The sell-out crowd at the American Airlines Center in Dallas roared each time Dirk Nowitzki made his turn-around jump shot from the top of the key or the little fall-away jump shot from just beyond the paint.
The excitement Dirk generated got the crowd going, and he eventually finished the game with 21 points, 12 rebounds and tied a career high with eight assists.
But with all that said, it was Jason Terry (JT) who would steal the show after struggling in the first half. He came back roaring in the second half to score 21 of his 25 points.
Terry came off the bench as the sixth man and brought the excitement that the lethargic Mavericks were missing in the first half. He only scored four points in the first half. But his hustle and enthusiasm helped spur his team on after the Mavericks got behind by as much as eight points in the first half, eventually trailing 50–43 at the break.
Terry shot 10 of 21 from the floor, while adding three three-pointers, concluding the night with 25 points. It wasn't so much that Terry shot so well, but the way he fed the ball to Jerry Stackhouse and Nowitzki, to allow their successes, was more important.
Stackhouse scored six points, but only charged the bucket once to make a solid lay up. "I have been working on my defense and just trying to stay healthy," he said after the game.
Coach Avery Johnson went a little further by stating this game may have been the best defensive game of the season for Stackhouse.
Meanwhile, Erick Dampier returned to action after shoulder surgery for 13 minutes of action, scoring seven points and seven rebounds.
In the locker room after the game, coach Johnson said that Dirk Nowitzki was a "stud." His stats and history prove the truth in that. But if Dirk is the stud, then Jason Terry is the racehorse that will come in handy at the turn and down the stretch.
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