Two weeks ago, Corey Brewer was just settling into his new life. The five-year veteran had worked on his jumpshot, and had recently announced he was engaged to be married to Carolyn Friedrich. Then, before Brewer could say “I do,’ the Dallas Mavericks surprisingly traded him to the Denver Nuggets. The trade, which occurred on Dec. 13 and also included Rudy Fernandez going to the Nuggets for a second-round draft pick, was nit what Brewer was expecting. “Yeah, it caught me off-guard,’’ Brewer said. “I wasn’t expecting to go nowhere, but it happens. “Things happen. It’s a business. It’s the NBA.’’ Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"I wasn't expecting to go anywhere, but things happen in this business," Brewer said. "It's a good situation to be able to have a chance to play. Over there [in the Mavs' locker room], I might have played. I might not have played. Here, it's a good situation to have a chance to get minutes." Brewer, by the way, said he didn't get fitted for his championship ring before he left but wasn't too worried. "I got two already," he said of his NCAA championship rings at Florida. "So I can send them the size if they need it." Dallas Morning News

Fernandez, meanwhile, was traded with Brewer and said he never had anything against Dallas. He never made it to the Mavericks when training camp started because of travel document problems. Fernandez said he sensed a change might be coming when the Mavericks signed Vince Carter. "It meant less minutes for me," he said. "Right now, I understand all the moving in Dallas. Denver is very interested in me and they recognize the opportunity we have." Dallas Morning News

Earl K. Sneed: Rudy Fernandez says he had already found a house through his agent in Dallas before being traded to Denver. Twitter

It would have been nice for the Mavericks to go down to the baseline away from their bench and strike up a conversation with the familiar face in the first row. Kenyon Martin might look good in a Mavericks uniform right now. The former Denver and Bryan Adams standout was sitting a few seats from the Nuggets' bench. He is not eligible to play until late February after his signing with a Chinese team earlier this year. Dallas Morning News

Lawson sprinted out of the gate, hitting eight of his first nine shots on the way to a game-high 27 points for the Nuggets, who started this lockout- shortened season with a stylish 115-93 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the American Airlines Center. "It was pretty impressive the way we went about what we had to do," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We knew we had a team that played (Sunday), and the pace of the game has always been our advantage against Dallas." Denver Post

"We look old and slow and out of shape — a bad combination," said Dirk Nowitzki, who scored 20 points and sat out the entire fourth quarter for a second straight game, yet another indication of how bad things are going. "I still think this team has a lot of potential. But we have to turn the corner." The Mavs trailed by 33 in the third quarter, a day after being down by 35 in the third quarter against Miami. Counting a pair of preseason games against Oklahoma City, Dallas has been behind by at least 23 points in every game since being crowned champs. There are plenty of reasons to choose from: an overhaul of their rotation, the shortened training camp and other teams being motivated to take them down. "We're not comfortable with each other on both ends of the floor," Shawn Marion said. "We're trying to get acclimated and you can tell it's not flowing the way it should be and there's going to be some bumps." Dallas Morning News

Dallas forward Sean Williams was playing so hard, leaving everything he had on the court — that he left more on the Dallas bench when he was subbed out in the fourth quarter. The second-year player vomited on the Mavericks' bench, which got the fans to their feet in appreciation that at least one of their players was actually playing all-out. "He was playing so hard, he threw up," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "That tells you that he was going at it the way you need to." Denver Post

Shawn Marion scored just two points and collected six rebounds while p'laying tonight against Denver with a broken left pinky. Marion sustained the injury during the Dallas Mavericks' season opener Sunday against the Miami Heat. He noted that it affected his play against the Nuggets. "Yeah, it's hurting, but I'll fight through it the best way I can,'' said Marion, who played 23 minutes and was 1-of-5 from the field. "It's going to take a litte bit, so I've got to find a way to get comfortable with it and make some adjustments.'' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Four of the N.B.A.’s five Christmas games generated higher viewership this year over last year, perhaps not a surprise because they opened the lockout-shortened season. The Chicago Bulls’ victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, on ABC at 5 p.m. Eastern, generated the most average viewership (11 million) but fewer than the Miami Heat-Lakers game (13 million) in the comparable time period last year. Miami’s easy win over Dallas, which began at 2:30 p.m. on ABC, attracted 9 million viewers, up about 3 percent from 8.7 million for last year’s Boston Celtics-Orlando Magic game. The noon game — the Knicks’ 106-104 win over the Boston Celtics on TNT — had viewership of 5.9 million, up 46 percent over the 4 million who watched last year’s Bulls-Knicks-game on ESPN. New York Times

If Orlando doesn't trade Howard at all,bottega veneta boots, thus daring him to take a similar pay cut to leave, then the Mavs would be in play for both superstars. Some rival executives believe if anyone could sell Howard and Williams to forgo short-term dollars for the opportunity to chase championships together, it's Cuban. CBSSports.com

The Mavs, meanwhile,bottega veneta intrecciato wallet, couldn't have looked any creakier, flatter or more devoid of familiarity after their emotional pregame festivities, proving that a mere two weeks of practices and two exhibition games aren't enough to ready a team of thirtysomethings trying to counter the departure of defensive anchor Tyson Chandler with five new players. Especially not when LeBron James, six months later that Miami was hoping for, finally shifted into freight train mode. "That's the way we'd love to see him all year, just being on attack at all times," Wade said afterward, marveling at James' 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists after all that heat he took for his thoroughly punchless play in the last four games of the NBA Finals in June. ESPN.com

"As a competitor," LeBron said, "I never like to return to a season the same player as last year or the year before. "It's time for me to get better." Yet if any firm conclusions can be drawn from Sunday's Finals rematch, which Miami won by a deceptively close count of 105-94 after zooming to a 35-point lead that brought on garbage time before the fourth quarter even started, it's definitely not that James has banished all his demons. ESPN.com

The Heat, however, has no such wiggle room. The fate of the James-Wade-Chris Bosh trio presumably rides on a championship-or-bust basis this season, with LeBron sure to get the blame even if it's Bosh (who managed just four points in 24 minutes in his hometown on Christmas) who ultimately gets shipped out first. Rest assured no one knows the stakes better than the guy who just set a franchise record for points in a season opener. A franchise record that James knows only goes so far. "You can never [let] it go all the way," LeBron said of his Finals flop. "I beat myself up about a lot of stuff. I didn't talk to nobody or say nothing to anybody for three weeks, just moped around and let it sink all in until it's time to refocus. ... [But] I was glad I was able to get back up out of it and get back to work." ESPN.com

Said Wade: "All I can go off is Game 1 of the season. [He was] very aggressive and not necessarily concerned with what anyone is saying about him. He's gonna have to do it all year. He's one of the most scrutinized players that has ever played in any sport. It's his job not to worry about it and [it's] his job to go out there be one of the most talented players to ever to play this game." ESPN.com

NBA commissioner David Stern opened his lockout-delayed season hearing boos from Mavericks fans. Stern was in Dallas for the NBA Finals rematch between the Mavericks and Miami Heat, and he was on the court for the start of the Mavs' banner-raising ceremony honoring their first title. The jeers came as soon as he started speaking, but turned into cheers after he congratulated team owner Mark Cuban. Cuban's often contentious relationship with Stern could have been as much of a reason for the boos as the lockout, which pushed the opener from Nov. 1 to Christmas and cut the season by 16 games. Philadelphia Inquirer

Stern also said he has a pretty good relationship with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who has drawn more than his share of hefty fines from the commissioner. “All families are dysfunctional, they’re just dysfunctional in different ways,’’ Stern said. “Mark and I have a very good relationship, we visited before the game. “He makes contributions to our league in many ways. Just as I was here to give him the trophy, I’m happy to be here at the banner-raising.’’ Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Mavericks forward Shawn Marion fractured his left pinkie finger during the third quarter of Sunday's game while trying to make a defensive play, but he said he doesn't expect it to sideline him. Dallas lost to the Miami Heat, 105-94, and play the Denver Nuggets at home on Monday night. ESPN.com

The American Airlines Center filled up earlier than usual Sunday afternoon and the sellout crowd roared with approval as the Dallas Mavericks capped the 2010-11 championship, the franchise's first in 31 years, by raising the commemorative banner to the rafters. Chants of "Let's go Mavs" started up 10 minutes prior to the ceremony as the Mavericks and their Christmas Day opponent, the Miami Heat, the star-studded team Dallas ousted in the NBA Finals six months ago, warmed up for their nationally televised season opener. The Mavs donned new warmups which read "2011 NBA Champions" on the back of their jackets and grey jerseys with a small Larry O'Brien patch on the front. ESPN.com

Now, West,bottega veneta intrecciato clutch purses, who has started about 53 percent of the 350 games he's played over seven seasons with the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Celtics again, said he's eager to begin his new role as Kidd's backup with the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. "I’ve been a starter most of the years in my career. Being a backup guard on a title contending team or a starter, it’s something that’s just become who Delonte West is," the heavily tattooed, 6-foot-4 guard out of St. Joseph's said. ESPN.com

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