08-02-2019, 12:55 AM
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Dallas Mavericks didnt care if Oklahoma City was without star guard Russell Westbrook. They were just glad to finally beat the Thunder. Shawn Marion scored 19 points, Vince Carter added 18 and the Mavericks rolled past Oklahoma City 109-86 on Sunday night, ending a seven-game regular-season losing streak to the Thunder. Dallas beat Oklahoma City for the first time since Jan. 2, 2012. In addition to the seven straight regular-season losses to the Thunder, the Mavericks also were swept in a 2012 playoff series. "We played well," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Look, theyre down a great player, so we caught a break there. But youve still got to go out and play and theyve had a great record with and without Westbrook. Its a game we needed. We need every one, the battle that were in. We did good things. We had to clean some things up at halftime with rebounding. We did. We had four good quarters." Oklahoma City played without three usual starters -- the injured Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha in addition to Westbrook. With the team wanting to ease Westbrook back into gear after his most recent knee surgery -- which cost him 27 games -- he was given the game off to rest. The Dallas game was the opener of what will be three back-to-backs on the Thunder schedule by March 25. Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said Westbrook will return Monday when the Thunder visit the Chicago Bulls. Kevin Durant scored 30 points for Oklahoma City, his 26th straight game of 25 points or more, the longest such streak since Michael Jordan did so in 40 straight games during the 1986-87 season. But with most of the Thunders other players struggling offensively, that wasnt enough to make up for Westbrooks absence. Brooks said his team lacked energy and effort and Durant agreed with that assessment, saying the Thunder "just coasted" as they fell two games behind San Antonio in the race for the top spot in the Western Conference. Durant refused to blame the absence of the three starters for the teams lacklustre performance. "There is no excuse," he said. "Weve got to figure it out. Weve each got to do it. Were pros. ... Weve got to act like we care. It will be all right. Weve got another one tomorrow." Dirk Nowitzki added 17 points and Jose Calderon had 16 points for Dallas, which entered the game tied for seventh in the Western Conference standings. The Mavericks, who begin an eight-game homestand on Monday against the Boston Celtics, became only the third Western Conference team to win this season in Oklahoma City, joining Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers. "This is a tough place to play," Nowitzki said. "Obviously, Westbrook getting the night off, that helped us, but its really only a good thing if you win the game. Ive lost plenty of games in my career before when people were resting or hurt, but we still lost. Its only an advantage if you take care of business and I thought we did a good job." Porous defence, which Brooks has said has been at the root of Oklahoma Citys recent slump, again was an issue against the Mavericks. Dallas shot 53.3 per cent from the field and was even better from 3-point range, finishing 13 of 24. Calderon and Carter each went 4 for 8 from behind the arc and two other Mavericks (Marion and Nowitzki) had at least two 3-pointers apiece. Outside of Durant and Serge Ibaka (19 points), Oklahoma City struggled offensively. The Thunder shot 36.7 per cent from the field and never made a serious run during the second half after trailing 59-48 at halftime. Dallas led 91-70 entering the fourth quarter and the Mavericks eventually led by 26 points. NOTES: The Thunder signed G Mustafa Shakur to a 10-day contract on Sunday. Shakur, who has spent time in the NBA Development League this season, hadnt played in the NBA since appearing in 22 games for the Washington Wizards during the 2010-11 season before entering Sundays game with 6:16 left. He spent time on Oklahoma Citys roster during the 2009-10 season but never played. ... Carter raised his career total to 23,010 points, becoming the 27th NBA player to pass the 23,000-point mark with a 3-pointer with 2:17 left in the third quarter. ... Nowitzki was called for a technical foul with 7:52 left in the third quarter by official Derrick Collins after Nowitzki complained about being called for travelling by Collins. ... Reggie Jackson added 13 points for Oklahoma City. Marcus Foligno Wild Jersey . 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Ryan Suter Jersey .Y. -- Mike Zigomaniss goal at 5:53 of the third period stood up as the winner as the Rochester Americans hung on to defeat the visiting Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. J.T. Brown Jersey . Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and Kole Calhoun all homered to help the Los Angeles Angels get their first win of the season with an 11-1 rout of the Houston Astros.GREEN BAY, Wis. - Dez Bryant stood near the sideline with a look of disbelief, hands raised to his head.The 31-yard catch to the 1 in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter was reversed and that helped knock the Dallas Cowboys out of playoffs.DeMarco Murray ran for 123 yards on 25 carries and an efficient Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes, but the Cowboys squandered an eight-point lead in the third quarter to fall 26-21 on Sunday to the Green Bay Packers. It was the first loss on the road this season for Dallas after going 8-0 in the regular season.Bryant finished with three catches for 38 yards.The 31-yard catch overturned on video replay upset Bryant the most.Look, Ill tell you this, Ive never seen that a day in my life. I want to know why it wasnt a catch, said an emotional Bryant, his voice sounding as if it was going to crack a couple of times.On fourth-and-2 from the Packers 32 with 4:42 left and the Packers leading 26-21, Romo threw a deep pass left. Cornerback Sam Shields had solid coverage. The 6-foot-2 Bryant jumped high and came down at the 1.Coach Mike McCarthy saw otherwise and threw a challenge flag. Fans at Lambeau Field roared as giant video boards showed the replay.Some people probably think throwing the red flag is a lot of fun. Its not all its cut out to be, I can tell you that, McCarthy said. But that was such an impactful play, you have to challenge that.Replays showed that Bryant bobbled the ball as he rolled into the end zone, with part of it touching the field. After reviewing the play, officials overturned the call, saying Bryant didnt maintain control all the way to the ground.The rule states:If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.Bryant thought otherwise.Cmon, man. Im just saying, I think it was a catch. Obviously, they didnt think it was a catch, (the refereess) took it away, Bryant said.dddddddddddd So obviously it was because of them.Hours after the game, Bryant tweeted: as I went to the ground I rolled over and I tipped the ball to gain better control. We lost and I accept it but please change that rule.The call overshadowed other glaring problems for the Cowboys down the stretch — third-down conversions by the Packers in the fourth quarter.Packers rookie Davante Adams broke free for a 26-yard gain on third-and-3 to the Dallas 34 with 2:24 left. Cornerback Sterling Moore missed a tackle after trying to pull the ball away.With 1:43 left, Randall Cobb caught a 12-yard pass that was initially tipped on third-and-11 from the 35 for another first down.When it gets cold here and this weather gets different, youve got to put your body on people and arm tackles dont work, cornerback Orlando Scandrick said. Me personally, I dont think we did a great job of tackling. Ultimately, you cant pinpoint one thing.Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was slowed by a left calf injury. But he displayed his trademark accuracy in darting a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Richard Rodgers with 9:10 left to put the Packers up for good.While almost every Cowboys fan will remember this game for the reversed call, coach Jason Garrett said the loss didnt come down to officiating.We had 60 minutes, Garrett said. That play was big in the game, but there were plenty of other plays in the ballgame an unfortunately we didnt do things necessary to win the ballgame in the end.Romo finished 15 of 19 for 191 yards. The Packers sacked him four times. Romo also was whipped around to the ground by safety Micah Hyde after throwing away a pass. He gave the Cowboys a brief scare when he got up limping, favouring his left leg.Romo turned out to be fine and returned to the game.But the return to his home state — Romo grew up in Burlington in southeastern Wisconsin — didnt go as well as he would have hoped.This is really, seriously one of the more disappointing times Ive had on a personal basis, owner Jerry Jones said. It was quite a challenge, it was quite game our team played, we just fell short.___AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '