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Wednesday, Jan. 3 8:00pm ET
Stackhouse helps Pistons hold off Mavs

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

DALLAS (AP) -- After a slow start, the Dallas Mavericks did their best to make Donnie Nelson a winner in his first game replacing his ailing dad as coach.

Jerry Stackhouse got in the way with what his coach called his best game of the season.

Donnie Nelson
Assistant-turned-acting-coach Donnie Nelson watches his Mavs fall a few baskets short of winning their first game without Don Nelson.

Stackhouse scored three of his 33 points on free throws in the final 26 seconds and Joe Smith had season-highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons pulled out a 107-104 victory Wednesday night.

Stackhouse also had eight assists and seven rebounds, prompting coach George Irvine to call this Stackhouse's best game of the season.

"We needed one like that," Stackhouse said. "We gave ourselves a chance all night long by doing the right things, especially in the late stretches. We did all the things that coach has talked about."

Well, almost all. Irvine would've liked Stackhouse to have hit both of his foul shots with 11.8 seconds left, but he missed one, giving the Mavericks a last chance. Steve Nash missed two 3-pointers on the final possession.

The weight of an emotionally wrenching night hit Donnie Nelson when the buzzer sounded. His head dropped and shoulders slouched, then he walked quietly off the court to wish his father well with his prostate cancer surgery planned for early Thursday in Utah.

"Once the game went up it was pretty natural," said the younger Nelson, an NBA assistant for 15 years. "Afterwards it was hard. Coach did not react very well to some of his medication."

Don Nelson had hoped to coach this game, but decided to sit it out about three hours before tipoff because he was feeling the effects of medication and a two-day fast from solid foods.

He watched the game on television from the coach's locker room, then took owner Mark Cuban's plane to Salt Lake City for treatment at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He's expected to be out for 6-to-8 weeks.

"He didn't talk to us tonight," center Shawn Bradley said. "We all knew he wasn't going to be here. He needs to get his mind right for what's coming up. We'll miss him, but we understand the situation. We'll be thinking of him."

The crowd acknowledged the elder Nelson by signing a "Get Well Nellie" banner as they arrived, then seeing it paraded around the court during pregame introductions. A youngster waved a poster that read "Get Wellie Nellie."

The Mavericks came out flat, though, giving up a season-worst 35 points in the first quarter and missing their first 10 3-pointers to fall behind by 15.

Donnie Nelson spent most of the first half crouched near midcourt. He became more animated in the second half, prancing the sideline, screaming encouragement and often trying body English on Dallas' shots. It worked as the Mavs rallied to a 66-63 lead midway through the third quarter.

Detroit went back out front 95-85 and 100-92 in the fourth quarter, but Dallas got consecutive 3-pointers by Dirk Nowitzki to cap a 12-2 run and tie the game at 102 with 2:26 left.

Nowitzki, who had 19 of his 25 points in the second half, could've put Dallas ahead on the next possession but the 82-percent foul shooter missed two free throws.

Stackhouse and Dallas' Michael Finley, who had 35 points, traded baskets, then Stackhouse was fouled in the lane and hit two free throws with 25.6 seconds left to end Detroit's three-game losing streak.

Smith, who was heavily pursued by Dallas after his Minnesota contract was voided, broke his previous season-best of 23 points on a tip-in at the end of the third quarter.

"The fans were yelling some stuff, but it wasn't about showing them what could have been," Smith said. "I felt good out there. My release felt good. We needed this game to start the year off on a good note."

Nowitzki had 12 rebounds and Nash had 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds as Dallas lost for the second straight time. The Mavs closed a six-game homestand 3-3 after coming into the stretch having won four straight in Reunion Arena.

Game notes
Dallas fell to 9-3 against Eastern Conference teams. Four of its next five games are against the East. ... The Pistons activated Jud Buechler and placed Jerome Williams on the injured list. Buechler, who had a problem with his right foot, hurt his left one in the third quarter. ... Don Nelson's absence allowed the Mavs to put another of their many assistant coaches on the front row of the bench. The winner: Charlie Parker. ... This was the first of nine road games for Detroit in a rough January. All six of the Pistons' home games this month are against teams above .500. ... Thursday is the one-year anniversary of Mark Cuban agreeing to buy the Mavericks. They're 51-32 since.
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard

Detroit Clubhouse

Dallas Clubhouse


Nelson's son takes over as Mavs coach


RECAPS
New York 100
Boston 91

Philadelphia 98
Atlanta 80

Detroit 107
Dallas 104

Milwaukee 88
Cleveland 83

Phoenix 90
LA Clippers 85

Portland 102
Indiana 86

Vancouver 99
Charlotte 89

Denver 111
Golden State 100

LA Lakers 82
Utah 71

FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT

Jerry Stackhouse Official Site


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