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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers broke a bad habit Thursday
night by finishing off what they started.
The Cavaliers built up a lead and, led by Shawn Kemp's 22 points
and 12 rebounds, did not wilt in the end for a 104-98 victory over
the Dallas Mavericks.
|  | | Irresistible force vs. movable object: Dallas' Shawn Bradley draws a charge on the Cavs' Shawn Kemp. |
Entering the game, Cleveland had blown leads of nine points or
more in 15 games this season.
"We've had so many leads we've lost, so I'm never relaxed until
the clock says zero," coach Randy Wittman said. "But we came out
in the second half and protected our lead. We sustained it."
Cedric Henderson added 15 points and Brevin Knight had 12 points
and 11 assists for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland, which entered the game with seven losses in its last
eight games, is 5½ games behind eighth-place Orlando in the race
for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
"We still have an outside chance," Knight said. "If we win
out, we'll be there. That's the way we have to look at it. We can't
say we're out of it."
Dallas' loss was the Phoenix Suns' gain. The Mavs fell to 29-39,
and that clinched a playoff berth for Suns, 44-23. The Suns are the
fourth Western Conference team to clinch a playoff spot -- the
Lakers, Trail Blazers and Jazz are the others.
Michael Finley's 29 points, Dirk Nowitzki's 17 and Steve Nash's
15 paced the Mavericks, who had won five of their previous six
games.
On Tuesday, Dallas rallied from a 22-point deficit to beat San
Antonio in its biggest home comeback in franchise history. But
against the Cavaliers, the Mavericks were unable to get closer than
five points in the second half after falling behind by as 23 at
halftime.
"We played terrible," Dallas' Erick Strickland said. "We shot
the ball atrociously. We didn't do anything until the second half
and by then it was too late."
Coach Don Nelson said, "I suppose it's human nature after an
emotional win like that. If we would have started the game the way
we did in the second half, we would've won the game."
Cleveland hit 8 of 10 field goal attempts during one stretch
late in the second quarter and built a 56-33 halftime lead.
Kemp and Henderson had 13 points each in the first half while
the Cavs were outscoring the Mavericks on the fastbreak, 20-0.
Cleveland was ahead by 20 points midway through the third
quarter before the Mavericks scored nine unanswered points to
reduce the deficit to 62-51. The Cavaliers led 74-63 after three
quarters.
"We were aware that they were down against San Antonio and made
a late charge," Knight said. "We knew they were a dangerous
team."
The Mavericks were outscored in the first quarter, 22-14, as the
Cavaliers set the tone for the game with a strong defensive effort.
"Our defense attacked them," Wittman said. "We backed them up
on their heels. We contested shots and didn't allow them to get the
easy stuff they've been getting."
Game notes
Dallas' 14 points in the first quarter was the club's
lowest first-period output of the season. ... Cleveland improved to
8-26 on the road. ... The Mavericks' 33-point first half was their
second-lowest first half of the season. Their 65-point second half
was one point off their biggest scoring second half this season.
... Cleveland has won 45 of its last 53 games when scoring more
than 100 points.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Cleveland Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
RECAPS
Milwaukee 105
Indiana 84
Cleveland 104
Dallas 98
Houston 110
LA Clippers 95
Washington 100
Denver 86
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