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Mavericks seek to avenge loss to Grizzlies

Apr 3, 2009 - 2:14 AM By Matt Beardmore Stats Writer

Dallas (45-30) at Memphis (20-54), 8:00 p.m. EDT

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (AP) -- With just four wins in their last 13 road games, the Dallas Mavericks have had to rely on their home-court advantage to put itself in playoff position.

On Friday, though, they'll look to regain their dominance in Memphis, where they were routed in their last visit.

Dallas looks for its ninth win in 10 visits to the FedExForum but faces a Grizzlies squad playing some of their best basketball of the season.

The Mavericks (45-30), looking for their third straight victory, have a four-game lead over Phoenix for Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot. Dallas, though, is in close pursuit of Utah for the seventh seed.

Josh Howard's return has given the Mavericks reason to believe they can secure that higher seed.

Howard, who missed 11 games last month with a sore left ankle, had 20 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday's 98-96 win over Miami. But it was the charge he drew on rookie Mario Chalmers with 2.3 seconds left that helped Dallas win for the 27th time in 32 home games.

Dallas will play five of its final six regular-season games at home, but before that stretch begins Sunday versus the Suns, the Mavericks take on a Memphis team trying for its first three-game winning streak since a four-game run from Dec. 8-14.

The Grizzlies had dropped eight consecutive regular-season home games to Dallas prior to a 102-82 win on Jan. 4.

"It's like that bully in school that's always coming and beating you up, and standing up to him," Hakim Warrick said after Memphis snapped a 13-game skid to the Mavericks.

The Grizzlies (20-54) dropped 14 of 17 at home following that victory. Memphis, though, snapped a six-game slide there with Wednesday's 112-107 win over Washington.

Memphis has won three of four overall following a 2-17 skid.

"I think sooner or later people will understand we're trying to make strides in the right direction," Rudy Gay said after scoring a team-high 25 points against the Wizards.

Mike Conley has been making major strides since being inserted into the starting lineup 35 games ago, averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds during that stretch. The second-year point guard has scored at least 20 points in each of the Grizzlies' last three wins.

His steal with fewer than four seconds left versus the Wizards helped give Memphis its first victory at home since an 85-80 win over New Orleans on Feb. 9.

"It's a definite sign of growth," Conley said. "Guys really stepped in and made big plays on the defensive end more than on the offensive end."

Dallas' Jason Kidd is scoring just 6.5 points per game on 30.9 percent from the field in his last eight contests. The veteran point guard, however, is averaging 10.7 assists in three games since missing a 103-101 loss to Denver on March 27 with a sore lower back.

Kidd, who had just one point and five assists in the Jan. 4 loss, is 23 away from tying Magic Johnson (10,141) for third on the all-time list.

Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points in Dallas' last game in Memphis. He averaged 23.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists as the Mavericks defeated the Grizzlies twice in Dallas this season.

Including the playoffs, the Mavericks are 14-3 all-time in Memphis.