10 Copyright (c) 2012 Yahoo!, Inc. All rights reserved. en-us 126 15 http://sports.yahoo.com http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/b/ysp_logo_rss.gif Latest news and information about the Dallas Mavericks. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/dal http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=13ksvv93n/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/deep-thoughts-cheap-thoughts-san-antonio-spurs-vs-190719036.html Fri, 25 May 2012 12:00:19 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,2ebb58f6-eec0-37bd-9571-33e2845efc9c-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=13eo7qlqt/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/lamar-odom-york-dwight-howard-move-now-talk-132817489.html Lamar Odom, master of his destiny and not at all a creature of habit and/or willing participant in whatever the heck Khloe Kardashian/E! Network/Ryan Seacrest Productions tell him to do, might want to play for the New York Knicks in 2012-13 and beyond. Dwight Howard, ruler of worlds, might be as good as gone from Orlando this summer, because the Magic's ownership group appears to have soured on dealing with the guy . Both rumors make plenty of sense, in basketball terms and in consideration of the respective players' personality, and history. Odom is from New York, cannot stand playing outside of major markets, and is ultra-sensitive who he runs with and under what circumstances. Howard, a year and a half removed from beginning to turn down contract extensions from the Orlando Magic, should have worn out his welcome with the team by now, and it makes sense for Orlando to have decided to move on. But, even in late May and just five weeks removed from the official start of the offseason, is any of this worth leaning on? Come on, guy. Fri, 25 May 2012 06:25:17 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,85f9331f-8252-3d7f-aa1f-9fa2266ff91d-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12hq0aj83/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/dynamic-duo-leads-miami-back-074255302--nba.html INDIANAPOLIS (AP) With another season on the brink, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James took their two-man game to new heights. Fri, 25 May 2012 04:44:26 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,c005083b-3ae2-3998-89b0-9b8543a9b4a8-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12iflk7be/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/wade-scores-41-heat-eliminate-025302844--nba.html INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Miami's Big Two was more than enough to finish off the Indiana Pacers. Fri, 25 May 2012 04:42:21 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,c5090104-c416-34e6-b380-bc04b3124764-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12qq65ngt/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/wade-takes-charge-heat-see-off-pacers-031145610--nba.html (Reuters) - Dwyane Wade turned on the style as the Miami Heat clinched a place in the NBA Eastern Conference finals with a 105-93 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game Six on Thursday. Thu, 24 May 2012 21:24:26 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,ffe67539-6882-3148-96cc-1f2740ec65fa-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12p6q2pme/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/james-durant-headline-nba-selections-184740951--nba.html (Reuters) - Most Valuable Player LeBron James of the Miami Heat and top scorer Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder headlined the list of players selected for the All-NBA team, the league said on Thursday. Thu, 24 May 2012 11:47:40 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,186cd781-2b72-3a37-b381-25858c68c49a-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=13cvnhsg3/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/spurs-thunder-square-off-western-conference-finals-fans-121400272--nba.html After two rounds of the playoffs, only two teams are left standing in the Western Conference - the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. So far, I have correctly predicted all of the winners out West, but picking the winner between the top two seeds will prove to be difficult. Nonetheless, here is my look at which team will advance to the Finals and why. Thu, 24 May 2012 05:14:00 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,f5f13b2d-ba22-349b-acba-1448cabee809-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12mb17i1g/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/parker-says-westbrook-hasnt-faced-232204229--nba.html SAN ANTONIO (AP) It's the main event of the Western Conference finals: Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook, All-Star point guards having their best seasons yet. One going for a fourth NBA championship, the other still chasing his first. Wed, 23 May 2012 16:22:04 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,9f3b07f8-6aee-3997-825b-5d554d48f9b9-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12i4a1otg/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/thunder-face-wests-best-climb-211943724--nba.html OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma City Thunder haven't found any shortcuts as they try to climb to the top of the Western Conference. Tue, 22 May 2012 16:03:44 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,14bf2c17-6d68-3ecd-9436-f2272b0c73d8-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=13kqfm1hr/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/los-angeles-clippers-los-angeles-lakers-gone-till-203109171.html The thought, as soon as the Los Angeles Clippers pulled off a deal for All-Star point guard Chris Paul last December, was that the Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers would no doubt meet in the playoffs at some point. That the two teams, with the Dallas Mavericks fading and the Oklahoma City Thunder not having made a major offseason move, would duke it out for the Pacific Division title, and possibly play in the Western Conference finals for the rights to represent the city in the NBA Finals. And why not? Even after trading Lamar Odom for mere payroll relief, the Lakers still looked stout as ever. Kobe Bryant's knee was as good as it had been in years thanks to his experimental knee rehabilitation in Germany and the extended six-month layoff due to the Lakers' relatively early 2010-11 exit and the NBA's lockout. The Clippers would be returning superstar Blake Griffin, they matched Golden State's offer for center DeAndre Jordan, and Paul was supposed to be the guy to find easy buckets when everyone's footwork went awry. Instead, though, both teams petered out in the second round, with just one win between the teams to show for their efforts. The Clippers looked both thin and brittle, overly reliant on Paul to save them from the offensive dregs, with CP3 once again ending his season with a pronounced limp. The Lakers looked disturbingly uneven from night to night, a top-heavy team whose top parts didn't play well with each other. Both went out far earlier than intended by them, or predicted by some, and both have major issues to face as they head into their offseasons a month earlier than they had hoped for way back in December. Tue, 22 May 2012 13:30:09 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,456f3246-9028-34ee-8e71-b7abda151a57-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12ulnfgds/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/oklahoma-city-advances-western-conference-090116011--nba.html Oklahoma City is back in the Western Conference finals after outlasting another team that ended its playoff run in recent seasons. The Thunder took care of the Los Angeles Lakers in five games with Monday night's 106-90 romp at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Tue, 22 May 2012 02:01:16 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,882705f1-5d1a-34be-a049-64b7fd57c6a5-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12pnfm9i6/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/thunder-sinks-lakers-prepares-battle-062111551--nba.html OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma City Thunder hopes to make more noise in the Western Conference finals that it did last year. Mon, 21 May 2012 23:21:11 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,caf5a7a3-69e1-3577-806f-4d336844c1a0-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12m7q0722/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/column-same-skills-mindset-lebron-005144348--nba.html Spectacular as it seemed, it was nothing we haven't seen from LeBron James before. Mon, 21 May 2012 17:51:44 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,68e480ce-eece-36f4-9c83-af93522d6df4-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=13usk73nd/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/david-stern-changed-competition-committee-push-rules-report-215218163.html NBA commissioner David Stern holds a lot of power, but he can't make new on-court rules on his own. That job falls to the league's Competition Committee, an appointed group of owners, general managers, coaches and one player who decide how to improve the sport. In some cases, that involves introducing new rules — in others it means abolishing existing ones. For years, the Competition Committee consisted entirely of general managers. Last week, Stern changed the format and created a new nine-man group including Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle. To most observers, the list looked perfectly normal. However, a new report indicates that Stern might have changed the committee to push through a few of his own preferred rules. From Mitch Lawrence for the New York Daily News (via EOB ): Mon, 21 May 2012 14:52:18 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,79ca6298-1908-3209-891d-17b0eb9c1d20-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=139c4cfnt/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--westbrook-durant-have-thunder-looking-like-champion-contenders.html The whispers a year ago that the young stars couldn't coexist are fading following another shutdown of the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western semifinals. Sun, 20 May 2012 08:40:23 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,81cb803e-c772-3068-a0dd-46835d40148f-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=13f0reilf/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/kevin-durant-game-winner-beats-lakers-game-4-055332010.html The Okahoma City Thunder are a young team, and many fans and observers believe they still need to prove their mettle in close, tense playoff games. Saturday night's Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center was one of those games, with the Lakers jumping out to a quick double-digit lead and holding a nine-point advantage heading into the final quarter. By all possible measures, OKC proved itself, taking the game 103-100 and out-executing the home Lakers down the stretch. The finishing blow was Kevin Durant's 3-pointer over Metta World Peace with 13 seconds remaining. Durant's been no stranger to game-winners in these playoffs — this was his third, including this memorable one against Dallas on the postseason's first night — but this one felt a little more special. The context mattered: The Thunder were in danger of seeing the series tied at 2-2, and the shot was the perfect cap to their comeback. More than anything, though, it was impressive just how calm Durant looked throughout the possession. He knew what he wanted to do, got the chance, and executed perfectly. At no point did he seem to lose control of the moment. It was the play of a veteran superstar, not a young kid still finding his way to the top of the league. The Thunder still have much to prove as they try to win a championship, but there's now no question that they're a mature bunch. (Original YouTube video via EOB ) Sat, 19 May 2012 22:53:32 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,d017a6c0-dacd-3905-9c48-df2d216c137d-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=13ag48ncv/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/los-angeles-lakers-chance-friday-game-3-202023951.html The Oklahoma City Thunder had the best record in the tough Western Conference for most of the season, and they've yet to lose in six postseason games. The Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, struggled through an up and down regular season, and the team has lost nine of its last 13 playoff games, dating back the group's second-round sweep at the hands of the champion Dallas Mavericks last year. An admittedly watered-down version of those Mavs, you'll recall, was swept out of the playoffs by the Thunder just two weeks ago. With this unfortunate bit of history in place, and with a desperate Game 3 set to tip off on Friday night, is it possible the Lakers have any chance — both not only in this series, but in Game 3? That's going to be a tough one, Los Angeles. We're well aware that the team was just over two minutes away from stealing the home-court advantage in this series on Wednesday night. Game 2's final-minute meltdown shouldn't take away from the fact that for 46 minutes the Lakers hedged off of Oklahoma City's screens expertly, covered ground in transition, forced nine more turnovers than they were able to in Game 1, while clogging the middle on drives from Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kevin Durant. The defensive template, clearly, is in place. Fri, 18 May 2012 13:20:23 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,50998a56-5c26-32e9-af7a-05b0474e5cf3-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=13cnb7jvr/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/andrew-bynum-9-0-thunder-run-beats-lakers-172458307.html Thu, 17 May 2012 10:20:58 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,3caee386-769d-305f-bb98-34334cd7a111-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12n8q0hg8/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-appoints-competition-committee-003424885--nba.html NEW YORK (AP) Coaches Doc Rivers of Boston, Rick Carlisle of Dallas and Lionel Hollins of Memphis have been named to the NBA's Competition Committee. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:34:24 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,c3c0d890-eb5a-3576-b465-ec69b1df1f9a-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12s1hb8g6/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/coaches-owners-voice-suggesting-changes-235603461--nba.html Rick Carlisle, coach of the reigning champion Dallas Mavericks, and Dan Gilbert, the club owner spurned by LeBron James, are among 10 people named on Wednesday to the NBA's new competition committee. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:56:03 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,89ab4945-a147-3667-b7c9-dfab857a1b38-l:1 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12k0mkbt3/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/pacers-larry-bird-nba-executive-180548406--nba.html Everything always seemed to come so easily for Larry Bird on a basketball court. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:33:43 PDT nba urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,7f2e416b-67b3-3225-bcf1-36675d3c7150-l:1 Fri, 25 May 2012 12:00:19 PDT