Dirk Leads Mavs In 95-85 Win Over Knicks
DALLAS (AP) – Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points and bailed out the Mavericks after they lost the lead following a 7 1/2-minute scoreless stretch to start the fourth quarter, and Dallas beat the New York Knicks 95-85 on Tuesday night.
Nowitzki made a 14-foot fadeaway jumper with 4:34 left, starting a game-clinching, 14-0 run by the Mavericks in which their All-Star forward scored nine points.
That was after the Knicks, who had trailed by as many as 19, scored the first 15 points of the fourth quarter and went ahead 78-77 when Amare Stoudemire penetrated to make a shot. It was their first lead since scoring the game's first four points, and didn't last long.
Stoudemire had 26 points.
Tyson Chandler, who got his NBA championship ring from the Mavericks before the game, had six points, eight points and a technical foul.
When Nowitzki made a short baseline shot with 2:27 left to stretch the lead to 88-78, Chandler was standing at the scorer's table waiting to get back into the game. He was motioning for a travel call against his former teammate, and even tapped an official running by before Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni called timeout.
Chandler got called for the technical during the stoppage in play, and Nowitzki made the free throw.
Rodrigue Beaubois added 18 points for the Mavericks, while Jason Kidd had 15 points and six assists.
Jeremy Lin had 14 points and seven assists.
When the Knicks beat the Mavericks nearly 2 1/2 weeks ago before the All-Star break, Lin had 28 points and 14 assists. That ended a six-game winning streak for Dallas, and started the stretch of six losses in eight games before Tuesday night.
The Mavs, who lost at Oklahoma City on Monday night, wrap up a stretch of nine games in 12 days with three road games in three nights, starting Thursday in Phoenix.
Dallas fans were cheering loudly with 13 seconds left in the third quarter when Nowitzki, with JR Smith pushing against him, finally moved around and drew the foul while driving toward the basket. Nowitzki made both free throws to make it 77-63, but the Mavericks didn't score again until he dominated in the game-turning spurt.
The Mavericks played without starting center Brendan Haywood and post player Brandan Wright.
Coach Rick Carlisle said Haywood still has some swelling after rolling his ankle on the opening possession in the loss at Oklahoma City, but hoped the center would be back soon. Wright missed his third consecutive game after a concussion.
Carlisle said Haywood will travel with the team for the three games in three nights. Wright will not make that trip.
Haywood became the Mavs starter after Chandler left the Mavericks in free agency during the offseason.
In a short ceremony before the game, Chandler became the last player from the Mavericks' 2010-11 team to get his NBA championship ring.
Chandler got a $56 million, four-year contract with the Knicks in a sign-and-trade that was part of a three-team deal at the start of training camp.
A video of Chandler's highlights from last season was shown before the 7-foot-1 center got a nice ovation from Mavericks fans. Carlisle and owner Mark Cuban presented him his ring.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
