AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Dallas Mavericks survived a scary situation Sunday evening that had nothing to do with a heartfelt 95-90 win over the Detroit Pistons. When Erick Dampier left the pregame warm-ups because he wasn't feeling right, nobody was quite sure what was happening. Minutes later, with emergency medical personnel working on Dampier, he was whisked by ambulance from the Palace of Auburn Hills to a Pontiac, Mich., hospital. By the end of the game, the Mavericks had gotten news that Dampier's symptoms had subsided. No team personnel divulged what those symptoms were, but an NBA official said that doctors had ruled out any serious health issues, including H1N1. Dampier apparently was lightheaded when he left the arena, but was feeling much better at the hospital, giving the team a huge sigh of relief. "First of all, our thoughts and prayers are with Damp," said Dirk Nowitzki, who led a lukewarm Mavericks offense with 25 points. "That's tough to see, right in the warm-ups and all of the sudden he walked out and he's in the hospital." Drew Gooden wasn't even aware he'd been put into the starting lineup until he heard the announcer call his name. He stepped in admirably with his first double-double of the season (11 points, 11 rebounds). All five starters scored in double figures as the Mavericks survived 55 points from Piston guards Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum. But it was tough to focus on the win, which upped the Mavericks to 2-1 on this trip that ends tonight at Milwaukee. Athletic trainer Casey Smith stayed behind as Dampier was kept at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital for observation. Dampier will meet the team back in Dallas, coach Rick Carlisle said. The loss of Dampier threw a spotlight on Gooden, who still is recovering from a strained muscle near his rib cage. "It's about time and opportunity," Gooden said. "If you give a lot of guys on this team time, they're going to produce. I was just happy it was my night to step up in Damp's absence." The Mavericks trailed by six at halftime, but Roddy Beaubois and Nowitzki scored or assisted on 26 of the Mavericks' 31 points as they went up 71-66 after three quarters. Then, it was about survival. Three times, Bynum drew Detroit within three in the final two minutes. The first two times, Nowitzki nailed midrange jumpers. Nowitzki was 5-of-15 from the field in the third quarter, but hit six of his final 12 shots. Up 93-90, Jason Terry missed a 3-pointer with 6.9 left, giving the Pistons a final shot. But Ben Gordon missed badly on a 3 when Jason Kidd couldn't get to Gordon fast enough to foul him. Where to draw the line? Mark Cuban has all the respect in the world for Michael Jordan, but he's not sure retiring No. 23 league-wide is a great idea. "It's a slippery slope," Cuban said Sunday. "What about Bill Russell and George Mikan and Wilt Chamberlain?" LeBron James first floated the idea of every team retiring Jordan's number. "If all the players around the league got together and did that, it would say a lot about their appreciation of the history of our game," Carlisle said.
