NBA Capsules: Howard powers Magic to 97-82 win over Mavericks

DALLAS — Dwight Howard regularly dominates in the paint for the Orlando Magic. The X-factor for the Magic is their 3-point shooting.

Howard had 17 points, 20 rebounds and five blocked shots, and his teammates converted 14 of 24 attempts from 3-point range as the Magic atoned for an earlier loss to Dallas with a 97-82 victory over the Mavericks on Thursday night.

Reserve Mickael Pietrus had a season-high 24 points, making all six of his 3-point attempts, and Vince Carter added 19 points to help Orlando win for the 14th time in 16 games.

"We know how good we are," said Jameer Nelson, who scored 14 points. "We’re not cocky or overconfident or anything, but we know we can beat anybody when we play our game. We played great defensively, pushed the ball and got good shots when we needed to."

Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points to lead the Mavericks, whose three-game winning streak ended. Jason Terry and J.J. Barea had 16 points apiece in reserve roles for Dallas.

Nowitzki’s fellow starters — Shawn Marion, Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler and Jason Kidd — combined for only 20 points.

Howard’s shot-blocking helped limit the Mavericks to 31-for-81 shooting, and Dallas made only 4 of 14 from beyond the arc.

"Coach puts a lot on me to be the backbone of the defense and I just try to do my best erasing mistakes, but also give my teammates confidence that if they lock down their man, if they make a mistake and let their man drive, I’ll be there," Howard said.

The Mavericks were 95-85 winners at Orlando on Feb. 19 in the only other meeting between the league powers this season. The Magic, who lead the NBA in 3-pointers made and attempted, connected on only 4 of 25 from beyond the arc in that loss.

"We got the same looks, we just moved the ball and shot with confidence," Carter said. "Some nights it’s going to be like that."

Orlando’s long-range shooters got off to a fast start, hitting 4 of their first 7 from 3-point territory.

"The thing that killed us were the 3s," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "The last few times we’ve played them, we made a real effort to run ‘em off the line and they missed shots they normally make."

Nowitzki scored 12 third-quarter points, but the rest of the Mavericks could manage only eight more as Orlando raced to a 72-56 lead entering the final quarter.

Dallas pulled to 91-82 on Barea’s layup with 1:14 left, but the Mavericks couldn’t get any closer.

"It was a frustrating night," Marion said. "We couldn’t get over the hump. We’d get within striking distance and they’d hit a 3."

The Magic went 8 for 13 from long range in the first half to build a 43-36 lead at the break. Pietrus gave the Magic a lift in the second, scoring 13 of his team’s first 14 points in the quarter.

"In the first half, that (3-pointers) was the only shot we could make," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said.

The Mavericks had one of their poorest offensive first halves of the season, threatening their season low of 33 before hitting a pair of baskets over the final 1:12 of the half.

The Mavericks might have been a little weary after a 106-102 overtime victory in Memphis on Wednesday night, while the Magic had been off since Sunday’s 103-97 home win over Denver.

"(The Mavericks) missed some shots they would normally make, didn’t have legs, things like that," Van Gundy said.

NOTES: Pietrus was back in the rotation after sitting out three of the previous five games because of a sprained left ankle. ... Dallas shot 35 percent in the first half and went 1 for 9 from 3-point range. ... Only six of Orlando’s 14 first-half field goals were two-point baskets. ... Barea missed the previous two games because of a sore left ankle. ... The Magic had lost 11 of their previous 14 meetings with Dallas. ... Howard had his 40th career game with 20 or more rebounds.

Thunder on brink of bringing playoffs to OK City

OKLAHOMA CITY — Growing up in Oklahoma City, Mick Cornett was accustomed to living in a place where a major pro sports team wasn’t part of the landscape and wasn’t thought to be a possibility.

Still, he held out hope. He was optimistic that someday the city could move into the major leagues, and did what he could to help. When Oklahoma City made a move to get an NHL franchise, he signed up for tickets to games that never actually happened.

Then, after being elected mayor, he helped jump start the process that has his hometown on the verge of its first entry into a big league postseason.

Led by Kevin Durant’s MVP-caliber season, the Oklahoma City Thunder (46-28) are on the brink of making the playoffs and could clinch a berth as early as Friday, if Memphis were to lose to New Orleans. It would cap a remarkable turnaround for a franchise that won only three of its first 30 games after relocating from Seattle and finished last season 23-59.

"To me, that’s an incredible bonus that I didn’t see coming," Cornett said. "Before the year started, I thought 30-35 wins was about all realistically anyone should expect."

Durant has continued to develop since being named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2008, and now finds himself right behind LeBron James in the NBA scoring race. More importantly, the Thunder have dramatically improved on the defensive end after being one of the league’s least stingy teams a season ago.

The postseason started to become a real possibility after a nine-game winning streak that lasted from late January until late February, and Oklahoma City has sustained its success long-term while doubling its win total from last season.

"I never put expectations on them. I focused on getting better," coach Scott Brooks said. "Over the summer, we focused on getting better defensively and that has happened. ... I like what we’ve done during the year."

The Thunder’s exploits mark the latest development in Oklahoma City’s rise as an NBA city.

Earlier this decade, Cornett visited NBA commissioner David Stern in New York and was sent away with best wishes for the city to land an NHL team. But that visit stuck with Stern enough that he came calling on Cornett when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005 and forced the relocation of the Hornets.

Oklahoma City took in the team and ranked in the top half of the league in attendance, selling out 30 of the 71 Hornets games played at the Ford Center over two seasons. That provided enough evidence to convince NBA owners to approve Oklahoma City-based owner Clay Bennett’s proposal to move the SuperSonics from a larger market in Seattle after he was unable to garner support for a new, half-billion dollar arena.

Now, the franchise is prepared to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2004-05 in Seattle.

"It feels good to be one of the first guys to experience that ... and be a part of a new organization," Durant said. "The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t have much history. I’d like to be the guy who makes that history, so it feels good to come and play here."

Durant was the first piece in a massive overhaul of the franchise following the hiring of general manager Sam Presti. He was soon joined by fellow top 5 pick Jeff Green in a trade that sent Ray Allen, the former face of the franchise, to Boston.

Since then, the Thunder have drafted two more top 5 draft picks — point guard Russell Westbrook and top reserve James Harden — and added key cogs in defensive stopper Thabo Sefolosha, center Nenad Krstic, forward Serge Ibaka and backup point guard Eric Maynor.

The end result has been a practically new team that Oklahoma City can call its own. The Thunder have sold out 24 of their 37 home games and rank 11th in the league with average attendance of 17,972 — or 98.7 percent capacity at the Ford Center, where about 1,000 seats were removed as part of an upgrade last offseason that added luxury suites.

"The Hornets was the first time this community ever found something that was for everybody. We didn’t necessarily see that coming, but that’s what happened," said Cornett, a season-ticket holder. "No longer were we an OU or an OSU town. We had something, and that’s what this team represents.

"If you like Oklahoma City, you have a way to illustrate that by supporting the team."

The turnaround even has Durant talking about having a goal of staying long-term in Oklahoma City, if he’s offered a max contract when he becomes eligible to sign one this summer.

"I could see myself staying here," Durant said. "I like this group of guys. I like this organization. It’s a blessing to be here. They care so much about us as people as well ... but it is a business."

That’s exactly what the mayor wants to hear after he backed the tax to remodel the Ford Center as a way to make the town a "Big League City" and as he tries to build on it with efforts to revitalize the downtown area immediately south of the arena.

"I think there’s a sense from Kevin’s age group that Oklahoma City’s a pretty cool place to be," Cornett said. "I know a lot of people around the country may not think that too, but they haven’t been here. And if you’re here, you kind of feel the sense of vitality and the kind of dismal outlook on the future that a lot of cities are going through right now because of higher unemployment."

And there’s no question in his mind that the NBA is part of the city’s "dynamic feeling" and provides a window to the world of what’s going on.

"This city has really supported us. We have great fans, and we’re really appreciative of that," said forward Nick Collison, the last player left from the Sonics’ final playoff run in Seattle. "We realize that we’re very fortunate to be able to play professional basketball. It can’t happen without people in the city supporting us."

-- Jeff Latzke

Wade’s wife responds to custody petition

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade’s estranged wife has responded to the Miami Heat star’s petition for sole custody of the couple’s two children, saying the filings are retaliation to her asking for an order of protection last month.

Wade filed for custody of the boys, ages 8 and 2, earlier this week. He also asked a Chicago court that his wife Siohvaughn be psychologically evaluated.

The couple separated in August 2007. Their divorce trial is scheduled to begin in June.

"Our client believes that these various papers were filed as retaliation for her legitimate claims filed March 19, 2010 in the Domestic Relations Court in a Petition for Order of Protection regarding the abuse by Mr. Wade dating back to 2006," Eunice Ward, an attorney in the Chicago firm representing Siohvaughn Wade, said Thursday in an e-mail response to The Associated Press.

Siohvaughn Wade has previously alleged that her husband abandoned his children, that they were frightened to be around him, and that he was "guilty of extreme and repeated mental cruelty" toward her.

Part of Dwyane Wade’s filings earlier this week include that his wife is participating in "alternative avenues of worship that are completely outside of the status quo" when it comes to how the children were to be raised. The filings also allege that when Dwyane Wade’s sister Tragil went to Siohvaughn Wade’s Illinois home to pick up the boys for a visit, Siohvaughn Wade and some of her friends circled her and prayed for her salvation.

"It is regrettable that this father now chooses to use mental health and religion as another means to battle and abuse the mother," Ward said in the e-mail statement.

Other documents show Wade alleges his wife Siohvaughn cannot "be considered a fit and proper person" to raise their children. The MVP of this year’s All-Star game says his wife exhibited threatening behavior, had extramarital affairs, uses abusive parenting methods and is unwilling to let the 2006 NBA finals MVP see his children — plus blocked the older of their sons from attending this year’s All-Star festivities.

-- Tim Reynolds

Martin wants to return from injury before playoffs

DENVER — Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin said Thursday he wants to test his injured left knee before the end of the regular season to shake off the rust before the playoffs begin.

Martin has missed 14 straight games with patellar tendinitis. He underwent platelet-rich plasma therapy on the knee in Vail, Colo., on March 8.

In the procedure, a tube of a patient’s blood is taken and put in a centrifuge and spun, producing concentrated platelets. Those contain growth factors that accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. The platelets are then injected into the injury site.

Martin opted for the therapy instead of surgery to try to come back for the playoffs.

"That’s what I’m shooting for. Actually, I’m shooting to see if I can get back before then because I don’t think it’s going to be good for me to come out with a playoff game as my first game in a month and a half," he said. "We all know playoff basketball is different so I’ll probably need a game or two under my belt if that’s possible. If not, I’ll deal with it and do what I’ve got to do."

Martin said he has increased his rehab and hasn’t had any setbacks. He said he did light running on the court Thursday and everything went well.

"Today was a good day. It’s looking positive but I still haven’t played any basketball yet. I don’t know how it’s going to react during the game," he said.

Denver has missed Martin’s defense and team-leading 9.6 rebounds a game. He hasn’t played since the Nuggets’ 119-90 win over Oklahoma City on March 3. The team won seven of eight after that.

More recently, however, they’ve struggled and dropped from the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference to No. 5.

"It’s almost unbearable for me to sit over there to see the guys struggling," Martin said. "It’s tough, but we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We need these games."

Martin said he doesn’t have a set day to return to the Vail clinic but the Nuggets’ struggles are contributing to his healing process.

"For the team it’s kind of speeding my recovery up a little bit," he said. "I’ve got to look at the situation as it is and not rush or risk anything."

The Nuggets wrap up the regular season April 13 against the Trail Blazers.

NBA’s ‘Green Week’ begins Thursday

NEW YORK — The basketballs and shirts made from recycled materials make a difference, but Steve Nash says they are only part of the benefit of the NBA’s "green week."

"I think more importantly it sends a message," the Phoenix Suns’ All-Star guard said. "It gets people thinking and asking questions, and then the more people that are able to affect their lifestyle and be a part of that movement, the better chance we have to curb the problem of global warming."

The NBA kicked off its second annual green week Thursday, with a number of activities planned to show ways to protect the environment.

Players will wear 50 percent recycled polyester shooting shirts and the NBA will auction off autographed basketballs on its Web site made from 40 percent recycled materials, with proceeds going to its partner, the Natural Resources Defense Council. All teams will host community events and hold promotions designed to encourage fans to adopt green habits. The league also will set up a Web site at www.nba.com/green to offer tips.

Green week runs through April 9, and Nash, who drives a hybrid car and has solar panels in his home, hopes it will influence fans to change some of their habits.

"It’s important for us to be conscious of our impact on the environment," he said, "try to cater our lifestyle to sustainability for the long-term benefit of the planet."

Shaq working his way back from thumb injury

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal is getting closer to returning from a thumb injury.

O’Neal took part in some of practice Thursday, although coach Mike Brown isn’t counting on him being back before the playoffs.

O’Neal has been sidelined since tearing a ligament in his right thumb Feb. 25. He had surgery and was expected to miss the rest of the regular season. On Wednesday, the 14-time All-Star said he was ahead of schedule.

Also, forward Anderson Varejao worked out after missing two games because of a sore left hamstring. He’s a game-time decision for Friday’s game against Atlanta.

International

U.S. women’s basketball team to train at UConn

STORRS, Conn. — Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma won’t get much time to relax after the Final Four. The U.S. women’s basketball national team will train for a week at the UConn campus leading to this fall’s world championships.

The weeklong workouts at UConn start April 11. More than half the national team pool won’t be there because of overseas games and other commitments.

The training at Gampel Pavilion will be a homecoming for former UConn stars Swin Cash and Renee Montgomery. They will be joined by current Connecticut players Tina Charles and Maya Moore.

Also at the training will be Seimone Augustus, Alana Beard, Kara Lawson, Angel McCoughtry and Jayne Appel.