Dallas Mavericks Wiretap

Johnson reaches milestone

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports: Avery Johnson has played in his 1,000th NBA game against Portland. Johnson became the 75th player in NBA history to log 1,000 NBA games. More impressive, he became just the second player under six feet to play in one thousand games (Calin Murphy).

"I just thought I'd try to hang around for a couple of years when I first started," Johnson said. "To make it this long is a testament to all the hard work and to all the coaches and teammates and everybody else who helped me along the way."

Via Dallas Morning News


Finley will wait on hamstring

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports: Michael Finley is going to wait until he is 100 percent healed before he returns to the Dallas Mavericks.

Finley, who has not played since March 18th against Cleveland and has missed the team's last four games, won't come back from his strained left hamstring until it is 100 percent healed.

Yesterday, Finley went through a brief, full-court practice and he didn't feel like he was 100 percent.

"It was just to the point where I personally didn't have 100 percent confidence, like I thought I would," Finley said of the workout, his most vigorous since straining his left hamstring March 18. "They said that's what to expect my first time out full court. The pain was more or less because of the fatigue. That's the most I've done. I felt the pain in a different spot in my leg because of the fatigue. As far as the original hamstring pain, it was very limited."

Because of this, Finley is likely to miss tonight's game at Portland.

He is officially listed as a game-time decision.

Finley's main reasons for sitting out the past few games are because of his experience with his hamstring last year and the Mav's success without him.

Last year, Finley missed two games with that same hamstring, came back and played two, and then missed the next 11 games because it flared up again.

"I don't want to go into a game and have that same feeling that I had last year when I came back [too soon]," he said. "I want to wait until I'm definitely beyond that in the recovery process. I want to have 100 percent confidence in it.

"If I hadn't experienced this last year, I probably would have played two games ago, not knowing the severity that it could be. Last year, I came back and wasn't quite 100 percent. And as the intensity of the game picked up and my leg got tired, I tried to do some things out of instinct and my mind was saying yes, but my leg was saying no.

"And it ended up flaring up again. If that happens, I'll be missing a lot longer than I am now."

While he is not ruling out playing tonight, he wants to come back when he can definitely contribute.

"I don't want to come in 50 percent," he said. "I want to come in when I definitely can contribute. If I wake up, get a nice workout in and it feels great, I might give it a shot. I don't know. It's a weird injury. Some days I feel great. Some days I don't.

"If this was Game 7, I'd be dressing. But it's not. So I have the option of resting it some more."

Via Dallas Morning News


Website urges Warriors to keep Arenas

Marc Spears reports on a website that knocks Denver as Golden State fans try to keep free agent Gilbert Arenas.

Via The Denver Post


Mavericks Mar 2003 Archive

  • Mavericks romp as boos ignite Van Exel

    Chris Tomasson writes about Dallas beating Denver 108-96 at the Pepsi Center last night.

  • Nuggets add more players

    Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News reports that the Denver Nuggets have signed 2 shooting guards to 10-day contracts.

  • Finley out tonight?

    Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports: The Dallas Mavericks have a showdown with the San Antonio Spurs tonight but Mavericks coach Don Nelson doesn't think Michael Finley, who hasn't missed a game this season, will be available.

  • Hardaway to return for playoff run?

    Mark Montieth of the Indianapolis Star is reporting that the Indiana Pacers are strongly considering signing five-time NBA All-star Tim Hardaway.

  • Nowitzki drawing MVP attention

    As everyone seems to be talking about the Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett as the potential league MVP this season, on paper at least, Minneapolis Star-Tribune writer Steve Aschburner believes that many will have a hard time looking past Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks as being the NBA's best.

  • Avery Johnson about to join elite company

    Kobe Bryant is not the only one breaking into phenominal NBA history categories, with Dallas guard Avery Johnson closing in on his 1,000th game played.

  • Mavs handle listless Jazz

    Two minutes into the second quarter.

  • Jazz Go Without a Fight

    The best way to avoid those run-down, leg-weary, out-of-breath, back-to-back NBA blues? Just take that second night off.

  • Najera convinced 'club reputation' cost him

    Eduardo Najera is convinved.