|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Juwan Howard got the best of his old
college buddy, and the Dallas Mavericks got a huge boost in their
run toward the playoffs.
Howard had 32 points and 12 rebounds in his biggest game yet for
Dallas, and Dirk Nowitzki added 25 points and 11 rebounds as the
Mavericks got their first victory in Sacramento in more than four
years, beating the Kings 119-107 Sunday night.
Nowitzki hit five 3-pointers and Howard shot 15-for-27 to lead a
high-octane offensive attack for the Mavericks, who beat the
league's best home team at its own up-tempo game.
Dallas had numerous fastbreaks and exploited a terrible
defensive game by Chris Webber. The Kings' leader was beaten
regularly for open shots by both Nowitzki and Howard, Webber's
teammate in Michigan's famed Fab Five recruiting class and again
with the Washington Bullets and Wizards.
While Webber has earned respect and accolades during his three
seasons in Sacramento, Howard was criticized for failing to make
winners out of the Wizards. After being traded to Dallas in
February, Howard has begun to enjoy some of the success Webber has
in Sacramento.
"I didn't make this an individual thing," Howard said. "I try
not to think too much about us going one-on-one, because we are a
team trying to make the playoffs. ... It's great to play against
(Webber), but it's better to play with him."
Michael Finley had 23 points as Dallas won in Arco Arena for the
first time since March 16, 1997, a span of seven games. The victory
moved Dallas (47-26) into a tie with Portland for fifth place in
the Western Conference, a half-game behind the fourth-place Lakers
(48-26).
The Mavericks, who also beat Portland and Utah on their current
five-game road trip which ends Tuesday at Houston, are entering
their first postseason since 1990 on a serious roll.
"That was a good NBA game with a lot of excitement and two good
teams going at it," Mavericks coach Don Nelson said. "Juwan
really established the low post for us, and I went back to him when
I needed some clutch baskets."
The Mavs rebounded from a tough defeat against the Lakers on Friday
night with one of their most complete games of the year. Leading
the way was Howard, who managed just six points in 37 minutes in
Los Angeles.
"I put it out there on the line tonight because I felt like I
let the team down against the Lakers," Howard said.
Webber scored 27 points and Peja Stojakovic had 24 for the
Kings, whose spotty transition defense cost them a chance to
increase their Pacific Division lead over the Lakers to three
games. Sacramento's home record fell to 30-7, and the Kings dropped
1{ games behind San Antonio for the conference lead.
"We just got our tails kicked," Sacramento coach Rick Adelman
said. "After the first quarter, they controlled the game and we
couldn't stop them. We didn't do a good job all night
defensively."
The Mavericks, whose 119 points were the most scored by any
Sacramento opponent this season, broke open a close game with a
21-3 run in the third quarter featuring big baskets from Finley and
Steve Nash, who had 18 points and 12 assists.
Nash's 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left in the quarter gave
Dallas a 98-83 lead, and Sacramento never got closer than nine
points in the fourth.
The Kings had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Sacramento (49-23) still has a two-game division lead over the
Lakers and two games in hand.
"Our defense has to get better every night, and it wasn't there
tonight," Kings guard Bobby Jackson said. "(Nelson) did a great
job. He had us all discombobulated out there."
After the Mavericks' first visit to Sacramento in November,
Dallas owner Mark Cuban was fined $5,000 for criticizing the
officials. This time, Cuban danced, laughed and punched his fist in
the air at the final buzzer.
Game notes
Kings rookie Hedo Turkoglu didn't dress after spraining his
left ankle Friday night against Minnesota. Adelman expects him to
return Tuesday against Milwaukee. ... The Arco Arena staff dining
room erupted in cheers when Derek Fisher missed the last jumper in
the New York Knicks' victory over the Lakers on Sunday. ... Tony
Simmons, who played a singing cowboy in a first-quarter skit, was
taken to a local hospital in an ambulance. The skit called for
Slamson, the Kings' mascot, to throw a bag over the cowboy and then
toss him into a trash bin, but Simmons was injured when he landed
in the bin.
 Send this story to a friend
|
|
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
Sacramento Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 104
Indiana 93
Charlotte 80
Boston 79
Minnesota 99
Portland 95
Utah 92
Vancouver 73
New York 79
LA Lakers 78
Orlando 104
Toronto 101
Detroit 104
Golden State 87
New Jersey 101
Houston 98
Phoenix 106
Milwaukee 99
Dallas 119
Sacramento 107
|
