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Thursday, Apr. 5 8:30pm ET
Wang now the Chalupa Boy for the Mavericks

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

DALLAS (AP) – Wang Zhizhi has a lot to learn about playing in the NBA.

But he's already got down one key ingredient about playing in Dallas: The Chalupa Shot.

Wang Zhizhi
Wang Zhizhi gives the crowd a little fist pump after scoring his first basket.

The first NBA player born in China overcame some early communication problems to score six points and grab three rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Atlanta Hawks 108-94 Thursday night.

Juwan Howard led Dallas with 20 points and reserve Shawn Bradley had 16 points and 15 rebounds as the Mavericks moved into a tie with Utah for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. The Jazz play in Dallas on Saturday night.

Wang's eight-minute debut was highlighted by a top-of-the-key jumper for his first basket and two free throws.

However, it was a short shot by the 7-foot-1, 255-pound forward that put the Mavericks over 100 points that meant to the most to the fans because it earned them a free chalupa from Taco Bell. The basket drew the loudest roar in a night filled with cheers for Wang.

"He went from the new guy from China to the Chalupa Boy, and that's pretty special around here," said Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who earlier this season ran on the court to break up a chalupa-related brawl.

Wang, who said he'd been told about the Mexican food promotion, finished 2-for-5, including a miss on a 3-pointer.

"I felt so happy I could score," Wang said. "It made me feel I can score more in the future."

His first shot attempt was ruled a block, although it was as much a strip as the ball never came above his waist.

He went from the new guy from China to the Chalupa Boy, and that's pretty special around here.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban

"I was a little nervous," said Wang, whose parents and an estimated 300 million Chinese were watching on television. "I was trying to score as soon as possible, and that's why I got the turnover."

There were some other rocky moments. Such as with 5:55 left in the second quarter when Wang took off his warmup clothes because he thought he was being called into the game. Instead, coach Don Nelson was asking for "Juwan" Howard, not Wang (pronounced "Wong").

Then, with 26.8 seconds left in the first half, Wang really did get the call. He went in to a standing ovation.

His teammates wanted him to break the ice immediately. Michael Finley tried running a pick-and-roll, but Wang was too excited and lost the ball.

He didn't return until there was 7:40 left and Dallas was up 91-71.

Befitting the Mavericks' international flavor, he replaced Dirk Nowitzki, a 7-footer from Germany. And he was covering Atlanta's Hanno Mottola, the first NBA player from Finland.

Wang grabbed his first rebound immediately, but needed more than a minute before getting the ball on offense.

The Mavs again tried setting something up for Wang, so he huddled briefly with point guard Steve Nash and Nelson. They spoke in English and when Nelson walked away, he laughed and shrugged, unsure of whether his words got through.

It apparently worked as Wang ran another pick-and-roll, this one with Howard Eisley. He took a pass just inside the 3-point line and got nothing but net with his smooth left-handed stroke. The crowd erupted again and the usually blank-faced Wang even gave a mini-fist pump.

Wang was fouled on Dallas' next possession and time out was called. During the break, the song "Everybody Wang Chung Tonight" was played. Then Nash drove the lane, dished to Wang and he flipped in the magical 100th and 101st points.

"It's crazy to come all the way from China and get into an NBA game, and he did great," Nash said. "He's very talented."

Wang didn't feel totally out of place. There were two signs in Chinese, one that read "Your buddies are here," and another that read "China is proud of you," which was attached to a Chinese flag. Four kids painted Wang's name on their chests and chants of "We want Wang!" began in the second quarter.

"Thank you to all Dallas basketball fans for supporting me so much," Wang said. "This will help me to play harder."

Nazr Mohammed, who led Atlanta with 23 points, said he was impressed with Wang.

"The kid can play," he said. "You can tell he has good basketball skills. He has a nice soft touch."

Said Hawks coach Lon Kruger: "He's got the actions of a good basketball player. It was pretty courageous of him to make that first jump shot, then those two free throws."

Dallas won for the sixth time in seven games. The Mavericks finished 23-7 against the East, easily the best in franchise history. This is their 49th victory, leaving them seven games to reach 50 for the third time in their history.

Atlanta, which had won two in a row, lost its 10th in a row on the road.

Game notes
Another sign of the Mavericks' growing popularity: Michael Finley is throwing out the first pitch at the Texas Rangers game Friday night. ... Brevin Knight scored 12 points after being blanked in his previous game. ... Dallas has won 14 of 17 at Reunion Arena.

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Dallas Clubhouse

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Stein: Adding Wang fitting for Team World

Dr. Jack: Wang blazes a trail

Fred's Points: Bucks, Stack and Wang


RECAPS
New York 93
Washington 80

Sacramento 92
Utah 86

LA Lakers 100
Chicago 88

Dallas 108
Atlanta 94

Houston 91
Seattle 88

San Antonio 101
Denver 80


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