Basketball Capsules: Nowitzki leads Mavericks past Cavaliers

DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points before sitting out the final quarter and the Dallas Mavericks beat the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 93-82 on Saturday night.

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown held out starters LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and Mo Williams on the second night of back-to-back preseason games after losing at San Antonio on Friday.

Several Cavaliers have had the flu over the past week, including James, but Brown said the rest was planned long ago.

Kris Humphries added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks (4-1).

Jamario Moon had 18 points and 10 boards for the Cavaliers (3-3). Jawad Williams scored 13 points.

Dallas was leading 78-76 with 7:28 left when Humphries connected on a 20-footer to ignite a 10-0 spurt. Rookie Rodrigue Beaubois and J.J. Barea completed the run with 3-pointers on consecutive possessions.

J.J. Hickson and Andre Barrett are not with the Cavs as they complete their recovery from the flu, but both are expected to be available for Tuesday night’s rematch against the Mavericks in Pittsburgh. Brown said James, O’Neal and Mo Williams will play Tuesday night.

Cleveland’s Delonte West missed the game while attending to a personal matter, Andersen Varejao sat out with flulike symptoms and Leon Powe has yet to play in the preseason after left knee surgery.

Dallas is still without projected starters Josh Howard and Shawn Marion. Howard is recovering from offseason left ankle surgery and Marion is out with a recurring right calf strain.

Tim Thomas, penciled in as a top reserve for the Mavericks, also is sidelined after right knee surgery.

WNBA

Lisa Leslie keeping busy in weeks after retirement

NEW YORK — Lisa Leslie isn’t just sitting around after her recent retirement from the WNBA.

In the three weeks since playing her last game for the Los Angeles Sparks, the three-time MVP has been traveling and making public appearances while trying to line up broadcasting work.

"I’ve been on the hustle and bustle," Leslie said. "This is my second time here in New York, I’ve been to Atlanta. And in L.A., working and doing appearances, whether it’s been ‘Good Morning America,’ ‘Good Day LA,’ NBATV. I feel I’ve been working hard already."

Leslie, who is starting a basketball academy in Los Angeles bearing her name, will be involved in broadcasting some college basketball games this winter and wants to branch out to other areas as well. She was pleased with her recent work on NBATV and said other networks have also expressed interest.

"I’m versatile enough not just to be linked to sports," she said. "I can do anything, when it comes to children, family topics, politics. I try to stay well-versed on pretty much everything."

Leslie also said she would like to get into acting and expressed interest in appearing on former NFL star Michael Strahan’s FOX sitcom, "Brothers."

"I have to put that out there," she said. "I’m sure he’s going to need a date soon on that show."

The nine-time All-Star was in New York this week to help drug and medical device maker Covidien kick off a liver cancer awareness campaign. The American Liver Foundation has dedicated October as Liver Awareness Month.

Leslie’s stepfather, Tom Espinoza, was diagnosed with liver cancer in December 2000 and died the following month.

"It’s tough when you watch someone you love die very quickly in front of your eyes," she said. "To be diagnosed with the liver cancer, and then go to the hospital, and you think the doctors are there to treat and help make you better, and they were in a very short period of time (saying) ‘there’s nothing else we can do."’

Earlier this year, the Journal of Clinical Oncology reported that the rate of liver cancer in the United States had tripled in a 30-year period from 1975 to 2005, from 1.6 cases per 100,000 people to 4.9. Also, the American Cancer Society estimated nearly 23,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with the disease in 2009.

Covidien has created a new Web site, www.mylivercanceroptions.com, aimed at educating people about the disease as well as discussing treatment options, something Leslie said her family didn’t have eight years ago.

"We didn’t have any other resources just because you have a doctor ... and you take their word for it," she said. "When it’s kind of like there’s nothing else they can do, you don’t think to search and maybe find out if there are other options."

Leslie, whose playing days ended when the Sparks were eliminated in the Western Conference finals by eventual champion Phoenix on Sept. 26, said she watched most of the WNBA finals, but missed the decisive Game 5 because she was traveling.

One of the league’s public faces since its inception, Leslie was pleased by the improved ratings for the finals, which saw a nearly 75-percent increase in viewers from 2008.

Previously involved with the WNBA’s support of breast health awareness, Leslie acknowledged retirement would allow her more time to lend her name to other causes.

"If I can help change one person’s life," she said, "I’ll feel good about that."

-- Vin A. Cherwoo

College

Thomas has first practice with FIU

MIAMI — Isiah Thomas was finally back on the court Saturday.

Holding his first official practice as Florida International’s coach, the Hall of Fame player ran up and down with his new team, yelling out pointers on how to defend off the dribble. Far from his past coaching home with the New York Knicks, Thomas said his focus is on rebuilding the Golden Panthers, who finished 13-20 last season.

He led stretching drills and cheers, looking agile and carefree in his new gym.

"Today is here, I’m prepared for it and I’m ready for it," Thomas said. "I’m very excited."

So are players and fans.

The season-opener at defending national champion North Carolina is about three weeks away, but FIU is already reporting that ticket sales have jumped 166 percent ahead of last season’s pace.

"We’re well ahead of where we’ve ever been," said FIU spokesman Rich Kelch.

So hiring Thomas is already paying off.

Thomas — who is working for a base salary of $0 this season, although he will collect income from other sources — was brought in to transform the program. FIU has seen plenty of national attention since.

But to win, Thomas knew he needed to overhaul the team first. Of the 14 players on the roster now, eight transferred solely to play for him. That includes Marvin Roberts, last year’s leading scorer at the junior-college level, and Temple transfer Martavis Kee.

On Saturday, Thomas was still uncertain of what kind of talent he had on his current roster, but he wasn’t ready to focus on offense.

"Defense will be our staple," Thomas said. "We’re very small so we’ll have to depend on our scrappiness and tenacity. Here in college it’s just a matter of expanding on the things that they’ve already done. It’ll be new for me. My job right now is to teach and then observe, then try to piece it all together."

Morningstar seeks diversion agreement

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas junior guard Brady Morningstar is seeking diversion in a driving while intoxicated case.

The Douglas County district attorney’s office says that Morningstar has submitted the paperwork for such an agreement.

A hearing in the case had been scheduled for Friday but was rescheduled for Nov. 19.

Morningstar was suspended from playing in any games during the first semester after his arrest earlier this month on the Kansas Turnpike.