NBA Today - November 5
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOREBOARD
Monday, Nov. 5
Houston at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST).
The Rockets are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 1996-97.
STARS Sunday
-Ray Allen made the winning 3-pointer with less than 3 seconds to play, and finished with 33 points in a 98-95 overtime victory over Toronto.
-Kobe Bryant, Lakers, hit on 13-of-19 shots and finished with 33 points in a 119-109 victory over Utah.
-Jason Richardson, Bobcats, scored 29 points and Charlotte beat Miami 90-88.
-Chris Paul, Hornets, had 15 points, 11 assists and eight boards, helping New Orleans over Denver 93-88.
-Steve Nash, Suns, scored 30 points and had 10 assists in a 103-92 win over Cleveland.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
T.J. Ford scored 32 points in Toronto's 98-95 overtime loss to Boston on Sunday. ... Deron Williams had 26 points in Utah's 119-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. ... Seattle rookie Kevin Durant scored 24 points on 10-for-19 shooting from the field in a 115-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
FOR THE RECORD
Charlotte beat Miami 90-88 on Sunday and is two games over .500 - 2-0 - for the first time in its four-year history.
SLOW START
Seattle lost 115-101 to the Clippers on Sunday and is 0-3 for the first time since 1985-86.
HOME SWEET HOME
The New York Knicks won their home opener for the first time in six years by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-93 Sunday night.
SIDELINED
Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix's All-Star center, missed the Suns' 103-92 win over Cleveland on Sunday because of soreness in his right knee. He had arthroscopic surgery on the knee Oct. 2. Coach Mike D'Antoni said Stoudemire was day to day.
SPEAKING
''Ricky made the right play. He just fired it 9,000 miles an hour.'' - Miami head coach Pat Riley on Ricky Davis' decision making in the closing seconds of a 90-88 loss to Charlotte on Sunday. Miami called time-out with 10 seconds left, but Davis threw a wayward pass to Shaquille O'Neal for a turnover with 2.2 seconds remaining.
Mavs, Rockets square off in Dallas
November 5th, 2007
(Sports Network) - Southwest Division rival battle, as the Dallas Mavericks welcome the undefeated Houston Rockets tonight to American Airlines Center.
The Rockets try to open the season with their fourth straight win. In 1996-97, Houston started the campaign with six victories in a row.
On Saturday, Yao Ming posted 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Rockets over the Portland Trail Blazers, 89-80, at the Toyota Center. Yo was 8-for-17 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe.
Tracy McGrady scored 20 points and handed out six assists in the victory over the Trail Blazers for Houston, while Mike James added 17 points off the bench and Chuck Hayes grabbed six boards.
Houston concludes a three-game road trip this evening. After tonight's contest, the Rockets return home to host San Antonio and Milwaukee at the Toyota Center.
The Mavericks have opened the 2007-08 campaign by winning two of their first three contests. Jose Barea scored a career-high 25 points on 4-for-4 shooting from three-point range and Josh Howard chipped in 27 points and seven rebounds as Dallas rebounded from a Friday night loss in Atlanta with a resounding 123-102 thumping of the Sacramento Kings on Saturday at American Airlines Center in its home opener.
Barea was a more-than-sufficient fill-in for the Mavs' usual starting point guard, Devin Harris, who was a pre-game scratch after a collision during the Atlanta game sidelined him. The second-year man out of Northeastern started the game hot and remained hot, going 9-for-11 from the floor in his 28 minutes.
Reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki contributed 24 points and seven assists, while Jason Terry and Brandon Bass came off the bench to add 16 and 11 points. Dallas shot a blistering 65.2 percent (45-for-69) from the floor, and also hit 7-of-14 from beyond the arc and 26-of-29 free throws.
On the injury front for Dallas, Harris (bruised left thigh) is probable for tonight's contest.
Dallas is scheduled to visit Golden State on Thursday at ORACLE Arena and Portland on Saturday at the Rose Garden.
Last season, the Mavericks won three of four from the Houston. The Rockets have lost four straight and nine of their last 10 at Dallas.