Mavs Afternoon Drive: Nowitzki Plays Raucous, Riotous Game Of Trash-Talkin' HORSE

   A playful Dirk Nowitzki engaged in a raucous, riotous and hilarious game of 3-Pointer HORSE against teammate Matt Carroll in the lightest, loudest moment at a Mavs practice focused on preparing for Friday’s visit to the Lakers.

   All the details – from Dirk ripping down signs to Dirk trash-talking teammates to Dirk punting a line-drive that almost killed a man – in this Mavs Afternoon Drive:

   And it was a show … that went well beyond the actual shooting.

   Assistant coach Darrell Armstrong was rooting on Dirk, and while the 7-footer was in the middle of setting up shots, he’d yell back, “You tell ‘em, ‘Black College!’ ‘That’s right, Black College!’’’

    (Translation: D.A. is a former football placekicker who holds records at Fayetteville State. You can look it up.)

    Then Dirk ribbed opponent Matt Carroll. “Nice shot, ‘Billy’!’’

    (Translation? I have no idea. A movie reference, maybe? No, wait. ... they were yelling 'Philly!' to denote Carroll's hometown, maybe?)

    Nowitzki had Carroll on the ropes, needing just to hit one more shot. When he failed, he spun around to the wall of the AAC basement gym and tore from the wall a large HDNet advertisement. (HDNet is the Mavs’ practice-uniform sponsor and is Mark Cuban’s baby. I’m sure they can get another poster.)

    Carroll was back in it, but Dirk was later positioned again to put it away.

    “I got this,’’ he said to himself as he rose to release … and then missed.

    Nowitzki grabbed a ball from the floor and punted it high into the rafters, causing assistant Brad Davis to duck for his life.

    Again Carroll remained alive. But Dirk took charge again, needing just one more made 3.

    “C’mon, Dirk,’’ Armstrong yelled. “Show him there’s no cancellation prize!’’

     James Singleton interrupted. “You mean, ‘consolation prize.’’’

     “In this game,’’ D.A, fired back, “ther e’s no consolation prize OR no cancellation prize! You get neither of ‘em!’’

     Dirk – by now well aware that everyone in the gym was watching – bragged in a stage whisper, “Don’t even watch. You’ll be able to hear it.’’

     But eventually there came a rare miss, and then the ender, a Carroll make. “Billy’’ sprinted theatrically off the floor and up the stairs.

    And Dirk? He tore another HDNet poster off the wall. (I’m sure they can get two more posters.) Then he grabbed one more basketball. He was laughing, but he was kinda pissed. And punted the ball again. This time it was a line-drive that whizzed behind the head of Kris Humphries. Two feet to the left and the Mavs would’ve had to issue a weird explanation for why Kris Humphries had been placed on the Injury Report.

    Dirk then trotted to the other end of the floor for an equally animated game of one-on-one with rookie Roddy Beaubois.

   I’m not sure if there were any consolation prizes or cancellation prizes in that one either.

   CARLISLE ON KOBE: "He's as good a player that we have in this league, and they're the World Champions, so it's a tough game,’’ Carlisle said of Kobe and the Lakers. “But it's also an opportunity.’’
While Jason Kidd has been among Dallas’ defensive weapons of choice against LA in the past, most of the fellas expect Quinton Ross to take the bulk of that assignment.

   DIRK TALKS CRAZY PILLS: Nowitzki’s words were flattering but measured when asked about Ron Artest.

   You don’t want to get in a Crazy Match with a crazy guy, you know?

    "He's a tough guy," Said Nowitzki: “He's one of the best all-around players we have at the 3. He can shoot, take you off the dribble, can post-up some and he's a great defender."
    The Lakers expect to use both Artest and Lamar Kardashian to guard Dirk.
    THAT LACK OF SOMETHING: That “lack of something’’ thing is still lingering. Nowitzki said the team blew numerous defensive assignments in the opening loss to Washington and added that in LA “we’ll hopefully play a little harder.’’

    Yes, hopefully.

     NO GASOL FOR FRIDAY: As we noted earlier this afternoon Lakers coach Phil JackZen announced today that he’ll be missing one of his stars for the Friday meeting with the visiting Dallas Mavericks.

   JackZen said after Thursday’s practice that big man Pau Gasol will not play tomorrow because of a hamstring problem.

   That could help even things out, as Dallas’ Josh Howard (ankle) is also out – though that tit-for-tat thought didn’t work out for the Mavs in Tuesday’s season-opener as they lost to the Antawn Jamison-less Wizards.

   Gasol struggled through preseason with injury problems – and while JackZen said he might return to the Lakers lineup later in the weekend, LA is certainly unaccustomed to bad luck when it comes to injury. Last year, Kobe, Gasol and Odom – the team’s big three – missed a combined total of five of the team’s 105 games in the way to the NBA title.

    FISHELLANEOUS: If I’m understanding this right, Roddy Beaubois had to hustle out of the AAC after practice because, fitting NBA tradition, the rookie was supposed to be in charge of bringing the veterans some lunch – and Erick Dampier was hungry. … The game is at 9:30 Friday on TX21 and ESPN. … Carlisle closing the book on the Wiz game: “Look, we took a step backwards, OK? We were on the launching pad and we took a step back. That’s where we are.’’

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600pm oct 29 2009