PHILADELPHIA VS. INDIANA MILWAUKEE VS. ORLANDO MIAMI VS. CHARLOTTE NEW YORK VS. TORONTO SAN ANTONIO VS. MINNESOTA L.A. LAKERS VS. PORTLAND SACRAMENTO VS. PHOENIX UTAH VS. DALLAS

Wednesday, May 30 Mavs coach, Malone fan flames in rivalry Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY – Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson is complaining the Utah Jazz "manipulate referees so well with their flops" and "abuse the rules." Karl Malone wouldn't be drawn into a verbal scrap Monday. "I hate soaps," Malone said. "I don't watch soaps, so I have no desire to talk about soap operas." Fine, but that won't stop the Mavericks from brashly challenging the Jazz leading up to Game 2 on Tuesday in the best-of-five series. Utah leads 1-0 after winning 88-86 on Saturday. The matchup has been, up to this point, portrayed as a contest between Utah's aging but savvy veterans and the talented but untested Mavericks, who made the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. After narrowly losing Game 1, the swaggering Mavericks are confident they can beat the Jazz on the road in the postseason, just as they did in winning twice at the Delta Center this season. "Watching the tape, everyone in the locker room felt we let one get away," center Shawn Bradley said. "There were a lot of if-factors. ... The bottom line is we didn't win and we feel we can." The Mavericks are walking tough, and now Nelson wants his team talking tough, too. Nellie even showed how it's done, firing the opening round in a verbal barrage by accusing Utah of dirty play. "The Jazz manipulate referees so well with their flops," Nelson said. "They abuse the rules. It's frustrating to play against that kind of a team and it's frustrating to coach against them. "But they sure do it well," he added. "I sure have to give them credit." The Mavs quickly stepped in line behind him. Asked the best way to match Utah's physical play, Bradley said: "You've got to be professional, keep your head and flop against a flopper, like coach said." It's more fuel for a rivalry that's had some acrimonious moments. Malone, in particular, has had run-ins with Dallas before. Malone has jawed with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in the past and even bumped chests with Nelson during a game in Dallas in January 2000. That face-to-face showdown came after Malone put a knee into Bradley's belly. After the teams played in November, Malone was fined $7,500 and suspended one game by the league office for a backhanded slap to ex-Maverick Christian Laettner. But so far in the playoffs, Malone has avoided fanning the flames. "I respect their team and their owner and who they are, but I don't have any conversation with any of them," Malone said Monday. "I have a job to do and that's what I try to do." Yet when Malone was asked seconds later which Dallas player does the best job of guarding him, the 16-year veteran and two-time NBA most valuable player couldn't resist some sarcasm. "Who holds and grabs the best?" he asked. "All of them do a tremendous job of guarding me. Without a doubt, they're the toughest team for me to play against. "I'm surprised I'm scoring any points," said Malone, who had 26 in the series opener. "I don't know if I belong on the same floor." The Mavericks said after losing Saturday they planned to be more physical in Game 2, but point guard Steve Nash took it a step farther Monday. "I was taught to play hard, physical and take it on the chin, rather than flop," Nash said. "That's great for them. Hopefully, we can get better at it. We've got to join in, rather than be stubborn about it." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories