Mavericks 135-131 Thunders
The Mavericks wbeat Thunder 135-131. Ellis scores 26 points, Chandler scores a double-double (14points,10 rebounds), Rondo scores 10 points and 10 assists. Westbrook scores a triple-double (31 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), Kanter scores a double-double (30 points and 16 rebounds) for the Thunder. Coach Carlisle:
It was a great basketball game. Every once in a while, you stand over there and you say, ‘This is an unbelievable game to be a part of,’ and it was. The extreme momentum swings back and forth – the shot making was breathtaking.
Kanter:
I think we just got beat on a lot of pick-and-rolls, and I think we just have to work on it.
Parsons:
Being patient and staying aggressive and just trying to make some big plays down the stretch for our team. We all know how important this game was. We needed this win in a bad way.
Suspended one game
The Mavericks suspend Rondo for one game following a shouting match between him and his coach over play-calling responsibilities. Coach Rick Carlisle:
The events of last night are now in the past and we’ve got to move forward. I need to say this very clearly: He is an extremely important part of our team. Our efforts to get to the highest possible level largely hinge on him playing and playing well with him. He needs to play well with us, and we need to play well with him. It’s a two-way street.
The incident last night was born in large part out of poor communication between him and I. That’s on both of us. We had a long talk about the situation today, and we both agreed that we need to communicate more frequently. We need to work on the solution for making his stint as a Dallas Maverick the most successful one possible. We’re looking at 23 games here. Right now, this is a critical time for us.