Game 25: Mavericks vs. Nets

The Nets find themselves with a 12-12 record coming into this game against the Dallas Mavericks. They were handed a loss by Utah on the 17th, while the Mavericks topped Toronto on the same evening. Early on in this season, the Mavs were happier on the road and that is where they are with this game, in New Jersey for Kidd to return to his former teams casa. The Mavericks beat them after the trade that sent Kidd back to Dallas with a 20 point spread over the Nets on March 8th. This is the first time has returned to the IZOD Center since the trade.

Dallas Mavericks Player Stats 08-09

Name	Dirk Nowitzki	Josh Howard	Jason Terry	Jason Kidd
Points Per Game	26.4	19.1	21.0	9.3
Rebounds Per Game	9.3	7.0	2.9	6.4
Assists Per Game	2.5	1.5	3.9	8.2
Blocks Per Game	0.9	0.6	0.3	0.5

Howard looks to be regaining pre-injury form. It will be interesting to see how he handles the Nets and just how much playing time he will have if he plays a little sluggish.

New Jersey Nets Player Stats 08-09

Name	Devin Harris	Vince Carter	Yi Jianlian	Brook Lopez
Points Per Game	23.8	22.5	10.1	9.9
Rebounds Per Game	3.3	4.9	6.1	7.4
Assists Per Game	6.3	4.8	1.3	0.8
Blocks Per Game	0.1	0.5	0.7	1.9

I have to be honest here... I wouldn't have expected Harris to be leading his team in points. Assists, to me is a given for him to lead his team, but points? And the Nets have Vince Carter... which, I think, says a little bit about how Harris plays his game.
Forecast: The Nets opponents have outscored them, as well as taken more rebounds and dished out more assists than the Nets. I think it is good for Harris to be a dominant scorer, but his 6.3 assists per game number seems a bit low for me... and I think is shows an indication of selfishness with the basketball and not willing to trust fellow team-mates. Mavericks have the giving spirit (HA! Tis the Season to GIVE) and win this one, 108-100.

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