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Sunday, Mar. 19 6:00pm ET
Minus Rider, Hawks' tailspin continues at Dallas | |||||
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 GAME FLOW
ATLANTA (AP) -- Although Isaiah Rider was no longer around, nothing much changed for the Atlanta Hawks. Michael Finley scored 20 of his 31 points in the first quarter and the Dallas Mavericks held the slumping Hawks scoreless the final 3:50 for an 89-85 victory Sunday night. Atlanta, playing its first game since top scorer Rider was waived, has lost 11 of its last 13, including four in a row. "It's real frustrating, especially when you get good shots," said Jim Jackson, who scored the Hawks' final basket but had a critical turnover with 1:36 remaining and missed a tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds to go. "If we were forcing shots, that's one thing. But to get wide open looks and miss, that's tough." The Hawks insisted Rider's departure had no impact. "If it did, it should have had a positive impact," rookie Jason Terry said. "Our energy level has been like this all year long. It's tough to get going early. That's what coach (Lenny Wilkens) says we need to do to win some of these games." Dallas won for the fourth time in five games when the Hawks missed their final eight shots. "I think we've got more confidence on the defensive end. And more trust," Erick Strickland said. "The key to defense is trust. If we continue doing that and take it over to next season, we're going to win big next year." The Mavericks were outrebounded by a staggering 64-45, but the league's top 3-point shooting team hit 7-of-17 outside the arc. Dallas also had just three turnovers. "With lack of an inside game, we're vulnerable on any occasion," coach Don Nelson said. "Yet we can beat anybody when we have our outside going and we have our fast break going." Dallas fell behind for the first and only time when Terry hit a 3-pointer with 7:14 remaining to put the Hawks ahead 81-80. It was Atlanta's first lead in more than nine quarters. Finley worked inside for a basket with 6:49 to go, reclaiming the lead for the Mavericks. He hit another jumper with 4:09 remaining for Dallas' final field goal and an 86-83 edge. After Jackson's basket with 3:50 left pulled the Hawks to 86-85, the teams combined for nine straight misses and two turnovers before Finley was fouled with 18.8 seconds to go. He made both free throws to give the Mavs an 88-85 lead. Jackson missed a 3-pointer, Greg Buckner grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made one free throw with 11.8 seconds left to seal the victory. Finley hit 7-of-11 from the field in the opening period, including all three of his 3-point attempts, for the highest-scoring quarter allowed by the Hawks this season. He played only three minutes in the second, failing to score, but added 11 points in the final two periods. Alan Henderson had a season-high 24 points for Atlanta, but didn't score in the fourth quarter. Jackson added 20 points. Game notesJackson had blood on his pants as he came on the court at the start of the game, forcing him to go back to the locker room for a new pair. Rookie Dion Glover made his first NBA start but played only two minutes before Jackson returned. ... The game drew 10,377, smallest of the season at Philips Arena. ... Dallas won despite shooting only 27.8 percent in the fourth quarter. ... Dikembe Mutombo, leading the NBA in rebounding, had 18 boards for the Hawks. ... Atlanta's LaPhonso Ellis has eight rebounds, leaving him one short of 3,000 for his career. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Dallas Clubhouse Atlanta Clubhouse RECAPS LA Lakers 92 New York 85
Dallas 89
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