ESPN Network: ESPN.com | NFL.com | NBA.com | NHL.com | NASCAR | WNBA.com | ABCSports | EXPN | FANTASY | INSIDER

  Scores/Schedules
  Standings
  Statistics
  Transactions
  Injuries
  Players
  Message Board
  NBA StatSearch
  NBA en espaņol
Clubhouses





Friday, Dec. 15 7:00pm ET
Nowitzki's career-high 36 lift Mavs

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Don Nelson wasn't sure he would be at the Dallas Mavericks' game Friday night. He was, and coached his team to a victory and its highest point total of the season.

Don Nelson
Don Nelson arrived at First Union Center just 40 minutes before tipoff.
Dirk Nowitzki scored a career-high 36 points, and Steve Nash had 18 points and 13 assists as Dallas beat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-94, ending the Mavericks' two-game losing slide.

Nelson had missed Dallas' previous three games while consulting with doctors about how to treat his prostate cancer. He rescheduled some appointments and, thanks to team owner Mark Cuban's private plane, arrived 40 minutes before Friday's tipoff.

Nelson will have surgery Jan. 4, and will miss 6-to-8 weeks. Assistant Del Harris, who coached the team during the three-game absence, will fill in again.

"That was a game that it's fun for coaches to coach in," Nelson said. "It was great competition, it's what I live for. I could hardly stay away."

He wasn't slated to return to the Mavericks until the team's game at Detroit on Sunday. But he moved up a blood test and a bone scan until Friday morning and was able to make the game.

"Once I found that I could get that done in the morning, the toughest part was getting here," Nelson said.

He was animated on the sideline during the game, although Harris did some more coaching than normal. Nelson seemed excited by his team's performance.

Nowitzki was 13-for-19 from the field, mostly from the outside, and added six rebounds for the Mavs. The scoring outburst came just one game after he went 1-for-10 against Indiana on Wednesday.

"I was down yesterday but the team did a great job finding me tonight. Tonight was big for me," Nowitzki said.

"From time to time, Dirk gets on a roll like that," Nash said. "He's unique. You don't see many 7-footers running the court with the grace that he does."

Michael Finley had 25 points and Howard Eisley 16 for Dallas.

Allen Iverson had 26 points, including a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line, for the 76ers, who gave up 100 points for just the second time this season.

"We just couldn't guard them," 76ers coach Larry Brown said. "It was a miracle it wasn't worse in the first half. We knew we were in trouble."

Aaron McKie had 19 points and Vernon Maxwell added 10 for Philadelphia.

Nowitzki hit a jumper and 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter and give the Mavericks a 97-80 edge. The lead reached 22 points when a turnaround jumper by Nowitzki made it 106-84 with 6:13.

The Mavericks opened up a 12-point lead after three quarters with Nowitzki scoring 13 points in the period, including a leaning 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Dallas ahead 92-80.

Both teams held eight-point leads in the first half, with Dallas using a 10-2 run to take a 60-52 advantage with 31.7 seconds left. The Mavs led 62-57 at halftime, with Eisley and Nowitzki each scoring 16, and Finley 13.

Game notes
Philadelphia center Matt Geiger dressed but did not play because of a right leg injury. ...There were three writers from German newspapers at the game to cover Nowitzki. ... Philadelphia's locker room was closed for 20 minutes after the game while Brown spoke to the team. ... 76ers owner Pat Croce embraced Nelson after the game and said he was praying for him. Nelson laughingly responded that after reading Croce's book, he didn't want his prayers. Croce's recent autobiography, "I Feel Great and You Will Too," details a wild youth.


ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard

Dallas Clubhouse

Philadelphia Clubhouse


Nelson's surgery set for Jan. 4


RECAPS
Cleveland 103
Indiana 95

Dallas 112
Philadelphia 94

Charlotte 103
Washington 89

Sacramento 104
Boston 81

Utah 89
New York 58

Minnesota 99
Detroit 90

Atlanta 85
Chicago 74

Milwaukee 104
Toronto 97

LA Clippers 98
Phoenix 88

Portland 106
Orlando 96

Seattle 99
Miami 81

LA Lakers 98
Vancouver 76

FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT

Larry Brown Official Site


ESPN.com:  HELP |  ADVERTISER INFO |  CONTACT US |  TOOLS |  SITE MAP
Copyright ©2000 ESPN Internet Group. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Employment opportunities at ESPN.com.