OKLAHOMA CITY - The Mavericks used their 16th different starting lineup Thursday night, and you just know that rookies Pierre Jackson and Dorian Finney-Smith were exactly what TNT execs had in mind when they put this game on their schedule.
With Dirk Nowitzki (rest), Deron Williams (left big toe), Wesley Matthews (right hip) and J.J. Barea (left calf) back in Dallas, the Mavericks were left only 11 players in uniform and that number dropped in the first half.
Jackson, the 5-11 mighty mite rookie who was having a terrific start with nine points and four assists in his first NBA start, limped off the court in the second quarter with a left hamstring strain and did not return.