Round 1

- Round 1 begins tonight. Kobe and the Lakers invade tonight. What a week we have in front of us. LA, Boston, San Antonio. The Stars with some big ones against divisional opponents. Opening weekend of the NCAA tourney. Tiger going for 6 in a row. Bring it on.

No more excuses. LA is not playing as well and Gasol is hurt. Boston is in the midst of the brutal Texas Triangle plus one (New Orleans). And we all know what San Antonio is doing right now. 3-0 is a must. You were close on the road, now finish the job.

Dallas Mavericks face critical three-game stretch

02:13 AM CDT on Tuesday, March 18, 2008
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com

You don't send messages in December unless they're on holiday cards.

You don't deliver strong, heartfelt feelings in February unless it's to your valentine.

In the NBA, you don't start serving notice until now.

The NCAA bracket is filled out. St. Paddy's Day is done. The playoffs begin a month from Wednesday.

No better time than now to let the sharks, snakes and pit bulls in the Western Conference know you're legit.

The Mavericks can start with maybe their No. 1 snake, the one that always seems to be hiding in the grass – or at the free throw line – waiting for them.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers visit tonight for the first of three home games against championship-caliber competition. The Mavericks have built a five-game winning streak, but it lacks teeth, having come against weak Eastern Conference teams.

"We haven't been the best road team this year," Jerry Stackhouse said. "But we've protected our home court."

By Sunday night – after Boston and San Antonio have followed the Lakers into American Airlines Center – the Mavericks will have either proved they are relevant in the West or shown they will spend the final weeks of the season fighting to stay in the playoff picture.

The line is that fine.

"This is going to be a very difficult week for us," center Erick Dampier said. "Not only for us, but for them coming in here. We've just got to go out and do the job."

The Mavericks are 1-1 against the Lakers this season, having beating them, 112-105, at AAC in January and losing an overtime thriller, 108-104, on March 2 in Los Angeles.

Jason Kidd had been with the Mavericks for only six games when Dallas lost to the Lakers. The Mavs feel considerably better about their chemistry now.

The Mavericks are in seventh place in the Western Conference, 2 ½ games behind first-place Houston. Three wins this week and Dallas could be as high as third.

To their credit, the Mavericks are only worried about one win – tonight's. But they understand that this stretch presents an opportunity to make a statement.

"A couple of the teams we're playing, we didn't win against the last time," coach Avery Johnson said. "So we'll see how much further along we are with Kidd. He has a better grip of the playbook.

"Maybe this is the right time. Maybe it's not. But we want to get some momentum going."

And what about the West race?

"We'd rather be on top," Johnson said. "It's a nice place to be. Last year, we were blowing everybody away with wins. And the year before, people didn't quite know where we were and what we had. And we're back in that situation again.

"It may come down to the last game of the season, because you're going to see some shifting and changing."

Johnson pointed out that a lot of Western contenders still have to visit Boston and/or Detroit and have road games against other Western powers.

"We've played a ton of back-to-backs," he said. "What a lot of what teams are doing now, we've done that already. So now the schedule sets up well for our team, the age of our team."

MAVERICKS HOST NBA ELITE

Los Angeles Lakers
7:30 p.m. today (Ch. 21)

Record: 45-21 (3rd in West)

NBA titles: 14

Against the Mavs this season: 1-1

MVP talk: Kobe Bryant the front- runner for his first award


Boston Celtics
7 p.m. Thursday (Ch. 21/TNT)

Record: 53-13 (1st in the East)

NBA titles: 16

Against the Mavs this season: 1-0

MVP talk: Kevin Garnett's the leader, but don't forget Pierce/ Allen



San Antonio Spurs
Noon Sunday (Ch. 8)

Record: 44-23 (6th in West)

NBA titles: 4

Against the Mavs this season: 2-1

MVP talk: Tim Duncan (a 2-time MVP) still commands attention


TOO CLOSE TO CALL
The Western Conference is so good that 50 wins won't be good enough to make the playoffs. Based on remaining schedules, staff writer Eddie Sefko projects the rest of the season. Tiebreakers would be broken by the NBA using the league's formula.


Team Projected final record
1. LA Lakers 57-25
2. San Antonio 56-26
3. Utah 56-26
4. New Orleans 55-27
5. Dallas 54-28
6. Golden State 54-28
7. Houston 54-28
8. Phoenix 54-28
9. Denver 51-31




- Meanwhile, the plight of San Antonio is growing.....I watched this game last night. They came out on fire. Driving the lane, getting any offensive shot they wanted, drawing fouls, locking down Boston's go-to guys.

And then Boston made adjustments. I hear otherwise, but I still think Tony Parker isn't right. He doesn't look the same to me. That deadly mid range jumper isn't there. He's not driving the lane as much anymore. So teams are now basically letting Duncan get his, rarely doubling him, and focusing their attention on Ginobili. Ginobili is the head of the snake now for SA. You control him, you probably control San Antonio. He's now become their best playmaker, with his drives, foul-drawing ability, and clutch shooting.

But here's what teams do now. They double up on Ginobili, single up on Duncan and Parker, hoping that they keep them in the 10-20 point range, and not worry about the other role players, who have really taken a step back this year offensively. And that's what Boston did.

Hollinger examines.....



Disappearing Act In Second Half Continues For Spurs

By John Hollinger
ESPN.com

SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics will take a lot away from Monday's showdown.

Like their timeouts, for instance.

Boston's Kevin Garnett inexplicably failed to call one with his team up two and all the options for an inbounds pass covered. But then San Antonio's Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry made the same gaffe after the Spurs stole the ball on KG's inbound attempt, resulting in a rushed 3 at the buzzer by Horry that missed the mark. The Celtics hung on for a 93-91 win.

But let's set the timeout debate aside and look at the bigger picture. One suspects the defending champions have a much larger takeaway from Monday's game, considering it's their fourth straight defeat and the sixth in their last seven contests. It dropped them to 44-23 on the season and into a tie with Dallas for sixth place in the West -- unheard-of territory for this squad so late in the season.

Though it's a hard thought to fathom giving their amazing finishing kicks in recent campaigns, the Spurs' finishing kick is exactly their problem right now. Not just in season terms, but in a game context too.

For the first 13 minutes Monday, they did all the things we expect San Antonio teams to do -- play suffocating defense, execute in the halfcourt, and sprinkle in the occasional open-court dash from Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili.

That put San Antonio up by 22, but they lost steam from there -- most notably during a 15-2 haymaker the Celtics landed to start the third quarter. And it's part of a disturbing recent pattern in which the Spurs play a strong first half but fizzle after the break.

San Antonio scored 38 points after halftime Monday, marking the fourth time in seven games that they had a sub-40-point second half. You can throw the 42-point effort against Denver into the mix too, since the Nuggies' league-leading pace inflates scoring so much. In each of those five games, a lame offensive second half from San Antonio either cost them the lead or blew open a previously close game.

"I'm mad that we were up 22 and blew it," said Horry. "I know we're playing one of the best teams in the league in the Celtics but there's no excuse. It's tough to maintain big leads like that against good teams but you have to defend home court. You just have to."

Ginobili was brilliant with 32 points, but like his teammates did most of his damage in the first half. He scored 18, including 4-of-5 on 3s, to give the Spurs a 10-point edge at the break. But he was 1-for-4 from the field in the fourth quarter, and had a key turnover late.

"When you play good for 45 minutes and then you miss two shots to almost win it, it doesn't count," said Ginobili. "Down the stretch they made every shot, [and] we couldn't make one.

"We played great for 20 minutes, then we kind of started slowing down and the second half was totally different."

And as the "What's wrong with the Spurs?" questions came up, the general consensus inside San Antonio's locker room was that the problems were mental and not -- as some suspect -- physical deterioration from the team's increasing age.

A few of the diagnoses:

"We're kind of insecure, a little lack of confidence," said Ginobili. "So when things start to go bad we don't have the same response as when things go right."

"This thing lately is in our heads, it's not physical," said Bowen. "Right now we are not completing, not finishing our games the way we would like."

"The simple things got away from us," said Horry. "Taking care of the basketball, simple ball control, and those types of things. And that's just simple basketball."

"Down the stretch I thought execution-wise we made a couple of mistakes that really got us," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

Perhaps it's just a blip that will all be forgotten when the Spurs are having another festive float down the Riverwalk in late June. But while Ginobili said the Spurs remain good enough to repeat as champions, other indicators aren't pointing their way.

For instance, San Antonio only has the seventh-best victory margin in the conference, so you can't just blame their record on bad luck -- and much of that plus-4.1 margin was built up during its now long-forgotten 17-3 start. Since then they're 27-20 -- good enough for most, but not for defending champions.

The schedule has been cruel during this stretch, which is one reason the Spurs' struggles have seemed so much worse of late. However, it doesn't get much easier the rest of the way. The Spurs still have road games left against Dallas, Orlando, Utah, and the Lakers, plus home dates against Utah, Phoenix and Houston.

"March is horrible, we were talking today that at least since I'm here I don't remember a month like this," said Ginobili.

But these are the Spurs. Since when did the schedule matter? This is the team that's used a brutal Rodeo road trip as the catalyst to their title march on three different occasions.

Because of that, nobody is ready to write them off quite yet, least of all this scribe. But if they can't figure out why their offense keeps suddenly disappearing after halftime, then it might be the Spurs who quickly vanish when the Western Conference playoffs start a month from now.



- At least one starter has some positive news......



Jason Jennings picks up pace for Texas Rangers

Pitcher showing much improvement, but other staff question linger


01:02 AM CDT on Tuesday, March 18, 2008
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

SURPRISE, Ariz. – The Texas Rangers are within two weeks of opening the season. Do you know who your Rangers pitchers are?

Neither do they.

But it's starting to come more into focus.

After a 5-2 loss to Seattle on Monday, these were the developments: Any concerns about Jason Jennings having adequate velocity seem to have been quelled; Eric Hurley isn't really a strong contender for the fifth spot in the rotation, but he'll get another valuable start anyway; and the Rangers will take the final time to decide whether they want to carry seven or eight relievers into the regular season.

The day started with manager Ron Washington and pitching coach Mark Connor meeting well into the morning workout to decide on scheduling for the next week. Though the day ended with a loss, Robinson Tejeda and Josh Rupe improved their stock in the crowded battle for one or two final bullpen spots. And Jennings, after laying out an aggressive throwing schedule for the club, allayed any fears that he might need a little more time than expected to get his arm strength back.

"Jennings was the bright spot of the day," Connor said. "His command was good, and his velocity jumped up a little bit. I just wanted to see it creep up a little, and it's creeping up there."

In his four innings of work, Jennings allowed two hits and a run and struck out two with a fastball that ranged from 84 to 87 mph and a sharp slider that has gotten a surprising number of swings-and-misses during camp. The velocity had been in the 82 to 85 mph range.

Jennings, a former Mesquite Poteet and Baylor standout, was also efficient. He worked the four innings in fewer than 60 pitches. Connor decided that since Jennings hadn't pitched four full innings before Monday, he would finish off his work in the bullpen rather than get up for a fifth inning. He threw an extra 17 pitches in the bullpen.

And he will throw even more. Jennings said he has asked to do more long-tossing between starts to build up his arm strength further.

"But I don't think I need much more," he said. "In 2006 [when he pitched a career-high 212 innings], I was pretty consistently at 86 to 88 [mph]. I'm really trying to stay away from looking at velocity. I feel like my fastball had life. I think more long-tossing will help speed up the process of building up arm strength."

With Jennings answering any lingering questions, it appears the opening day rotation is set. Nos. 1-2 starters Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla have recovered from early-spring muscle strains and made it through minor league games without issue over the weekend. Millwood will make his only "A" game start of the spring Thursday in Tucson. He will make his final start in a minor league game to avoid facing Seattle, whom he will face on opening day.

Jennings will make his next start in a minor league game, too, because it is scheduled for Saturday, when the Rangers play Seattle again. The club would like to avoid showing Jennings twice to Seattle in the two weeks before he starts the third game of the year against the Mariners. Instead, Hurley will get the start.

Hurley is probably third in the fight for the final spot in the rotation, a spot that won't need to be used until April 12. But if Luis Mendoza struggles today and again Sunday and Sidney Ponson struggles again Friday after a less-than-inspiring outing Sunday against Oakland, Hurley could wind up in the mix.

"Right now, it's just another 'A' game," Hurley said. "It's another chance to go out there and face quality hitters. You are going to face [Seattle's] opening day lineup, and that's good experience. And sticking around here just gives me more time to pick guys brains."

As for the bullpen, injury worries about closer C.J. Wilson, Joaquin Benoit and Eddie Guardado seem to be fading. Wilson and Benoit pitched without issue in minor league games over the weekend. Guardado will return to the mound Thursday. Japanese free agent Kazuo Fukumori has been all the Rangers had hoped for.

After that quartet, it gets a bit murky, but Wes Littleton and Jamey Wright have pitched well in middle- and long-relief roles. The Rangers would like to have one more of each for the start of the regular season. Tejeda or Franklyn German, the most impressive reliever in camp, could be in the mix for the former. Tejeda is expected to pitch again today, and German will go Thursday and Friday. Being effective on back-to-back days is crucial for a middle reliever.

Rupe, Scott Feldman and Kameron Loe could be the finalists for the other long relief spot. Rupe pitched two innings Monday and is expected to be stretched out to three. Feldman has already had a four-inning stint.

But stay tuned. Who knows what another day will bring in the wacky world of Rangers pitching.




- A very historic place has seen its final spring training game. One of the coolest things going in baseball, is now officially done.



Dodgertown finale full of nostalgia, emotion

By Jerry Crasnick
ESPN.com

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- The Los Angeles Dodgers took 7,327 friends and well-wishers for a spin down Memory Lane on Monday -- with the obligatory pauses to take in the scenery at Roy Campanella Boulevard, Jackie Robinson Avenue and Vin Scully Road.

It's been 61 years since the Dodgers moved their spring training operation to this glorified cow pasture on Florida's Atlantic Coast. And now, barring some unforeseen construction delays, they're ready to leave the malls, Panera Breads, Outback Steakhouses and other concessions to development in the rearview mirror.

Next spring at this time, when Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley snaps off a curveball in preparation for Opening Day, it'll slice through the dry desert heat at an $80 million facility in Glendale, Ariz.

When owner Frank McCourt and other Dodgers officials sell the team's departure from Vero for public consumption, it won't take a major leap of faith to embrace their logic. Arizona is a lot closer to California, obviously, which makes life simpler for West Coast fans in search of a spring baseball fling. And it's an economically sensible move for a franchise looking for every edge in its quest to compete in the National League West.

But that still doesn't make saying goodbye any easier.

The Dodgers lost to the Astros 12-10 on Monday in their farewell to Vero Beach. The box score will show that Houston starter Woody Williams' Grapefruit League ERA is now 13.89, Andre Ethier is still on fire, and Juan Pierre grounded out five times in five at-bats to drop to .196 this spring.

What slipped through the cracks was the sense of wistfulness emanating through the Holman Stadium stands, the standing ovations and warm applause, and the internal tug of war that comes with watching tradition collide with modern economic reality.

For a lot of fans who've made Dodgertown part of their annual spring ritual, something will be irretrievably lost even if another club takes up residence here. The early leader in the clubhouse is the Baltimore Orioles, who have been negotiating with Vero Beach about a possible move from Fort Lauderdale in 2009.

Jodi Howard of suburban Philadelphia has visited Vero Beach each spring since 1986 with her husband, Donald, a New York native whose fandom dates back to the Ebbets Field days in Brooklyn in the 1950s. The Howards have two decades' worth of autographed team balls and personal encounters with the likes of Sandy Koufax, Maury Wills and Manny Mota filed away in the memory bank.

"There's a sense of community and pride here, and a belief in something that you can pass on to your children,'' Jodi Howard said. "Everyone says it's a money move -- that it's better for the Dodgers and their fan base. Well, what about the millions of people throughout the years who've been coming here? That's what breaks my heart.''

Center stage in the finale belonged to the Dodgers' resident goodwill ambassador and icon, Tommy Lasorda, who filled in as manager for the past week when Joe Torre took half the roster to China, then on to the Cactus League.

In the morning, Lasorda held a news conference outside the Dodgers' clubhouse. Among other things, Lasorda dropped references to Frank Sinatra, Loretta Young, Walter Pidgeon, Yorkshire pigs, and a long-standing gag about former L.A. outfielder Dusty Baker being duped into believing there's such a thing as an "arm recharger.''

Two hours later, Lasorda was on the field at Holman Stadium waxing nostalgic to the crowd. He ended his speech with the exhortation, "If you don't pull for the Dodgers, you may not get into heaven.''

Lasorda said that McCourt and the Dodgers plan to distribute glass-encased commemorative tickets from the Holman Stadium finale as souvenirs to team personnel. But for some participants, the mementos will be more personal in nature.

Preston Mattingly, the son of former Yankees great and Dodgers special assignment coach Don Mattingly, will remember circling the bases on a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning. Summoned from Dodgers minor league camp, Mattingly teed off on a Chad Paronto pitch and watched a charitable wind carry it all the way over the fence.

After the game, Mattingly said that he and fellow minor leaguer Russ Mitchell felt "chills'' watching longtime Dodger favorite Carl Erskine play the national anthem on his harmonica. As it turns out, Erskine, 81, started and won the first game at Holman Stadium in 1953.

"It was awesome,'' Mattingly said. "Just to be able to say you played in the last game at Holman Stadium in Dodgertown is incredible.''

The day was kind to octogenarians and prospects alike. The postgame script called for Lasorda to leave the field to the accompaniment of Tina Turner's "Simply the Best'' on the stadium loudspeakers. Then Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt suggested the players wait in the right-field corner to shake Lasorda's hand as he made his way back to the clubhouse.

Reserve outfielder Nook Logan half-jokingly lifted his bat in tribute, and the next thing you knew, Mike Myers, Ethier, Rafael Furcal and the other Dodgers were raising their bats in a ceremonial archway. And an impromptu Hallmark moment was born.

Lasorda, so accustomed to lighting up for the cameras, spoke with a tremor and sense of genuine emotion in his voice.

"That just tore me up,'' he said. "I'll never forget it. I'm a very, very happy 80-year-old man right now.''

All those years, and the reciprocal love between a baseball team and a Florida town were gone, just like that. Like a windblown home run, they're never coming back.




- Stars now chasing San Jose and Anaheim.....



Dallas Stars chasing division leaders again

Chasing Sharks, Ducks in final games has familiar feel for Stars

05:02 AM CDT on Tuesday, March 18, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com

It's not like the Dallas Stars haven't been here before.

Yes, they have two games remaining against the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks, but they faced a similar challenge last season.

Dallas went 8-1-2 in the final 11 games, falling just short of Anaheim (110 points) and tying San Jose (107 points). Coach Dave Tippett said he expects the team to embrace the challenge.

"I think it can be a very good thing," Tippett said. "You have to recognize that the two teams we are battling with are both on great runs, and that we need to work hard to get ourselves up to that level of play. I fully expect these games to have the feel of playoff games, and that's something that will challenge all of us."

On Wednesday, the Stars play the Ducks, who have gone 14-3-1 in their last 18 games. On March 27, Dallas starts a road swing through San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim. The Sharks are the hottest team in hockey, going 11-0-1 in their last 12 games. The Stars, who led the division for 39 days, are in a 1-5-0 slump.

"Right now, we have to get going in the right direction," center Brad Richards said. "There are some things we need to clean up. We have to keep concentrating how little things can change the way a game goes. We have to grab momentum and keep it."

The assimilation of Richards, who was acquired from Tampa Bay on Feb. 26, has been an issue. Tippett has tried the versatile forward at center on several lines and as a right wing with Mike Modano. But the coach said after a 4-3 loss to Vancouver on Saturday that Richards will stay at center.

"We like him as a center, and we like Mike [Modano] as a center, and that's the way we'll go forward," Tippett said.

Mike Ribeiro is expected to center a line with Brenden Morrow, Richards will center a line with Jere Lehtinen, and Modano will probably center a line with Steve Ott, who has one game remaining on a three-game suspension. The other parts will mix in, Tippett said.

The plan on defense is more tenuous. Sergei Zubov (right foot), who has missed the last 25 games, is scheduled to see a doctor Wednesday and may be cleared to start skating Thursday with the hope he could play before the end of March. Philippe Boucher is rehabilitating his right shoulder and also hopes to return by the end of the month.

"It would be good to get some games in and just get a feel for the team again," Zubov said Monday. "Right now, it would be good just to be skating."

Zubov has the capability of helping the Stars the way Brian Campbell has helped the Sharks, who went on a roll since he was acquired from Buffalo on Feb. 26. Campbell has 11 points in 10 games and is averaging more than 24 minutes. With less time for the other defensemen, Campbell has helped a thin group become stronger.

"By getting Brian Campbell, we added something we all thought we needed – a puck-moving defenseman who plays a lot of minutes, plays well defensively and plays on the power play," Sharks center Joe Thornton said in an NHL conference call recently.

Campbell's minutes have given the Sharks a chance to play with confidence, something Tippett said he believes Zubov can do.

"He's a world-class player," Tippett said. "He helps you in every aspect of the game."

Anaheim, meanwhile, will have play without their world-class player and captain, Chris Pronger, who was suspended for eight games after he stepped on the leg of Vancouver forward Ryan Kesler. Pronger can return for the regular-season finale and the postseason.

"It's not the way you draw it up," Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer told the Orange County Register about having to adjust their defense. "Our jobs don't really change, no matter who's in the lineup. We have to go out there and play as a team, play the systems as well as we can, do it together, and that will give us a chance to win."

The Stars say they will take the same philosophy.

"There are just several factors that we have to improve," Tippett said. "And we expect to improve all of them if we hope to compete with these teams."

PACIFIC HEIGHTS
Dallas, Anaheim and San Jose should wage an interesting battle to the finish the season, with Los Angeles and Phoenix offering divisional resistance. Here is a breakdown of the remaining games (* teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today):

Key issue
Dallas: The return to health of defensemen Sergei Zubov (foot) and Philippe Boucher (shoulder), who are both expected back by the end of March.

Anaheim: How they play without suspended defenseman Chris Pronger, who will return for the regular-season finale.

San Jose: As much as they have been on a winning streak, they have still scored just 16 goals in the last six games (an average of 2.66 per game).



- The greatness of Paul Brogan.

It just can't be done

- Dallas just can't win in Detroit. The coaches have changed, the rosters have been changed, the years pass, the rules change, and Dallas just can't beat those guys in Joe Louis Arena. It's maddening.

- They outplay them for 55 minutes out of the 60. Get stellar play all around for 55 minutes. But like always, Detroit decides to dial it up for a stretch, start attacking like their asses are on fire, and all of a sudden they score 3 goals in 5 minutes, and it's church.

- Denver in pre-1997 Super Bowls. Dallas vs. Golden State. The Rangers vs. the Yankees. The Atlanta Braves in the playoffs. Tracy McGrady vs. the 1st Round. Dallas at Detroit. It just can't be done.

- Stars hold 3-1 lead, get blitzed for 3 goals in the blink of an eye, and lose 5-3. Pressure now intense to stay with San Jose and finish #1 in the Division.

Dallas Stars collapse in third to Detroit

04:30 AM CDT on Friday, March 14, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com

DETROIT – The house of horrors that is Joe Louis Arena continued for Marty Turco and the Stars on Thursday.

Turco allowed two goals in the first 1:01 of the third period, and the Dallas Stars blew a 3-1 lead and lost, 5-3, to the league-leading Red Wings.

It was a frustrating outcome for several reasons. One, the Stars have been outscored, 12-3, in the third periods of their last six games and have gone 2-4-0 in that span. Two, Dallas is in a slump and falling farther behind San Jose for the lead in the Pacific Division. And three, Turco fell to 2-10-5 against the Red Wings and is winless in Detroit at 0-7-2.

"It's more about the loss than anything else," Turco said. "We had the lead, and we didn't do the things we needed to do to keep it."

Turco had possibly the defining moment in the game when he allowed a 40-foot laser shot from Pavel Datsyuk to slip past him and tie the score at the :36 mark of the third period.
"It was not a good goal," Stars coach Dave Tippett said.

But Turco wasn't alone in his struggles. Niklas Hagman and Mark Fistric combined on a coverage mistake that allowed Datsyuk to walk in alone on Turco for a goal at the 16:17 mark of the second period. And the entire team participated in a chaotic mess that ended in Stephane Robidas flipping the puck into his own net for what turned out to be the game-winner at the 1:01 mark of the third period.

"That's not the way we want to play," Robidas said. "You can't afford to do that in the playoffs."

Tippett said the score "flattered" the Stars, and that they really weren't playing that well when they took a 3-1 lead on goals by Trevor Daley, Jere Lehtinen and Brenden Morrow. He said the top scoring line of Morrow-Mike Modano-Brad Richards had zero scoring chances at even strength and that the checking line of Loui Eriksson-Joel Lundqvist-Lehtinen was the team's best.

"There are puck battles that need to be won, and their top players beat our top players," Tippett said.

When asked if he was sick of losing in Detroit, Tippett responded, "Very sick of it."

"When you watch [Henrik] Zetterberg and Datsyuk go out there and dominate the game, that's frustrating," he added. "These guys are setting the bar for the Western Conference, so we better raise our bar. We better raise our bar, or we're in trouble."

The Stars (42-26-6) have used up the space they created with a 13-2-0 run last month and now are back in the thick of playoff positioning that could quickly move them to fifth place in the conference. What's more, they have nine games remaining in the regular season and appeared to fail a key test that had a playoff feel to it.

"We didn't pass, but I feel it's more the prep for the big test than the test itself," Turco said. "We have to step it up. That's defense, scoring and stopping pucks. That needs to be there at this time of year."

And what if the Stars can't raise the bar, Turco was asked.

"We're not going to win if it isn't there, and I personally plan on winning," he said. "We need to be firing on all cylinders and playing as perfect hockey as we can come playoff time, and tonight we were far off the mark."



- Things coming easier for Dirk.....



Lighter burden helps Dallas Mavericks' Nowitzki raise game

01:20 AM CDT on Friday, March 14, 2008

The pressure to lead the Mavericks has been Dirk Nowitzki's and his alone since Steve Nash headed to the desert to a few years ago.

It beat him down in the playoffs last year, leaving him a shell of the player who deserved to win the league's MVP award.

But it's no longer his burden to bear alone. It's shared by Jason Kidd and Avery Johnson.

Guess what?

That will make Dirk better. Much better.

It already has.

Look at the scintillating numbers he has posted since the Mavs acquired Kidd 11 games ago. He's averaging 28.1 points and 8.5 rebounds, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 58.0 on 3-point attempts.

And he's doing it with a smile on his face and joy in his heart. You simply can't underestimate the correlation between happiness and performance in professional sports.

There have been more fist pumps from Dirk in the last three weeks than in the last two years combined.

He no longer feels alone.

Now, he'd probably never admit that. It's not his style.

Still, it's pretty evident he no longer carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. These days the pressure to win a championship for this franchise, which has been involved in the two biggest collapses in team history the last two years, is evenly distributed among Dirk, Avery and Kidd.

That's a positive.

Last May, after the Mavs became the first No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose a best-of-7 series to a No.8 seed, I wrote the Mavs will never win a championship as long as Nowitzki is their best player.

I came to that conclusion because I didn't believe Nowitzki, as terrific as he is, is the kind of player who could put a team on his back, tell them before the game where he was going to take them and then make it happen on the court.

I still don't.

But it's OK, because the entire focus of the Mavs – win or lose – is no longer solely on him, and that will make him a better player. Though Nowitzki is still the Mavs' best player and one of the league's best, Kidd is a future Hall of Famer.

Kidd is the quarterback, so to speak. He's a guy who's expected to make just as many big plays in the fourth quarter as Nowitzki, and he'll have to answer just as many questions if the Mavs fall short of their lofty goals.

After all, Kidd is the guy Avery called a finisher at the veteran point guard's introductory news conference. Kidd is the player Johnson said understood how to impose his will on a game late in the fourth quarter when every possession is monumental.

More important, he's a star player who has earned numerous accolades and awards with a reputation for making clutch plays. All those attributes should make Nowitzki feel more at ease.

When the Mavericks enter the playoffs this season, Johnson will find himself under intense scrutiny for the first time as a head coach.

That's what happens when a team with championship aspirations has lost eight of 10 playoff games, while imploding in consecutive series. In each series loss, you could easily make the argument Johnson was outcoached first by Pat Riley and then by Don Nelson, so he will be under pressure to prove he's not the Tracy McGrady of coaches.

We all know Avery has been out of the first round, but you get the point. Lose in the first round this season, and Johnson will be labeled as a coach with great regular-season win totals who can't get it done in the playoffs.

He must also overcome the reputation as a control freak who can't even turn over control of his team to one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. All the little stunt he pulled in San Antonio did was reinforce the notion.

See, without the addition of Kidd and the numerous questions surrounding Johnson, Nowitzki would enter this postseason as the central figure in the Mavs' collapses each of the last two years.

Now he doesn't have to handle it alone. He won't be at the epicenter of the blame game.

Kidd and Johnson will share the burden, which will make Nowitzki a happier, more productive player when the playoffs start.



- More thought on Jason Kidd.



Dallas Mavericks' deal for Kidd comes with risk

Longtime NBA coaches weigh in with thoughts on trade


11:43 PM CDT on Thursday, March 13, 2008
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com

A month ago, Jason Kidd was a Maverick.

Then he wasn't. And then he was again.

Seems like a long time ago now. But the fact is, it hasn't really been much time at all. As the point guard approaches his one month anniversary with his new team, the jury remains out on how this is fitting together.

And some of the most intriguing opinions are coming from outside the Mavericks organization.

The Mavericks made a franchise-altering decision when they made the trade, and those are never cut and dried. There is risk. And there will be criticism. The NBA's most experienced coaches know that.

"That's the decision you have to make," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said last week, when the Mavericks visited the Jazz. "If you want to go forward, sometimes you make a move to try it and it looks like a great thing to do, but you don't always know how that's going to work until you play some games. A lot of people tell you this is a great thing, but there's no guarantee."

Sloan is the longest-tenured coach in the league, with nearly 20 years leading the Jazz. And he has some experience with big trades from which to draw.

When he was playing with Chicago, the Bulls had a team many thought had a shot to win the NBA championship. But they felt they were one piece short.

So before the 1974-75 season, they traded Clifford Ray to Golden State for Nate Thurmond.

"Nate was the ideal guy for our team," Sloan said. "And on paper, you'd say Nate was a better player for our team at the time. And we ended up playing against Ray in the conference finals. Those things happen. They won the championship."

Not all trades turn out that way, though. And the Mavericks have some big backers for taking the gamble on Kidd.

One of those is San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who has been with the Spurs a dozen seasons, second in the league to Sloan.

Popovich, who has a close relationship with Dallas coach Avery Johnson, said the Mavericks have given themselves the best chance to improve because they acquired a player who has a lion's heart.

"I've always thought of Jason as a fearless point guard," Popovich said. "If he thinks something's there, he's going after it. And if he makes a mistake, he's great in that he doesn't care. All that matters is the very next play. He doesn't linger in the past. All he does is compete.

"He has the same juices flowing that Manu Ginobili has – very unique people. They would have been great warriors in the middle ages."

Or in the 2000s. At least, that's what the Mavericks hope.

The Mavericks are 7-5 with Kidd, going into tonight's home game against Indiana. The schedule gets nasty next week, but the three beasts coming up – the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston and San Antonio – all must visit American Airlines Center.

One thing Sloan stressed is that the Mavericks must show some patience with Kidd. Even though he's a veteran, bonding with a new team won't happen overnight.

"It takes awhile for a guy like that, because he's got to know who he's playing with," Sloan said. "He's able to find a guy where he needs the basketball instead of giving the basketball to him in places where he can't do anything with it. That's what those guys have the ability to do. They also know that, like John [Stockton] always used to say, you've got to know your customers, who you're throwing the ball to."




- Friggin punk. "What did I do?"

That's why he's an MVP

- Bad offense. No go-to scorers. No interior defense. Just a pitiful game all around.

- I hope this helps quiet all those who love to bash Dirk. Last night gave you a glimpse of what this team is. It's a collection of average players, with a few who might be above average (JET and Josh Howard), and a superstar (Dirk).

- I'll say it again, every dominant team has 2 legit, no brainer all stars. Phoenix has Nash and Amare. San Antonio has Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker. LA has Gasol and Kobe. New Orleans has Paul and West. Utah has Boozer and Deron. Houston has McGrady and Yao. Boston has KG, Pierce, and Ray Allen. Denver has Iverson and Carmelo. Dallas has Dirk. That's it.

- And like I keep saying.....with how they're constructed, it's a wonder they've accomplished what they have in the past 7 years. For those who love to bash Dirk, they have no clue what this guy is. Take him away, and you scrape away the Platinum and reveal the aluminum crap that lies underneath.

- To the Dallas sports idiot, who generically says Dirk can't lead a team to a title, they need to be reminded, there's only 3 guys who have led their teams to titles in the past 10 years. Shaq, Duncan, and Wade. That's it. So they're not going out on a limb by saying this, it applies to more friggin people than Dirk. And all those guys had major help next to them. Give Dirk a Kobe. Give him a Shaq. Give him Parker or Ginobli. Hopefully this opened some eyes last night. Without him, they're a lottery team.

- Heck, what has McGrady ever done? And he's had a big man next to him. What's Carmelo and Iverson ever done? Jermaine O'neal? Nash and Amare? Garnett? Nothing. They've had more help than anyone to get things done, and Dirk's outdone them all. League MVP. NBA Finals appearance. All NBA 1st team. 60 wins 3 times, with a 67 win season in there. WITH NOTHING AROUND HIM.

- Just irritates me to no end the unappreciative nature of the KVIL Mavericks fan. They want flash, they want Nike commercials, they want dunk contests, they want tattoos. I want a friggin winner and hard worker who cares only about the bottom line, winning.

- I've been waiting around a long time for local sports star I can enjoy watching, feel good about, get behind, feel like he's dying to bring this city a championship, etc. And he's here. But yet, to most people around here, it's just not good enough. People who don't like Dirk just have an agenda and have set their mind to not like him no matter what, that's the only reason I can come up with.

- Stackhouse is done. Finished. He really has nothing left. He looked terrible last night, and has ever since he came back from injury.

- Howard is driving the basket more, but that jumper still sucks.

- JET looked good early on and kept them in it, but he's just not a #1 scoring kind of guy, and couldn't do it for 4 quarters.

- Mavs lose. Dirk back Saturday.

Rockets rout Dirk-less Dallas Mavericks

06:39 AM CST on Friday, March 7, 2008
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com

The stretch that could define the Mavericks season is underway.

It was an inauspicious start.

That’s a nice way of saying bad.

A one-game suspension prevented Dirk Nowitzki from entering American Airlines Center for Thursday’s game. His absence didn’t prevent the Mavericks from playing bad defense. It didn’t prevent the sellout crowd from booing their disapproval at several points along the rocky way.

The Mavericks became Houston’s latest victim, falling 113-98 on a cold, March night. It was the first loss of the year for the Mavericks at home. The last came on Dec. 27 against Cleveland.

“I thought this would be a great night for us to rally,” said Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, who was optimistic after Wednesday’s practice and Thursday’s shoot-around.

“And I thought we were going to carry over on the floor. But we just didn’t have that type of energy that we needed and especially in the third quarter. They had it, and we didn’t.”

Houston outscored the Mavericks 35-20 in the third quarter, turning a two-point halftime lead into a blowout.

“We didn’t control the paint on the defensive end,” Josh Howard said. “We let them walk in for easy baskets. And they hit some big 3s, shots that were contested.”

The Rockets, who shot 54.2 percent, have won 17 consecutive games. Take the Mavericks longest winning streak of the season, multiply by two and it still falls short of Houston’s run.

The Rockets haven’t lost since Jan. 25. The team has won more games since that evening than Miami, Minnesota or Memphis has won all season. The last five victories have come without injured center Yao Ming, who will miss the rest of the season.

This is no seat-of-their-pants streak. Only three games have been decided by four points or less. The average margin of victory was 12.5 points entering the night.

“I don’t think anybody in our room didn’t think we could beat Dallas,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said.

It’s the sort of dominance the Mavericks displayed throughout last season.

It’s the sort of momentum Johnson hoped his team could begin to build in a stretch that sees the Mavericks play nine of their next 10 games at home.

The Mavericks began this quest without their leading scorer.

Nowitzki has averaged 28.9 points since Jason Kidd became his running buddy. The Mavericks tried to cover the loss by committee.

They didn’t come close.

Brandon Bass started for Nowitzki and scored seven points in the game’s first 6:45. He didn’t score the remainder of the game.

Malik Allen, who came from New Jersey as a salary cap equalizer in the Kidd trade, chipped in with four points off the bench.

“It’s evident right now that we’ve got to have a big performance to snap out of this thing,” Jason Terry said. “Everybody has to look at themselves and see what each individual can do better in the team concept. We have to get rolling.

“We still have a good team. We do miss the MVP out there. But defensively, we didn’t play at all tonight.”

Any chance for a momentum-building win evaporated in the third quarter.

The Mavericks tied the score at 10:13 on a pull up jumper by Kidd. The Rockets responded with a 32-15 run to end the period and take control.

“They were the aggressors,” Johnson said. “They came out. They took the ball. They rammed it down our throats.”

Houston’s backcourt of Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston combined for 55 points. The Rockets went over the 100-point mark with 6:46 left in the game.

The Mavericks weren’t much warmer than the temperature outside on offense. Terry had 17 points for the Mavericks but all of them came in the first half.

Howard once again struggled from the field, going 8-of-19, but he did finish with 21 points, seven rebounds and was active defensively in the first half. He acknowledged the significance of this stretch before the game.

“We’re right at the point we need to be,’’ Howard said. “We’re just not getting over the hump.’’

The hump grew bigger Thursday.

“This is a big home stand for us,’’ Nowitzki said earlier in the day. “We’re almost tied for the eighth spot. We feel like at home, we need to gain some ground here.

“I think this is our time to put a little winning streak together with the new team.’’

They will have to wait for Saturday. That’s when the Mavericks face Kidd’s old team and Devin Harris’ new one.

If the Mavericks play the Nets like they did the Rockets, they will have to wait even longer for that elusive winning streak to begin.




- A great "Where are they now" column here. Chris Sanders of FM Marcus fame, has reappeared. Saw some good games of him slinging it around against The Colony.



Former Flower Mound Marcus QB happy to find a home with Dallas Desperados

10:09 PM CST on Thursday, March 6, 2008
By ALBERT BREER / The Dallas Morning News
abreer@dallasnews.com

IRVING – When the Orlando Predators came to visit the Dallas Desperados in 2005, the Sanders clan was perched in Ross Perot's suite, set by happenstance adjacent to Jerry Jones' box at American Airlines Center.

Debbie Sanders' eldest son, Chris, an Orlando backup quarterback and Flower Mound Marcus alum, played in a mop-up role. As the game was ending with a solid finish from Sanders, his mom turned into a salewoman and approached the Cowboys and Desperados owner.

"You should've signed him a long time ago," she told Jones.

Finally, in November, the Desperados did. And tonight, Sanders takes center stage when he starts in place of the injured Clint Dolezel as Dallas hosts Columbus.

"This is something I've wanted ever since Dallas has gotten a team, to be in Dallas and to play in Dallas and to play in American Airlines Center," Sanders, 30, said. "I just hope I can get enough tickets for this weekend."

On Tuesday, that number hovered around 50. By Thursday night, it had bulged to more than 300.

And his mom knows why. "People just gravitate to him." Talk to those around the kid, and there's no need for an explanation.

Start with the fans, who saw him break state passing records during a 15-1 senior year at Marcus, while defying those who looked at his stocky 5-11 frame and dismissed him as something other than a top-notch quarterback.

Then, go to the people who saw how much more Sanders was than just a football player.

He's the kid who considered giving up his senior year to take of his mother, who had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He's the guy who has served in a brother/father role for his four younger siblings. He's an athlete determined enough to live an itinerant life to play the game he loves. And he's come home.

"What a big day for this kid, this is a dream come true," Debbie Sanders said. "To play in Dallas, and have all his friends coming, 300 or 400 people there, this is his dream."

It took a while for it to happen. After a record-breaking career at Tennessee-Chattanooga, where he transferred to after starting at SMU, Sanders had two shots at the NFL, actually playing in the 2001 preseason for the Tennessee Titans. He moved to the Arena League in 2003 with Buffalo. From there, he had stints with Orlando (2005), Kansas City ('06) and Arizona ('07)

All indications were Sanders would return to Arizona this fall. But a change in the coaching staff meant the 195-pound quarterback was on the move again. It also gave him the opening to come home.

The timing couldn't be better. His brother Chad, 25, just returned from Iraq. His 21-year-old brother Chase is home for a semester from Vanderbilt. They'll be at the game tonight. So will so many others.

Sanders will be the starter for the next four weeks as Dolezel recovers from a separated shoulder.

After that, there's uncertainty, which has been the case with much of his football life. So he's going to enjoy this one, and try to show the Joneses and his teammates, just what his mother was talking about.

"When you go from an All-Arena player to a guy who's never been a full-time starter, I'm sure they have a little bit of doubt," Sanders said. "Once they see how much I love the game and how hard I play, they'll rally around me. Definitely."

SANDERS' ROAD BACK TO DALLAS
Flower Mound's Chris Sanders has taken a long path home after transferring from SMU to Tennessee-Chattanooga in 1999. Some stops along the way:

Tennessee Titans (2001): Went to training camp as an undrafted free agent; was 11-of-21 passing for 141 yards in the preseason before being cut.

Atlanta Falcons (2002): Signed and allocated to NFL Europe, where he was cut by Frankfurt.

Roanoke Steam (2002): Won af2 Player of Week honors before leaving to rejoin the Titans.

Tennessee Titans (2002): Cut at Titans training camp.

Buffalo Destroyers (2003): In his first AFL season, threw for 529 yards and eight touchdowns.

Manchester Wolves (2004): Returned to af2 after being cut from Orlando, and threw for 4,184 yards and 66 touchdowns.

Orlando Predators (2005): Passed for 897 yards and 16 touchdowns in six appearances.

Kansas City Brigade (2006): Became the starter in Week 8, holding the job for seven weeks and throwing for 2,025 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Arizona Rattlers (2007): Played in seven games and started two, throwing for 634 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Dallas Desperados (2008): Signed on Nov. 2, 2007



- Jack Black

Flat

- The Stars come out flat and disinterested, and play the whole game that way. Hardly any even strength scoring chances and just all in all one of their worst offensive games of the year.

Energized Coyotes defeat Dallas Stars, 2-1

01:27 AM CST on Thursday, March 6, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com

The Phoenix Coyotes have a tangible desperation.

They're fighting for a playoff spot and are pretty much already in postseason mode.

The Dallas Stars have to find a way to manufacture that desperation artificially, or they could be facing more games like the one they lost, 2-1, Wednesday night at American Airlines Center.

The Stars did some good things, but they fell short of a Phoenix team that did a lot of hard things. The Coyotes had just 16 shots on goal, but they battled to get to the front of the net. The Coyotes had 16 blocked shots to nine for the Stars.

And the Coyotes were killed in the face-off circle (winning just 17-of-48 overall), but they won 12-of-16 in the third period when they were protecting a 2-1 lead.

"We just have to pay the price to win, and right now, we're not doing it," Stars coach Dave Tippett said of the team's back-to-back losses. "It's a desperation level, and we better recognize that."

The Stars continued their practice of allowing the first goal in a game. They have done it 37 times in 70 games, and gotten away with it a lot. Their 18-18-1 record when the opponent scores first is one of the best in the league.

But it's a dangerous game when you're playing against teams that want to get a lead and lock down their defense.

"We're finding goals this year," captain Brenden Morrow said of the ability to overcome early deficits. "But that's a tough way to play every night."

Especially when the Stars appear to have plenty of desperate teams awaiting.

Dallas has a home-and-home with seventh place Colorado over the weekend. The Stars follow that with games against Detroit, Vancouver and Anaheim.

"We're not matching their intensity to start the game, and it shouldn't be that way," said defenseman Mattias Norstrom. "It's do-or-die for them, and we need to recognize that right from the start. We need to match that desperation."

But how? The Stars went on a recent 13-2-0 run where they took over the second-best record in hockey (now 41-24-5). They've risen above the group battling to get into the playoffs.

Still, they'd like to win the Pacific Division. They'd like to secure home ice in the playoffs. They'd like to start playing like a playoff team.

"We have to find that working identity," Tippett said. "When you have your best players setting the example of working hard, that usually flows through your team."

Brad Winchester, who has been a frequent healthy scratch this season, and Toby Petersen, who was called up from the minors Tuesday, created the Stars' only goal on a hard-working rush to the net. Petersen took a shot and Winchester charged in to bat in the rebound.

For much of the rest of the game, the Stars were content to pound away from the perimeter. Yes, Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov came up with some big saves, but he also had plenty of help from teammates who sold out and made it very tough for the Stars to get in front of the goal.

"I think the energy and work are there, but we have to be better at recognizing what kind of game we're in," goalie Marty Turco said.

And that is a game of desperation.

"We didn't pay the price," Morrow said. "Every game is going to be hard, and we are going to see every team's top game, so we need to be ready."



- Dirk-less Mavs take on Houston, who has now won 16 games in a row. Even without Dirk, I expect a win. No excuses, just make it happen. And Josh Howard better get out of his funk.



Josh Howard's hurting, but Dallas Mavericks need him

Forward's taken some hits personally, but it's crucial that he mesh with Kidd

09:33 AM CST on Thursday, March 6, 2008

Cancer took one of the women who helped raise him.

He injured his back, lost his great grandmother and watched as his best friend on the team was traded in an emotional 10-day span last month.

And people wonder why Josh Howard doesn't seem like himself these days.

Howard isn't looking for sympathy. And this is no time for excuses, not with Dirk Nowitzki suspended and the Mavericks fighting to regain their equilibrium in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

The Mavericks need a big game from Howard tonight against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. They need him to be the player he was to open the season. If he can't return to that level over the next few weeks, the trade for Jason Kidd may not pay the dividends the organization envisioned.

"This is the first time since I've been in the league where I've had a stretch like this," Howard said.

Kidd's impact these last two weeks has been obvious. Nowitzki is playing with a joy that had been absent, and Erick Dampier has flourished. Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse have had their moments.

The player who hasn't clicked with the point guard is Howard. It's puzzling since Howard is an athletic perimeter player who can benefit from Kidd's presence as much as anyone.

That should still happen. But there are several reasons why it hasn't.

The days leading up to the All-Star break are a good place to start.

Howard took a hard fall in the second half of the team's loss to Philadelphia on Feb. 11 and suffered a lower back contusion. The next day, his great grandmother on his father's side died.

This came slightly more than five weeks after Sadie Brown, the person Howard calls his God-grandmother, passed away. Brown watched Howard growing up when his mother couldn't.

Then Devin Harris was traded.

Then Howard's jump shot began to go awry.

And, oh yeah, his back hurts. Howard still feels a twinge from time to time and put his health at 85 percent.

"He was out for a while and when he came back, he was not really right," Mavericks assistant coach Paul Westphal said. "When that happens, it messes with your confidence and timing. You need both of those things."

You try attacking the basket with a bad back.

Howard began to settle for jump shots. Defenders began to sit on that shot knowing he was reluctant to take the ball to the basket. The forward averaged 15 points and shot 34.1 percent from the field in his first seven games with Kidd.

Mavericks coach Avery Johnson sat Howard down before Monday's game against Utah and showed where his game had slipped. Howard responded with 25 points and went 9-of-13 from the field, only the sixth time since early December that he has made more than half of his shots from the floor.

"I think it's over now." Johnson said. "He was in a bad stretch there. He snapped out of it against Utah. We asked him to do a few things offensively, and guess what, he did it. He was much more aggressive.

"If he stays aggressive like he was in that game, then we'll have that behind us."

Staying aggressive is only part of it.

Howard was at his best early in the season when the Mavericks isolated him, let him gather himself, then decide how to attack the defense.

That's not how Kidd and these Mavericks roll. There is more pick-and-roll, more fast-break opportunities. Howard must adjust and score on the run.

"It wasn't going to be like how it was in New Jersey," Howard said. "I'm not Vince Carter. I'm not Richard Jefferson. I've just got to get used to Kidd. Not just used to him but the whole team. We're still getting used to everybody.

"It's only a matter of time until I get used to it. It's not going to stop me. It's not going to hold me back."

It can't.

If it does, the Mavericks won't be the team they hoped to be with Kidd.




- The Star-Telegram analyzes the West.



Countdown in West: Where will Mavs fall?

By JOE GARZAStar-Telegram Staff Writer

Will the Mavs miss the playoffs? It's a possibility, but barring a major injury, it isn't very likely. Although the race to lock up one of the Western Conference's eight playoff seeds is ultra-competitive, with five games separating the first and last seeds, the West's nine contenders play a load of games against each other. So with everybody pretty much in the same boat, the final stretch of the season probably will be a rough ride. The Mavs are 4-4 since adding Jason Kidd -- 0-4 against teams with winning records -- and 5-12 this season on the road against winning teams. The Mavs' fortunes should pick up in the next two weeks, as they play nine of 10 games at home, with only four of those against winning teams. Will the rest of the West contenders keep pace? Our prediction on how the West race will shake out:

1. Lakers

(Pacific Division champs)

Current seed: 2

Predicted record: 60-22

Finishing kick: 17-4

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 9

Even if Andrew Bynum doesn't return this season -- as rumors are suggesting -- LA has the talent and youth to keep pressing on.

2. Spurs

(Southwest Division champs)

Current seed: 1

Finishing kick: 17-6

Predicted record: 59-23

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

San Antonio is the class of the West, and the champs would rather get some rest down the stretch than claim the top seed.

3. Hornets

Current seed: 3

Predicted record: 55-27

Finishing kick: 14-8

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 8

The Hornets shouldn't falter because they have a great point guard in Chris Paul, a good post scorer in David West, and a lot of 3-point shooters.

4. Jazz

(Northwest Division champs)

Current seed: 4

Predicted record: 53-29

Finishing kick: 13-7

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

Utah is a dangerous offensive team, but its defense is too questionable for it to move up any higher.

5. Mavericks

Current seed: 7

Predicted record: 53-29

Finishing kick: 14-7

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

March 18 is the date to remember. That's when the Mavs begin a season-ending stretch in which they play 10 NBA playoff contenders in 15 games.

6. Suns

Current seed: 6

Predicted record: 52-30

Finishing kick: 11-10

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

The trade for Shaquille O'Neal did little more than weaken one of the league's best offenses.

7. Rockets

Current seed: 5

Predicted record: 52-30

Finishing kick: 12-10

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

Despite losing Yao Ming for the season, Houston is too solid a team to completely collapse.

8. Warriors

Current seed: 8

Predicted record: 51-31

Finishing kick: 13-9

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 11

Forget the Don Nelson gimmicks: Golden State is a dangerously talented team that again will be a playoff threat.

Nuggets

Current seed: 9

Predicted record: 49-33

Finishing kick: 14-8

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

Denver's wealth of individual talent simply isn't jelling and its perimeter defense is often dreadful.

Note: The top four seeds are seeded by record among the three division winners and the team with the conference's next-best record. The Suns are predicted to win the season series tiebreaker against the Rockets.

MAVS VS. ROCKETS, 8:30 TONIGHT, KTXA/CH. 21, TNT




- Spring Training report....



Texas Rangers' Millwood takes step forward

01:54 AM CST on Thursday, March 6, 2008
By RICHARD DURRETT / The Dallas Morning News
rdurrett@dallasnews.com

SURPRISE, Ariz. – Kevin Millwood walked the final batter he faced in a simulated game Wednesday and begged pitching coach Mark Connor to let him pitch to one more hitter.

"I didn't want to end like that, but that's all right," Millwood said. "I think I got more than six outs anyway."

Millwood tested his sore right hamstring pitching to live hitters for the first time this spring. He achieved his main goal: getting through the two-inning session without any pain. Millwood said he did that.

The Rangers' No. 1 starter threw 38 pitches (22 strikes) to Julio Borbon, Brandon Boggs, John Mayberry Jr. and German Duran. Max Ramirez was the catcher. Millwood had three strikeouts, two walks and gave up two hits.

He threw all his pitches, worked some from the stretch and spent most of his second inning working on his fastball at the behest of Connor. It was a controlled environment, so Millwood didn't have any fielders behind him and was given a five-minute break to simulate an inning change.

"It was big-time important, probably one of the most important days so far in spring," said manager Ron Washington, who watched Millwood carefully along with general manager Jon Daniels. "To go out there, work on his pitches and walk off that mound smiling and feeling good about himself was good."

Millwood didn't make any throws to first or run off the mound to get any choppers. He'll go through fielding drills Sunday, and if all goes well is scheduled to make his first start in a spring game Monday against the Padres at Peoria.

Francisco scare: RHP Frank Francisco stepped awkwardly on the mound as he pitched with two outs in the top of the eighth against the Brewers on Wednesday. Washington, Connor and trainer Jamie Reed rushed out to check on him. Francisco threw some warm-up pitches, still had good velocity and stayed in the game, getting his final batter to ground out. "I think it scared him more than anything, but he's fine," Washington said.

Catching rotation altered: For the first week of spring training games, Gerald Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia alternated days behind the plate. Starting today, Washington said he'll play both catchers in the same game for most of the remaining spring games. The two will alternate starts, with Laird getting the nod with Vicente Padilla on the hill today in Tucson. "This should give us a chance to get some rhythm at the plate," Saltalamacchia said.

Bradley's schedule: Washington said outfielder Milton Bradley will bat leadoff as a DH in several innings of minor league games to get some at-bats against live pitching. That could happen as soon as March 12 with the hope that Bradley would DH over the weekend (March 15-16) in a regular spring game. "There's nothing I want to rush with Milt," Washington said. "I want him to be right. If he's right, he'll be productive." Washington also thinks Bradley will play the outfield before the team leaves Surprise.

Briefly: 3B Hank Blalock, still sore from a car accident Monday, sat out workouts and the game on Wednesday. He won't play until Friday at the earliest, when he could DH. ... Kazuo Fukumori said he didn't throw his curveball or four-seam fastball in his inning of work. He's easing in and may try to throw them Saturday. ... RHP Wes Littleton returned to camp after tending to an illness in his family. ... Scott Feldman is also expected to pitch in today's game.

It's go time

- Dallas has a very important stretch of games coming up. 9 of next 10 are at home. They get 5 semi-easy games at the beginning. And then tough, close losses on the road at the West's best can be made up for with a nice stretch of LA, Boston, and San Antonio starting in 2 weeks.

- There is no margin for error now. There are no more moral victories. This is the time you use to build momentum for the playoffs. You've proven you can hang with these teams on the road with a new point guard and lackluster play from Stackhouse and Howard. Now it's time to throw all excuses out the window. Kidd is integrated into the system now. It's put up or shut up time for Josh Howard. No more excuses from here on out.

Expect Dallas Mavericks to soon show value of Kidd deal

12:28 AM CST on Wednesday, March 5, 2008

I don't understand how anyone can watch the Dallas Mavericks play their last eight games and think the team was better off before the Jason Kidd trade.

But I know those people are out there. And the original critics of the deal surely feel that Dallas' 4-4 record since it made the move validates their argument.

And that is nonsense.

Take away the first road loss at New Orleans in which Kidd only knew five or six sets and had had only one practice with the team. In the team's other defeats – all on the road against Los Angeles, Utah and San Antonio – the Mavericks held fourth-quarter leads in each game.

I'll take my chances with a team that can play like that in the first few games following a roster-changing trade any time.

Here's the only way to fairly examine the results the trade has brought about.

The Mavericks have lost road games to the top four seeds in the West. Dallas plays eight such games all season, and they have played four of them in Kidd's first eight. That's just a brutal start for any team trying to find a new rhythm.

Dirk Nowitzki said after Monday's loss in Utah that the Mavericks always find ways to win those games at home. They are going to have to. The opportunity is coming.

The Mavericks play nine of their next 10 games at home with the only trip being to Miami, the team with the worst record in the NBA.

Some of those home games are layups – contests with three Eastern Conference teams currently not in the playoff picture plus one with New Jersey, which could be about to fade from it. But the Houston Rockets, who have achieved the last three wins of their 15-game hot streak without Yao Ming, are coming, and so are the Lakers, the Spurs and the Boston Celtics.

So, yes, the Mavericks have to finish those games, and we can only assume that coach Avery Johnson has learned his lesson after San Antonio and will give Kidd the opportunity to be the closer that Johnson claimed he was at the initial news conference.

The team's statistics are all over the board since the trade, but eight games aren't really enough to make a lot of authoritative statements about anything. But a couple of things do stand out in a positive manner.

Nowitzki's shooting percentage before the trade was .469. He was averaging 22.8 points per game, low for him.

Since the deal, Nowitzki is shooting 52 percent and averaging 28.9 points. I know you can point to some falling percentages for other players, but the first thing you want Kidd to do is get the ball into the hands of the team's best shooter where he needs it.

That is happening.

Also, the team has improved its 3-point shooting dramatically. Kidd's trademark is penetrating and dishing. That wasn't truly Devin Harris' game.

The Mavericks have gone from shooting just under 34 percent from 3-point range to just over 39 percent. That's a significant upgrade, and remember, it has come against some of the best teams in the Western Conference.

I don't think the team as previously constructed could have rallied from a 21-point deficit against Utah to grab the lead in the fourth quarter. Even if the Mavericks couldn't hold it, this team simply has a more competitive demeanor than what was here before.

The Mavericks have made slight improvements in assists and rebounding. In addition, Kidd's arrival was supposed to weaken the team defensively. We haven't seen much of that.

Opponents, who were shooting .445 before the deal, have shot .449 since Kidd got on the floor. Considering the quality of some of the opponents, I can't consider that any real change at all.

After just surviving this tough stretch, everything favors the Mavericks now. A team that hasn't been really good on the road has only eight games left away from American Airlines Center.

The Spurs, the Hornets, the Rockets and the Suns – teams the Mavericks are trying to catch to earn a top-four seed – all have 12. Golden State, the team the Mavericks are trying to hold off, has 14.

As the schedule evens out and Dallas doesn't find itself playing an elite team on the road every other game, the numbers will improve. So will the win total.

To justify making the deal, that's what has to happen. There's nothing that's shown up in the first eight games with Kidd on board to suggest it won't.




- Stars, as hot as they've been, have a ton of teams on their heels. The momentum must be kept.....



Dallas Stars have plenty of pursuers

Despite hot stretch, Dallas still has Ducks, Sharks nipping at heels

12:09 AM CST on Wednesday, March 5, 2008
By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News
ccarlton@dallasnews.com

FRISCO – Nothing comes easy in the Pacific Division, as the Dallas Stars have discovered.

They put together a perfectly timed run, winning 13 of their last 16 games. And they still haven't been able to shake San Jose and defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim.

The Stars hold a four-point lead on the Ducks and a five-point lead on the Sharks. Because the teams have not played an equal amount of games, the teams are even tighter than the standings show. Based on their pace, the Stars will finish with 103 points, San Jose 102 and Anaheim 100.

So while the Stars don't have to worry about making the playoffs, they have to match the mindset of the teams in survival mode such as Phoenix, tonight's opponent.

"We'd like to raise our intensity and desperation level. Hopefully, that is a motivating factor for us," captain Brenden Morrow said. "They're fighting for a playoff spot, but we're fighting for home ice and winning the division. There are things we need to focus on."

Winning the Pacific may be more important than usual.

Based on the standings, the second- and third-place teams in the Pacific are likely to meet in a first-round steel-cage match of a playoff series.

"The competitiveness of this Pacific Division has been strong as any," said goaltender Marty Turco, who has won 10 of his last 13 division games. "It makes us better in the long run, the competitiveness which we do enjoy. We would like a little bit of a cushion, but we can't think about it, and we don't have time to."

The NHL's brave new salary cap world was supposed to bring a level playing field.

So far, parity hasn't made its way to the Pacific.

If anything, the teams have gotten stronger.

Since veteran winger Teemu Selanne ended his short-lived "retirement," Anaheim is 11-1.

San Jose has won six straight and addressed its depth problem at the blue line by acquiring defenseman Brian Campbell at the trade deadline.

"You look at both those teams and they look like they're building right now," coach Dave Tippett said. "We have to continue to build our group."

The Stars haven't been standing still, not with the acquisition of former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards from Tampa Bay.

Tippett has made certain his team is focused on the task at hand, posting the daily standings in the dining area of the Stars training facility. Defenseman Stephane Robidas said the additional emphasis now will help later.

"You have to be ready for the playoffs," Robidas said. "It's not a switch on and off where you get in the playoffs and start playing."



- Warren Sapp retires. Good player, very dominant in his early years in the league. Always a good quote machine.

- But I will never forget him in the 1995 Orange Bowl. Ray Lewis, Warren Sapp, James Burgess, Carlos Jones and the whole crew were yapping right from the get go, like most Miami or Dennis Erickson teams will do. Jumping up and down after big plays, running towards the sideline after a 3rd down stop. No doubt yelling at Nebraska players/coaches to stop trying to run the option, that they had too much speed.

- And then, slowly but surely, the sweat and grass stains built up on their jerseys. Their shoulders began moving more noticeably as they struggled to catch their breath. And before you knew it, they were on their backs watching Nebraska bulldoze right past them. It was a beautiful thing to watch, true vindication for 20+ years of Orange Bowl heartache.



Sapp files paperwork, officially puts end to 13-year career

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Warren Sapp's 13-year NFL career officially ended when his retirement was posted on the Oakland Raiders' Web site.

Sapp said immediately after last season that he was through playing, but did not file the paperwork. The posting on the team's site was the first official word that the star defensive tackle was done.

In January, the 35-year-old Sapp posted a two-word message on his Web site: "I'M DONE!" He had told teammates and coaches his plans after the season finale against San Diego.

Considered the quintessential "three technique" defensive tackle -- lining up between the offensive guard and tackle -- Sapp made seven Pro Bowls, won the 1999 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award, and led Tampa Bay's dominant defense that won the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.

Sapp spent nine seasons in Tampa before joining the Raiders in 2004 as a free agent. He mostly struggled with the Raiders, except for a strong 2006 in which he had 10 sacks, and had become more of a situational player in his final season.

In 2007, he had only two sacks and the Raiders' defense struggled against the run, allowing a league-worst 4.8 yards per carry.

Sapp finished his career with 96½ sacks, 28th overall since the NFL began keeping track of the statistic in 1982, but extra impressive because he played tackle.

His running "feud" with Packers quarterback Brett Favre -- who coincidentally announced his retirement Tuesday as well -- brought some levity to a sometimes brutal game. Sapp was known as a trash talker, and Favre often went directly back at him with a smile when both the Bucs and Packers were in the same division and played twice a season.

Sapp starred in college at Miami, where he arrived as a tight end and left as the best defensive player in the country. He slipped to No. 12 in the 1995 draft after testing positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.

That was just one controversy in Sapp's career. In 2002, he nearly ended the career of Packers offensive tackle Chad Clifton with a vicious hit while trying to throw a block after an interception. Then-Packers coach Mike Sherman confronted Sapp on the field after the game, calling it a dirty play.

Sapp was fined $50,000 for bumping an official in 2003 and was fined $75,000 after being ejected following three personal fouls in the next-to-last game of his career against Jacksonville.


- What a night. Sapp's face, sweatiness, dirty jersey, and body language as he's walking off of the field in Clip #3 is just priceless and remains my favorite Warren Sapp image.

Going back home

- After a brutal 4 game stretch that included road games against the top 2 teams in the West (San Antonio and LA) and another personal house of horrors for the Mavs (Utah), they're coming home with a much easier schedule.

- All in all, victories would have been nice, but performances in these games had me encouraged for the playoffs. All on the road, all against top 4-5 teams. And every game was winnable. And with Howard and Stackhouse giving them absolutely nothing, too.

1) In it until the end at San Antonio, losing by 3. Played great defense throughout, mainly on Ginobli, and had Bowen and Finley get hot offensively on them.
2) Another game that was either tied or within a few possessions the entire game. Monster game from the emerging Dampier, great passion and stepping up of Dirk in the 4th, and another close loss in a hostile environment. LA needed Kobe being Superman just to get this win.
3) Got down early, got more passion, intensity, and big shots from Dirk (an ongoing theme since the Kidd trade), showed me a lot by coming back from a 21 point deficit and taking a 3 point lead midway through the 4th. But in the end, they had no energy and no extra gear. Just worn out.

- Now get home, take care of these lightweights and get yourself back in the Southwest Division race.

Dallas Mavericks rally, then fade in loss to Jazz

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

SALT LAKE CITY – The Dallas Mavericks finished their run of road games against the Western Conference divisional leaders Monday night.

They led in the fourth quarter against all three championship level opponents.

They lost all three games.

That's the bottom line for a team that could, and probably should, be emotionally gutted after Monday night's 116-110 defeat to the Utah Jazz.

But they are adamant that that's not the case.

"It's obviously a little frustrating losing all these games," said Dirk Nowitzki, who had 23 points and a flagrant foul that sent Utah's Andrei Kirilenko to the hospital.

"At home, we find ways to pull these games out. We get a big basket or a big stop. In the tight West, you hate losing these games. But maybe down the road it will help us learn to close out games. Maybe it's not all bad to go through this, but when you're losing these games, it's no fun."

The gut-wrenching losses have left the Mavericks in seventh place in the West but tied in the loss column with eighth-place Golden State. They are just three games up on Denver, which is out of the playoffs at the moment.

Yet their resolve remains steely, coach Avery Johnson said. The Mavericks are not getting beaten down psychologically by their heartbreak.

"Our team has a lot of intestinal fortitude," Johnson said. "They are not quitters. They could have packed it in early. But we found a way to get back in the game and take the lead.

"But we're not able to close out games, and historically we've been able to do that. We're just not there yet. But when we get there, the sky's the limit for this team.

"There's no 'beat you down' here. We're a positive team."

That vibe is being tested. This one may have hurt even more than the losses at San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Mavericks erased a 21-point first-half deficit behind big nights from Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry but fell to pieces against a stiff Utah defense in the final minutes as the Jazz pulled away.

The Mavericks were up 92-89 with just over six minutes left, then gave up 16 points in a row to the Jazz, ending their chances. The Jazz, 26-3 at home, hasn't lost on its floor since Dec. 29.

The Mavericks fell to 4-4 since the trade for Jason Kidd. Utah got 20 assists and 17 points from The Colony product Deron Williams and 28 points from Carlos Boozer, who was big down the stretch as the Jazz buried the Mavericks.

At the end, the Mavericks took their first lead of the game at 90-89. A Kidd 20-footer made it a 3-point edge for the Mavericks, but Boozer scored four points, the beginning of a 16-0 Jazz run that closed things out.

"We're playing hard, but the other team's playing hard, too," Jerry Stackhouse said. "There's no secret to success. You just have to keep working and stay positive."

The last time the Mavericks were at EnergySolutions Arena, they were behind 16-0 before the first quarter was half done.

At least it was 2-2 for a brief spell Monday. But that didn't last long.

Utah went up 25-6 midway through the opening period and was up 52-34 before the Mavericks got their first two points in the paint on a Devean George hook shot. Utah had 22 points in the paint at that point.

The momentum swayed just minutes into the game when Nowitzki did his best Roy Williams imitation by putting a horse-collar on Kirilenko.

Nowitzki's takedown lit a fire under the Jazz and the fans, who unloaded their wrath on Nowitzki every time he touched the ball thereafter, booing him loudly.

Kirilenko went to the hospital after X-rays on his right hip at the arena were inconclusive. Kirilenko returned to the arena in the fourth quarter after further tests showed only a sprain.



- One of the many likeable guys on this team. They may not win, but there's a wonderful lack of prima donna's on this team. Here's one of them. Went to college with his brother at Tarleton.



Texas Rangers' Broussard won't get left out against lefties

08:40 PM CST on Monday, March 3, 2008
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Texas Rangers faced a left-handed starter for the second time this spring. Ben Broussard, the newly acquired left-handed hitting first baseman, was in the starting lineup for both games.

Or, put another way: He's been in the starting lineup more times this spring against lefties than he had been all of last season.

Against strike-challenged Noah Lowry, Broussard, hitting in the sixth spot, became the first Ranger to make an out in Monday's 8-6, 10-inning win over San Francisco.

After Lowry walked the first five hitters on the way to nine walks overall, Broussard lined a ball to left field for a run-scoring sacrifice fly. Two at-bats later, against right-hander Kevin Correia, Broussard poked his first hit of the spring through the right side.

This is no spring fancy. Manager Ron Washington has been adamant Broussard will open the season playing regularly against lefties. The Rangers are expected to face Seattle lefty Erik Bedard on opening day.

"I don't want him coming to the park every day wondering if he's going to play against a left-hander," Washington said. "He's going to play against them until he proves he can't."

For most of his career, Broussard has known he wouldn't play against lefties. Pressed into full-time duty for Cleveland in 2004, he batted .362 against lefties with a 1.081 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. The next year, he went right back to being a platoon guy. It's been that way ever since.

Last year, he started just one game vs. a left-hander. In 2006, he got just four starts: Three were against Barry Zito, Johan Santana and Randy Johnson.

"I feel like I'm in a movie scene where I've gained freedom," Broussard said. "It's like 'Wow, somebody believes in me.' I've been waiting for this my whole career. You ask any left-handed hitter and they will tell you that facing lefties is going to make them better against all pitching."

Broussard's point: A number of lefties don't worry as much about which side of the rubber the pitcher is coming from so long as they get consistent at-bats. That has been Broussard's issue the last three years. He said it's been hard for him to maintain consistent hot streaks when he sat down roughly once a series.

Broussard has been caught in the cycle in which left-handed hitters often get trapped. After the big 2004 season, he hit .225 against lefties in 2005. He got fewer at-bats and they often came against the toughest lefties, but he didn't do much against them so he couldn't justify getting more at-bats.

"It's been frustrating," said Broussard, who ranks 79th of 93 left-handed hitters with at least 250 plate appearances against lefties in batting average (.230) and on-base percentage (.296). "It's like I was always working against myself. I've just been in a very tough role the last couple of years. I kept thinking that one day, maybe I'd get that chance to play every day."

The Rangers are trying hard to keep Broussard from thinking he's a platoon player. Hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo has not even approached him about problems against lefties yet. Instead, the pair have been working on changing the way Broussard pivots when he swings. Jaramillo said Broussard's back foot had been sliding more than it had been turning and that tends to make a hitter pull off the ball.

And they've been working on making sure he knows he's going to be in the lineup.

"I hadn't had a hit this spring," Broussard said after coming out of the lineup. "But I faced the lefty in the first and squared the ball up pretty good. In the second at-bat [a double-play grounder], I hit the ball hard. Then in the third, I got a hit. That's how it works. You get a couple of at-bats under your belt, and you make progress."

The Rangers are going to give him that chance.




- A good look at how a trade affects everyone involved.



Hearing you've been traded is tough; making the move is tougher

By Scott Burnside
ESPN.com

DALLAS -- The trade deadline.

Players, picks and prospects flit from team to team like chips across the felt; give you this for that and then move on; build, rebuild; pieces on an icy chess board.

And then, there's what happened to Jay Feaster.

The Tampa Bay general manager called Brad Richards on Tuesday morning to tell the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner he had been traded to Dallas. Feaster, Richards and Richards' agent, Pat Morris, had been talking about the potential move for days, so the news was hardly surprising. Still, Feaster had to hang up the phone.

"I phoned Brad and I couldn't finish the conversation. I broke down and I couldn't finish talking to him," Feaster told ESPN.com a day after he sent Richards to Dallas along with backup netminder Johan Holmqvist for goalie Mike Smith, forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern and a 2009 fourth-round pick.

"It was the weirdest day of my life," Richards told ESPN.com shortly after his first practice with the Stars.

On Monday, Richards was taking part in the Lightning's short skate and team golf outing. The next morning, Feaster told Richards to stay home from practice. What had been a theoretical discussion a couple of weeks ago -- would Richards consider waiving his no-trade clause if the right deal came along -- had become inevitable.

Richards' parents, who were supposed to spend three months in Tampa this winter to escape the Maritime winter in Eastern Canada, came to Richards' home from the house he rented for them on a local golf course.

The family bided their time until the trade was final. Then, after the Lightning players had skated and left the St. Pete Times Forum early Tuesday afternoon, Richards stopped by to pick up his personal possessions and take one last stroll through the only NHL dressing room, the only NHL rink, he has ever called home.

He sat for a while with the trainers, joking a bit, and sent a text message to Feaster, who came down to the locker room to say goodbye. Richards reminded Feaster that he crafted Richards' first pro contract after the Lightning selected him with the 64th pick in the 1998 draft. Feaster was then an assistant GM; Richards was a raw kid out of Prince Edward Island.

"As Brad pointed out to me, he said, 'You and I have been together 10 years," Feaster said.

Ten years with one NHL club is a lifetime, especially if you've accomplished what Richards and the Lightning have, turning a league laughingstock into a Stanley Cup winner.

Remember Richards' three-point performance in Game 6 of the 2004 Stanley Cup finals, which helped force a seventh and deciding game vs. Calgary back in Tampa Bay? Or his NHL-record seven game-winning goals during that championship run?

The names of Richards and his teammates are engraved forever on the Stanley Cup, but in some ways, the team's imprint will always be on the community in Tampa. Richards, like many of his teammates and friends, embraced the city. Richards has a charitable foundation and a suite for children with cancer. After every game, Richards made a point of stopping up to visit.

Feaster said Richards is not a player who just gives money, he gives his time.

"He's an even better person than he is a hockey player and he's a great hockey player," Feaster said. "He's a special young man."

Richards also met with coach John Tortorella before he left. That, too, was a difficult parting.

"There was a lot of emotion there, too. We grew up together, too," Richards said. "He turned us into champions. There will always be that bond."

He was, not surprisingly, in close touch with teammates Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier throughout the talks. "We've been through a lot together," Richards said.

Richards and St. Louis arrived in Tampa at exactly the same time. Lecavalier? He and Richards have been teammates since they were 14 years old, from prep school through junior, international tournaments and playing in Russia during the lockout.

When the Lightning finished their practice on Tuesday, Lecavalier and St. Louis came by and the three went out to lunch.

"That was when it really kind of hit me," Richards said. "That's when it got kind of tough."

This emotion doesn't just run one way.

The Dallas media arrived at the team's practice facility Wednesday to chronicle a team's excitement at having added a former playoff MVP, an Olympian, a winner. But juxtaposed against the optimism that they may be a big step closer to a championship is the recognition that Richards comes at a price.

On a franchise level, that price is measured in futures and what might have been given up in unrealized potential and assets. In the Stars' dressing room, that price is measured in friends and teammates who are now gone.

Stars goalie Marty Turco recalled his last conversation with Smith, his self-described "little brother, " as being "very sad."

Coach Dave Tippett likes to talk about team-building in a wheel metaphor -- the players are spokes in the wheel. You need all of your spokes to move forward. Now, three are gone.

Co-interim GM Les Jackson acknowledges the human toll of trades. He and the rest of the Stars organization drafted Jokinen and Smith, they sold them on the team and there was an element of trust in that relationship.

Then, in a moment, the relationship changes.

By the time Richards got to the Dr. Pepper Star Center in Frisco on Wednesday, there was already a Stars jersey with his new No. 91 (he always wore No. 19 in Tampa Bay) in a display case near a replica Stanley Cup (which retails for $199.99) and a fairly creepy looking large Turco figurine.

Richards was, of course, in a different situation than many NHL players in that he had a no-trade clause. He could have, a la Mats Sundin, said, "No thanks, I'm staying put." But he said he didn't want to hold a gun to management's head.

He understood the economics of the situation, but it still didn't make it any easier to walk away. He isn't married and doesn't have any pets to worry about. He is unencumbered, but that doesn't make the move any easier. He admitted that it has been difficult to reconcile the sadness with the excitement at this new opportunity.

When Richards stepped off the ice after his first practice with the Stars on Wednesday, the team's training staff dropped by to see what he needed before he was whisked away for interviews and photo ops. On a shelf in Richards' dressing room stall were a couple of shaving kits bearing the logo of the Tampa Bay Lightning. A moment later, the logos were turned to the back of the locker.

"It's been a weird two days," Richards said. "I think it's hit me that I've left Tampa, but it hasn't hit me yet that I'm playing for a new franchise."



- Good gosh.


- Some more Dumb and Dumber gems.