once went – the NBA Finals. Management, of which Johnson is part, has decided these players are good enough. So everybody wants to know if the coaching is good enough, too. To that, Johnson says, bring it on. There's no doubt in his mind that he's the man for this job. "If I'm not, I'll be the first one to tell Mark [Cuban]," Johnson says. "When we started here, we talked about a three-year plan, and we're in our third year now. We've been able to keep this team together. So now we'll see where it goes from here. But every year, just like I did when I played, I analyze myself first, and then I make recommendations to the owner – unless he makes a recommendation to me." Cuban, the seven-year owner, has been lucky. He hasn't yet had to tell a coach that he's fired. Those are tough situations. But Johnson understands that his job is tough, too. He has a profound respect for how tough it is to win nightly. He's won 127 games in his first two full seasons. Tack on the 16-2 record he had at the end of the 2004-05 season after taking over for Don Nelson, and Johnson is 143-49. He was the fastest coach in NBA history to 100 wins and probably will be to 150, too. |
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| The Dallas Mavericks start a four-game homestand tonight, as they host the disappointing Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday at American Airlines Center in the second of a home-and-home set.
It will be the fourth and final meeting of the 2004-05 campaign between the clubs. Minnesota defeated the Mavericks, 83-82, on November 22nd at American Airlines Center, while Dallas beat the Timberwolves twice at the Target Center. These two teams have split the last six meetings in this series. Dallas has won five of the last eight contests, while Minnesota has won seven of the last 13 games. The Timberwolves have lost three of five and six of their last nine at Dallas. Dallas will also host the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Bobcats and New Orleans Hornets on the current stand. The Mavericks return Tuesday home after going 2-0 on a brief road trip. On Sunday, Jason Terry scored a team-high 22 points with 12 assists, Dirk Nowitzki added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Dallas defeated Minnesota, 102-93, at the Target Center. Marquis Daniels collected nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Josh Howard scored 15 for the Mavericks, who have won two straight and three of their last four overall. Michael Finley was held to just 10 points in the win. Dallas, which is 26-8 when it allows under 100 points this season, has scored at least 100 points in 12 of its last 17 games. The Mavericks are 20-11 as the host this season. Terry has scored in double-digits in nine straight games and has registered two double-doubles in that span. He is averaging 18.4 points and 6.4 assists in his last nine contests. |