Thaddeus Young having career season, giving Nets confidence

The Mavs, though, have been the fortunate ones to have someone of Nowitzki’s ilk to rely on when they need a crucial basket.

Nowitzki achieved the feat during the Mavericks’ road game against Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. After his basket, Jarrett Jack missed a jumper on Brooklyn’s final possession.

With Deron Williams out due to a hamstring injury, J.J. Barea got the start alongside Raymond Felton in the backcourt.

ATLANTA – The Hawks’ strategy of repeatedly fouling Detroit center Andre Drummond worked, forcing Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy to take his big man off the floor for stretches and changing the flow of the game. Why didn’t Gerald Wallace do more during his time with the Nets? Maybe it makes sense to wonder how long he can keep doing this – Father Time, undefeated, and all that jazz – but then again, maybe it makes sense to stop doubting Dirk Nowitzki. His 16-footer careened off the front of the rim, and the buzzer sounded a moment later.

Dallas opened the game responding well to their head coach’s message, led by Barea, who scored 20 in the first half and finished with 32. But then, Thaddeus Young nailed his second three of the season and blocked JJ Barea on the potential game-winning shot.

The run was behind the lead of Joe Johnson, who scored 10 points in the quarter and two huge threes from Bojan Bogdanovic.

As long as he is still good enough to play, he is going to.

But Williams, who was injured in Tuesday night’s loss in Toronto, never appeared.

Fans chanted, “Where is Deron?”

Williams was expected to be the player that, as the Nets moved to Brooklyn and their new billion-dollar arena, would lift them from being one of the NBA’s forgotten franchises into being a perennial force in the Eastern Conference. He says he will get an MRI exam Thursday when the team returns to Dallas.

“You only come here once”, said Williams. I wish I would’ve played better and people didn’t feel like I was just stealing money.

One of the reasons guard Wesley Matthews left Portland via free agency this past summer and signed a four-year, $70 million contract with the Mavs was the opportunity to play with a legend like Nowitzki. “I think you’ll see his confidence go up, his timing and rhythm go up and his production will be the best results”, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson told the Fort Worth Star Telegram.BUZZER BEATERS1. “You only come here once”. First time back, I get hurt the game before. “I wanted to get to 30 (points in a game) before I finished my career”.

Early on, it didn’t look as if his teammates needed him. Shaq is one of the most dominant centers to play the game and is a staple in discussions in best centers to play the game.