News & Neuigkeiten » an imposing gap, but one that is three

DALLAS -- ??? Even after scoring a season high in points, Dorian Finney-Smith wanted to talk about his defense.The rookie had 17 points, leading six Dallas players in double figures as the Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 99-79 Sunday.The Mavericks, who lost to Sacramento by 31 points at home 11 days ago, started fast. They made 11 of their first 15 shots and never trailed.Later, some of his teammates teased him for passing up open shots.When I get a hand on a ball or a tip, it gets me going, Finney-Smith said. I try not to lose focus on what I bring to the table, and thats defense. If Im making shots, thats a plus.Deron Williams, Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews each scored 15 for Dallas.DeMarcus Cousins scored 33 for Sacramento. The Kings were minus second-leading scorer Rudy Gay, who missed his third consecutive game because of a strained right hip flexor.A 10-0 Mavericks run early in the second quarter opened a 38-26 lead and the Kings never got closer than nine for the remainder of the game.Weve got to come out and be the aggressor, thats just plain and simple, Cousins said. We cant get off to slow starts. We cant let a team gain confidence. Weve got to be the aggressors every night.It was barely 30 degrees in Dallas and the start time was moved up three hours to 3 p.m. -- that avoided a conflict with the Cowboys, whose home game against Tampa Bay was originally scheduled for the daytime and later switched to night.Following a 120-89 home loss to the Kings on Dec. 7, the Mavericks called a team meeting. Theyve won three of four at home since then and are 3-3 overall.We remember (the loss), but the biggest thing is that our demeanor has to be like this every night, Matthews said.TIP-INSKings: Cousins had 23 of Sacramentos 44 points in the first half. ... Ty Lawson was the only other Sacramento player in double figures, with 10 points.Mavericks: The Kings scored just 14 points in the third quarter, a season low for a Mavericks opponent. ... Williams had seven assists and passed current Dallas television analyst Derek Harper for 21st place on the NBAs all-time assists list with 6,584.HARRIS A HERODevin Harris had a season-high 14 points and seven rebounds for the Mavericks. He made a three-point play and a four-point play to cap a 12-2 Dallas run that gave the Mavs a 76-56 lead with 2:33 left in the third quarter.Harris had missed the teams first 16 games with a sprained right big toe.When he feels good physically, he moves with joy out there, coach Rick Carlisle said.LET IT BEEKings coach Dave Joerger called for a truce in an ongoing spat between Cousins and the Sacramento Bee newspaper. Cousins recently confronted a Bee writer after a column that referenced the arrest of the 6-foot-11 stars brother.This guy is the face of our franchise, Joerger said. Hes done and said some things that he wishes he could do over. He has improved.Im not justifying anything that hes done. What he did was excessive. But enough is enough, he said.TRIBUTE TO SAGERThe Mavericks joined the list of NBA teams to hold a moment of silence before their game in honor of TNT broadcaster Craig Sager, who died Thursday. Team owner Mark Cuban remembered Sager fondly before the game.Smiles are underrated, Cuban said. Nice is underrated. Getting people to smile every time -- thats something not a lot of people have been able to accomplish.UP NEXTKings: Home against Portland on Tuesday. The Trail Blazers beat the Kings 122-120 in overtime on Nov. 11 in Portland.Mavericks: At Denver on Monday to start a four-game trip. Dallas plays six of its next seven on the road.Devin Hester Jersey . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Dick Butkus Womens Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. http://www.bearsfootballpro.com/Authentic_Akiem-Hicks_Bears_Jersey/ . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Anthony Miller Youth Jersey .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Tom Waddle Bears Jersey . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round.NEW YORK -- There is never any shortage of drama when the New York Islanders and New York Rangers meet. But the Islanders and Rangers each have far more on their minds than local bragging rights as as they prepare for the latest incarnation of one of hockeys best rivalries.The Islanders will host the Rangers for the first time this season on Tuesday, when the teams are scheduled to meet at Barclays Center. The Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Saturday while the Islanders fell to the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime on Sunday.Theyre always a lot of fun, Islanders center and captain John Tavares said of the games against the Rangers. Never any love lost in these games, so easy to get up for.While the Rangers (17-8-1) entered Monday atop the Metropolitan Division and just two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference, coach Alain Vigneault expressed concern with his clubs recent inconsistent ways after the Rangers scored three third-period goals to edge the Hurricanes.Were like all the teams, Vigneault told reporters. We need our goaltender to be one of our best players and we need our other best players, whether they are Ds or forwards, to play at the level theyre supposed to.The Rangers have alternated wins with losses in each of their last seven games and are 4-4-1 in their last nine. Despite being in first place, they are just six points ahead of the Boston Bruins and Wasshington Capitals, who are tied for the final wild-card spot in the East.ddddddddddddRangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist discussed the playoff race Saturday when he said he believed it is going to be a tight one until the end and theres going to be a lot of teams involved. Its going to come down to will -- How badly do you want to win every night? -- because theres so many teams that feel they should be in the race.One of those teams is the Islanders (9-10-5), who had high expectations this season after reaching the second round of the playoffs last spring for the first time since 1993. But they entered Monday tied for last in the Eastern Conference with the Buffalo Sabres.Havent gotten off to a great start this season and we need the two points, Tavares said.The Islanders crawled on to the periphery of the race by winning three straight games before Sundays loss. They are six points behind the Bruins and Capitals -- an imposing gap, but one that is three points smaller than it was just last Monday.I think weve been on the right track the last five or six games, Islanders center Anders Lee said.The Rangers will be without Michael Grabner, who leads the team with 13 goals. Grabner is attending his grandmothers funeral and is expected to return to the team Thursday, when the Rangers visit the Winnipeg Jets. ' ' '