HLG (Hermes) » e." McCutchen had a run-scoring single in the

MILWAUKEE -- If Monta Ellis was wondering what to expect in his first trip back to Milwaukee, he found out pretty quickly. Boos during introductions and, for a while at least, every single time he touched the ball against the team he played for last season. Ellis got the best of his former team and its fans, shaking off the boos to contribute 18 points and five assists to help the Dallas Mavericks hold off the Milwaukee Bucks 91-83 Saturday night. "I knew I was going to get something out there," Ellis said. "When they called my name and they booed, I knew what (kind of) night it was going to be. Like I said, Its part of it. Im not worried about it." Dirk Nowitzki had 16 points and Shawn Marion added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks, who blew a big lead with sloppy offensive play in the third quarter. O.J. Mayo had 28 points and Caron Butler added 19 for the Bucks, who were playing their second straight game without forward Larry Sanders. Like Ellis, Mayo also was getting his first shot at the team he played for last season. "Guys definitely do get jacked up for it," Bucks coach Larry Drew said. "When youre going against your old team, you play to try to prove something. Sometimes it can work for you, sometimes it can work against you." For his part, Mayo insisted playing the Mavericks wasnt anything special to him. "Nothing," Mayo said. "Just another game on the schedule." Ellis signed with Dallas as a free agent in the off-season after playing for the Bucks last season and a portion of the 2011-12 season. So far, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle says the team is getting exactly what it expected -- a player who can challenge defenders and provide a strong scoring punch alongside Nowitzki. "He and Dirk are our two best players," Carlisle said. "We expect a lot out of those guys every night. Tonight, they both came up big." Ellis did have some big games in Milwaukee, but fans apparently recall inconsistency and his inability to meld with then-fellow Bucks guard Brandon Jennings. "When I laced up here, I did everything I could to help this team win," Ellis said. "The fans, theyre going to feel the way they feel anyway." Milwaukee struggled on defence from the outset, falling behind 55-40 at halftime as the Mavericks shot 50 per cent from the floor. But the Bucks began forcing turnovers and went on an extended 17-4 run to finish the third quarter, cutting the lead to 68-64 going into the fourth. After a hot first half, Ellis had only six points and no assists after halftime. "We kind of let him get away from us in the first half," Drew said. "And Montas a good player. Hes very explosive." The Bucks stayed in the game, trailing by four with 2:23 remaining. But Mayo lost the ball and Nowitzki hit a turnaround jumper with 1:46 left to give the Mavericks an 87-81 lead. Carlisle was pleased with his teams defence, something that has been an issue on the road early this season. "We talked about it this morning," Carlisle said. "We talked about how our chemistry on the road hasnt been good. The guys made a stand tonight." Drew, meanwhile, has had enough of watching his team dig big holes early and then try to climb out of them. "Im tired of playing comeback basketball," Drew said, citing earlier games against Boston and New York. "I really am. It just takes too much out of you." The Bucks were again without Sanders, who missed his second straight game with a right thumb sprain. It has been a difficult week for Sanders, who issued a public apology after he was involved in an altercation at a nightclub. No charges were filed, but it was a hit to the image of a player whose popularity and play both have been on the rise. The Bucks have said his thumb injury happened in a game, not during the altercation. NOTES: Drew said there is no specific timeline for guard Luke Ridnour to return from back spasms. Drew said Ridnour recently received a second cortisone shot. ... Carlisle said guard Devin Harris has been cleared to do some light workouts. He had surgery on his left foot Aug. 6. ... Knight returned from a right hamstring strain for Milwaukee. Cheap Nike Air Zoom Canada . First reported by FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal, its unknown if the impetus for the deferral proposal came from players or management, but it never left the preliminary stages. Nike Zoom Shoes Canada . -- Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera has a broken bone below his right eye after being struck by a bad-hop grounder, sidelining the star slugger for at least a week with opening day on deck. http://www.cheapnikezoomcanada.com/. PETERSBURG, Fla. Nike Air Zoom Online Shop Canada . After missing 20 games as a rookie a year ago, Valanciunas - like the Raptors as a whole - has been fortunate to be in good health this season. As he spoke about it, the Raptors sophomore centre scanned the room for wood to knock on. "It is disappointing because we lost today so thats the worst part of the day," said Valanciunas, who left Tuesdays game with a lower-back sprain in the third quarter, missing the rest of Torontos 118-113 overtime defeat at the hands of the Hawks. Discount Nike Air Zoom Canada .com) - Australian Open champion Li Na, former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and former world No.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - As the game went on, Gerrit Coles fastball got faster, and the San Francisco Giants couldnt catch up. Cole won for the first time in nearly a month, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat San Francisco 4-3 Wednesday for their second straight win over the Giants. Cole (3-2) beat Tim Lincecum for the second time in his 11-month major league career, allowing three runs and seven hits in eight innings with seven strikeouts and a walk. The No. 1 pick in the 2011 amateur draft, Cole had a fastball clocked at 95-96 mph to begin the game and was 97-98 over his final two innings. "Really solid, solid effort for him," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Pushing through the eighth inning, the middle of the order, was very impressive. Hes capable of a lot of things out there. You saw the velocity stay at a much higher level today throughout the game, and actually his velocity played bigger later than it did earlier." Fill-in closer Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his second save in three chances. Centerfielder Andrew McCutchen made a diving catch of Brandon Crawfords soft liner to left-centre for the second out. Pittsburgh has won four of six after a 1-7 slide, taking two of three in the series. San Francisco had won 10 of 11 before the Pirates replay-aided walkoff win Tuesday. Pittsburgh scored all its runs over the first two innings Wednesday. "Were starting to click on all cylinders now," said Pirates catcher Chris Stewart, who had two hits. "The pitching is starting to come around, and were starting to get those hits in those big situations that we werent before". Ike Davis had three hits for the Pirates. Brandon Belt hit his ninth home run and drove in all three runs for San Francisco. Cole had been 0-2 in four starts since winning his first two outings. He pitchedd eight innings for the second time this season, throwing 107 pitches, one shy of his season high.dddddddddddd Cole, who went 1 for 3 to maintain a .333 batting average, won his major league debut at home last June 11 against Lincecum, a two-time NL Cy Young Award winner. Lincecum (2-2) allowed four runs, eight hits and two walks in four innings. Opponents are hitting .329 against him. "I wasnt finishing my pitches, especially my secondary pitches," he said. "When I got ahead in the count, the secondary pitchers were just rolling up there and had no bite on them. Im the type of guy whos going to have to get guys to chase pitches, but I cant do that when Im leaving balls up in the strike zone that are so hittable." McCutchen had a run-scoring single in the first and came around on Starling Martes double. Travis Snider made it 4-1 with a two-run single in the second. Belt homered on the first pitch he saw with two outs in the first, then hit a two-run double with two outs in the fifth. But Belt was thrown out at third on the play, ending the threat. "That was a mistake," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. NOTES: 3B Pablo Sandoval was not in the starting lineup after sustaining what Bochy termed a sprain of his hand or thumb during the final play of Tuesday nights game. He pinch hit for Lincecum in the fifth and singled. ... Neil Walker had a second-inning single has has reached safely in all 15 home games hes played against San Francisco ... The Giants headed to Los Angeles for a four-game series against the Dodgers that starts Thursday. San Franciscos starter in the opener, RHP Ryan Vogelsong, has allowed one earned run over 13 innings in his past two starts. ... The Pirates host St. Louis this weekend in a series that includes the first ESPN Sunday night game in PNC Parks 14-year history. ' ' '