Mavs Buck Milwaukee for 60th Win

Mar 29, 02:10 AM

Current Headlines: By Eddie Sefko, The Dallas Morning News

Mar. 29--Sixty wins seem so trivial when dreamers still fantasize about 70, but it's an achievement that nobody should ever belittle.

The Mavericks know that all too well after reaching the milestone for the second season in a row and the third time in the last five seasons. Even when nothing will quench their thirst for greatness except hoisting a trophy in June, 60 wins is special.

They reached it the hard way Wednesday night, picking up a 105-103 win against Milwaukee at American Airlines Center that the Mavericks had plenty of reasons to lose. They missed key free throws in the final minute. They had trouble defending for long stretches. And they lost Dirk Nowitzki for the second half with a minor left ankle sprain.

Yet, they continue to win. They have tied the franchise record for victories with 11 games still to go. They knocked their magic number down to six for clinching the top seed throughout the playoffs.

"Fifty wins cannot be trivialized," said coach Avery Johnson, who has coached the Mavs to 60 wins in both of his full seasons, yet enjoyed 60 wins just twice in 16 seasons as a player. "To get 60 or anything above 60 wins in the Western Conference is tough. You talk about 60, that is pretty impressive, especially the way we started (0-4).

"But these men come to play every day. They refuse to lose."

Johnson called this one of his favorite wins of the season because of some tough circumstances working against his team. They had finished a six-game road trip the night before. They were without Nowitzki, who tweaked his ankle late in the second quarter, played briefly to start the third, then departed for the locker room.

And Milwaukee, led by Michael Redd, was shooting 60 percent in taking an eight-point halftime lead.

"I'm really excited about this," Johnson said. "This is what you call a gutsy win. If the word 'gutsy' is in the dictionary then the Mavericks that were on the floor tonight, all their pictures are next to it."

Nowitzki's ankle is not believed to be serious.

"There was a bunch of reasons to pack it in," said Jerry Stackhouse, "and accept that tonight wasn't our night. That's the growth of our team to be able to gut this one out."

With Nowitzki out, the Mavericks managed to stick around with the Bucks, who have plenty of injury problems themselves (mainly Andrew Bogut, Charlie Villanueva and Bobby Simmons).

But when they missed 12 of their first 13 shots in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks fell behind 93-88.

Since it was apparent they weren't going to win this game with offense, they tried their hand at defense for a smattering of possessions and made the score 95-95 when Jason Terry hit a short jumper after receiving a long, fast-break pass from Devin Harris.

When Terry and Jerry Stackhouse hit 3-pointers, the Mavericks found themselves with a 103-101 lead with under two minutes left. But Mo Williams, who was dynamite in the fourth quarter, sliced in for a layup, setting up a frantic final minute.

The Mavericks had done a wonderful defensive job in the fourth quarter on Michael Redd, who had 34 points through three quarters, but couldn't squeeze off a shot in the fourth as Harris, Greg Buckner and Stackhouse trailed him everywhere he went.

It was Buckner who stole a pass by Ersan Ilyasova intended for Redd and gave the Mavericks their go-ahead possession. Stackhouse missed a jumper, but DeSagana Diop tipped out the rebound and Terry was fouled on a move to the basket. He made the second of two free throws.

Once again, the rookie Ilyasova threw an ill-advised pass out of bounds. This time, Stackhouse made one of two free throws, giving Milwaukee yet another chance to tie or take the lead, but Redd's runner in the lane was off.

The Mavericks credited their late defense for nailing down the win.

Now, with every victory until the playoffs begin in three weeks, they will venture into uncharted territory for the franchise.

"We might as well keep going," said Harris.

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