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Saturday, Jan. 8 8:00pm ET
Finley fab as Mavs stop 5-game skid | |||||
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 GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) -- With his team on the verge of losing its sixth consecutive game, Dallas guard Michael Finley took control. Finley had 28 points, including 13 in the third quarter to keep the Mavericks close, as Dallas beat the Atlanta Hawks 95-85 on Saturday night. "I thought it was a good time to assert myself," Finley said of his third-quarter outburst. "We were a little bit stagnant. I wanted to give us a score to get us out of the lull we were in. I think the team looks for me in that situation and fortunately I had a good stroke going." Dallas was 1-9 in its previous 10 and had not won at Reunion Arena since a 120-115 decision over Phoenix on Dec. 11. The loss pushed Atlanta's road losing streak to seven games and dropped the Hawks to 2-14 away from home. Atlanta has lost 10 of 12 games and is off to its worst start since 1976-77. The Hawks built an 11-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Finley scored his team's next 11 points and hit 5 of 6 shots to pull Dallas within 74-68 by the end of the quarter. He finished with nine assists, six rebounds and hit 11-of-19 shots. "Michael Finley's all-around game is probably as good as there is in the NBA," said Stan Albeck, the Atlanta assistant who is running the team because Lenny Wilkens is sidelined by the flu. "He's a bonafide superstar." Dallas center Shawn Bradley provided a spark when he got a technical foul for shoving LaPhonso Ellis with 1:16 in the third quarter. Bradley was roughed up by Utah's Karl Malone two nights earlier, but fought back against Ellis after a hard foul. "Bradley started off slow, but woke up in the second half," Mavericks assistant coach Donnie Nelson said. "If I had to give out a game ball, I would have to split it between Finley and Bradley." Nelson replaced his father, Don, who was serving a one-game suspension for an altercation Thursday night with Utah's Karl Malone. Bradley scored just two points, but had 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. After the incident, Dallas became more aggressive on both ends and scored 15 of the game's next 22 points for an 82-77 lead with four minutes left in the game. Dallas' Hubert Davis hit three consecutive 3-pointers in a span of 1:40 to tie it at 77, and Dallas had a 10-2 run to take an eight-point lead with two minutes left. Dirk Nowitzki hit a long 3-pointer for a six-point lead, and Cedric Ceballos capped the run with a layup. Atlanta hit just 5-of-26 shots in the fourth quarter, including two of its first 18. The Hawks' 11 points in the fourth quarter was one off the franchise record for lowest output in a quarter. "We had absolutely point-blank shots and I don't know how many of our tips rolled right off the rim," Albeck said. "You don't win many games on the road in the NBA by scoring only 11 points in the fourth quarter and shooting 34 percent. Those things are absolute killers." Dallas was 7-of-15 in the third quarter, including 4-of-7 3-pointers. Isaiah Rider led Atlanta with 24 points. Nowitzki had 18 points, and Ceballos had 16 points and 14 rebounds. Davis had 14 points and hit 4-of-5 3-pointers. Game notesSaturday's game was coached by assistants on both sides. Atlanta's Stan Albeck filled in for Lenny Wilkens, who was home with the flu. Donnie Nelson replaced his father, Don, who was serving a one-game suspension for an altercation Thursday night with Utah's Karl Malone. ... Dallas signed guard Damon Jones to a 10-day contract prior. He scored two points in five minutes. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Atlanta Clubhouse Dallas Clubhouse RECAPS Minnesota 110 Detroit 105
Dallas 95
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