So here’s the Bulls’ next game plan: Try to get behind by only 20 points.
The Bulls made a game comeback, but the Dallas Mavericks held on desperately Tuesday night for a 98-94 victory after their 30-point third-quarter lead had been cut to five with more than five minutes remaining.
There were several key plays afterward, including a Dirk Nowitzki three-pointer to give the Mavs some breathing room with about four minutes left and an Adrian Griffin steal with the Mavs hanging onto a six-point lead with just more than a minute left.
Perhaps nothing symbolized the Bulls falling short more than three offensive rebounds and four missed jumpers on one possession with the Mavs ahead 96-90 with less than 30 seconds remaining.
Kirk Hinrich led the Bulls (20-24) with 28 points, 26 in the second half, while Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 16 rebounds (10 offensive) and did an effective defensive job on Nowitzki, who scored 21. Josh Howard led Dallas (35-10) with 22.
The Bulls were looking to become the first team this season to sweep the “Texas triangle” with victories already at Houston and San Antonio. But they made the Mavs look like the title contenders Bulls coach Scott Skiles said before the game they could be.
“I think you have to mention Nowitzki as an MVP-type player,” Skiles said. “He’s a guy averaging 27 points (25.9), shooting 47 percent, 43 on threes, 89 from the free-throw line. He gets to the line all the time.
“They have two guys who can protect the basket. They have perimeter shooting, athleticism, there doesn’t seem to be much missing. I don’t know why they couldn’t contend [for the NBA title].”
It certainly looked like it to open the game against a Bulls team that even Mavs coach Avery Johnson said was to be feared.
Since the first quarter against the Raptors last week, the Bulls had not trailed, leading 11 straight quarters, and Johnson said the Mavs’ statistical analysis had the Bulls ranked among the league’s top five teams the last two weeks.
“They’ve been playing as good as anybody, a no-holds-barred, scrappy team,” Johnson said.
The Bulls scored off the opening tip, about the only play that worked for the them before the Mavs dominated them and took a 58-34 lead at the half.
The Mavs were too quick and too sure for the Bulls, going on a 17-2 run that had the Mavs firing open jumper after open jumper and hitting 63 percent of their shots. Skiles went to his bench players quickly for mass substitutions after Howard walked down the baseline for a slam-dunk and had everyone but Michael Sweetney on the court at some point in the first quarter.
These Mavs, trumpeting defense but occasionally hitting a sour note, were the Bulls’ worst nightmare. They play best small and are quicker than the Bulls. They began pressuring the ball in the second quarter, causing seven second-quarter turnovers that turned the game into a track meet. The Mavs outscored the Bulls 11-0 on fast-break points in the first half.
It looked like the Mavs would just take their ball and go home as they attacked the basket to open the third quarter and ran out to a 69-39 lead.
Give up? Not the spunky Bulls.
Trailing 73-45, the Bulls applied a trap that caused a Stackhouse turnover, seemingly inspiring them into thinking they were the ’95-96 Bulls.
Suddenly, the Mavs missed 14 of 18 third-quarter attempts and were outrebounded 13-3 as the Bulls outscored them 34-20.
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sasmith@tribune.com
