Fresh West burns Blazers

The Dallas Mavericks preached about their depth since training camp and they're living by it during this truncated season. They did it again Saturday night on the second night of a back-to-back that went into double overtime.

Tied with the Portland Trail Blazers at 87-87 after one overtime, Mavs point guard Jason Kidd had hit 31 minutes of playing time and that was all Mavs coach Rick Carlisle wanted to play his 38-year-old floor general in just his second game back from a right calf strain.

So Carlisle called on backup Delonte West to start the second overtime. West had not played since leaving the game with 6:08 to go in the fourth quarter. He sat down with four points. So, naturally, West, the lone player with fresh legs on either team, scored the Mavs' first six points and set them up for the 97-94 victory Saturday night.

"For the last 12 minutes, until that last overtime, it was hard for me to get loose," West said.

West finished the game with 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting. He was just 2-of-8 before he subbed in the second overtime.

"Phenomenal," Carlisle said of West's late heroics. "The guy stays ready and he's a money player. He's had that reputation since he's been in the league, really. We'd been battling pretty good, but we needed a lift."

The Mavs now take their three-game win streak into Monday's big home game against the Los Angeles Clippers. A win and Dallas will move seven games above .500 for the first time this season.

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