Miami, Oklahoma taste first defeat of NBA season

Miami and Oklahoma City, the last two undefeated teams in the NBA this season, both lost for the first time yesterday as the reigning champion Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks celebrated triumphs.
The Mavericks defeated the visiting Thunder 100-87, improving to 2-4 and avenging a loss at Oklahoma City last week, while the Heat fell 100-92 to the Hawks at home despite a game-high 28 points from LeBron James.
Miami and Oklahoma City still share the NBA's best record at 5-1 after nine days of a season that was shortened to 66 games per club by a contract dispute between players and team owners.
At Dallas, German star Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points and grabbed six rebounds to power the Mavericks while Shawn Marion added 17 points, Jason Terry scored 15 and Vince Carter contributed 14.
Jason Kidd had a game-high nine assists for Dallas and Ian Mahinmi had a game-high nine rebounds for the Mavericks.

Reigning NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points while Russell Westbrook added 18 points and eight rebounds.
At Miami, Joe Johnson scored 21 points and Al Horford added 16 points and nine rebounds to power the Hawks, who improved to 4-1, just behind Miami in the Southeast division.
Tracy McGrady added 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Atlanta.
Behind James, the Heat were led by Chris Bosh with 19 points and Dwyane Wade with 12 points and a game-high 10 assists.
Meanwhile, DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings appear to be breaking up as the club told the centre to stay home rather than attend what turned out to be a victory over New Orleans. Cousins, 21, who was selected fifth overall in the 2010 NBA draft, had asked to be traded and was not with the Kings when they defeated the Hornets 96-80 on Sunday, improving to 2-3.
"DeMarcus Cousins has demanded to be traded," Kings coach Paul Westphal said. "In the best interest of our team . . . he has been directed by me, with the support of management, to stay home from the New Orleans game."
Westphal said he hoped the big man would rethink his position and join the Kings, with whom he averaged 13 points and 11.3 rebounds in four games. "That's really all up to him," he said. "This will give him the best chance to do that. It's something I think the team can use to band together."
Cousins was suspended last February for starting a fight on a plane with a team-mate and had been fined over a dispute with a coach and involved in other altercations more recently.