Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports: Avery Johnson has played in his 1,000th NBA game against Portland. Johnson became the 75th player in NBA history to log 1,000 NBA games. More impressive, he became just the second player under six feet to play in one thousand games (Calin Murphy).

"I just thought I'd try to hang around for a couple of years when I first started," Johnson said. "To make it this long is a testament to all the hard work and to all the coaches and teammates and everybody else who helped me along the way."

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports: Michael Finley is going to wait until he is 100 percent healed before he returns to the Dallas Mavericks.

Finley, who has not played since March 18th against Cleveland and has missed the team's last four games, won't come back from his strained left hamstring until it is 100 percent healed.

Yesterday, Finley went through a brief, full-court practice and he didn't feel like he was 100 percent.

"It was just to the point where I personally didn't have 100 percent confidence, like I thought I would," Finley said of the workout, his most vigorous since straining his left hamstring March 18. "They said that's what to expect my first time out full court. The pain was more or less because of the fatigue. That's the most I've done. I felt the pain in a different spot in my leg because of the fatigue. As far as the original hamstring pain, it was very limited."

Because of this, Finley is likely to miss tonight's game at Portland.

He is officially listed as a game-time decision.

Finley's main reasons for sitting out the past few games are because of his experience with his hamstring last year and the Mav's success without him.

Last year, Finley missed two games with that same hamstring, came back and played two, and then missed the next 11 games because it flared up again.

 "I don't want to go into a game and have that same feeling that I had last year when I came back [too soon]," he said. "I want to wait until I'm definitely beyond that in the recovery process. I want to have 100 percent confidence in it.

"If I hadn't experienced this last year, I probably would have played two games ago, not knowing the severity that it could be. Last year, I came back and wasn't quite 100 percent. And as the intensity of the game picked up and my leg got tired, I tried to do some things out of instinct and my mind was saying yes, but my leg was saying no.

"And it ended up flaring up again. If that happens, I'll be missing a lot longer than I am now."

While he is not ruling out playing tonight, he wants to come back when he can definitely contribute.

"I don't want to come in 50 percent," he said. "I want to come in when I definitely can contribute. If I wake up, get a nice workout in and it feels great, I might give it a shot. I don't know. It's a weird injury. Some days I feel great. Some days I don't.

"If this was Game 7, I'd be dressing. But it's not. So I have the option of resting it some more."

Marc Spears reports on a website that knocks Denver as Golden State fans try to keep free agent Gilbert Arenas.

Chris Tomasson writes about Dallas beating Denver 108-96 at the Pepsi Center last night.

Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News reports that the Denver Nuggets have signed 2 shooting guards to 10-day contracts.

Jeff Trepagnier and Adam Harrington joined the team on Sunday.

"It's a little tough getting used to this altitude,'' said Trepagnier, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who averaged 17.7 points for Asheville of the National Basketball Developmental League. "I got a little winded. But, overall, I feel good about this opportunity.''

An opportunity is the word. Denver will be taking these next 10 days to evaluate both Harrington and Trepagnier to see if they warrant an invitation to training camp next season. While they may not get much game time, they will get plenty of time in practice which is something Harrington can relate to.

"It was against all odds that I made the Mavericks,'' said Harrington, who becomes Denver's sixth rookie. "But the key to getting in the NBA was to get practice time. I was going against such good players every day, and I earned their respect and played well.''

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports: The Dallas Mavericks have a showdown with the San Antonio Spurs tonight but Mavericks coach Don Nelson doesn't think Michael Finley, who hasn't missed a game this season, will be available.

Yesterday, Finley had an MRI on the left hamstring that he injured late in the first half against Cleveland on Tuesday.

While the results haven't come back yet, Don Nelson isn't optimistic that Finley will play tonight.

"We're not optimistic," coach Don Nelson said. "But we'll wait to see what the report says."

Finley will be a game-time decision.

Mark Montieth of the Indianapolis Star is reporting that the Indiana Pacers are strongly considering signing five-time NBA All-star Tim Hardaway.

"He's not just another guy," Isiah Thomas said. "You take a look at him. He's been pretty big-time in this league."

Pacer's GM Donny Walsh said, "I need to take a look at the team and see where Jamaal [Tinsley] is and all that."

Hardaway has not played in the NBA since last season when he averaged 9.6 points for Dallas and Denver.

As everyone seems to be talking about the Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett as the potential league MVP this season, on paper at least, Minneapolis Star-Tribune writer Steve Aschburner believes that many will have a hard time looking past Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks as being the NBA's best.

Aschburner writes that the "best player on the best team" criterion is a powerful one, even with a roster as deep and talented as Dallas'. Nowitzki leads the Mavericks in scoring (23.8) and rebounds (9.8) and ranks sixth and eighth in the NBA in those categories.

In an amazing stat when Nowitzki has been on the court Dallas has outscored teams by 671 points. When he sits, the Mavs have been outscored by 91. Garnett's numbers: plus-329 and minus-198.

"Some people would say 'Nowitzki does a lot and is one of the top players. But if you take Nowitzki off [their team], where would they be, compared to if you take Nash off?' Nash makes everybody so much better. Both those guys have to be considered."

Kobe Bryant is not the only one breaking into phenominal NBA history categories, with Dallas guard Avery Johnson closing in on his 1,000th game played.

At 996 games and counting should Johnson make it to the 1,000 he will become only the second player in NBA history under 6-0 to play so many games, joining Calvin Murphy as the other.

"I remember watching films of him in college," coach Don Nelson said. "He was just one of the great playmakers in college. Then to make the most of his chances and improve his game to the point where he not only was able to play in the NBA, but play on a championship team, play a lot of minutes and get up to 1,000 games, it's just remarkable."

"It's been a great ride," Johnson says. "Obviously, when I was on the ride, I never realized it was going to last this long. It's been a real fun ride. There have been a lot of great times and there's been a little turbulence, too."

"But now that I'm above the turbulence, I can really appreciate the smooth ride."

Two minutes into the second quarter. Two-thirty Saturday morning, which is around the time the Jazz arrived at their Dallas hotel. Too soon after Friday night's overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings ended.
     
Pick a time, any time.
     
Whichever you choose, it's a safe bet that's the time the Jazz decided they didn't stand a chance against the NBA-leading Dallas Mavericks.
     
Or so it seemed Saturday night, when the Mavs steam-rolled to a 101-77 victory over Utah at sold-out America Airlines Center.