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Tuesday, Apr. 3 8:30pm ET
Finley and Mavericks are playoff-bound

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HOUSTON (AP) – The Dallas Mavericks are far from satisfied with just qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

Michael Finley
Michael Finley had 27 points and six rebounds to lead the Mavs to victory.

The Mavericks wrapped up the playoff spot Tuesday night, beating the Houston Rockets 109-97 behind Michael Finley's 27-point performance. Juwan Howard added 23 for Dallas, which secured the berth with the victory and Seattle's loss at San Antonio.

"Sure, turning it around is rewarding. But it's something we all expected," said guard Steve Nash, who had 16 points. "The media never put as much pressure on us as we put on ourselves. We thought all along we'd go to the playoffs."

Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points to help the Mavs to their fifth victory in six games and 11th in 14.

"We got our present early and now we can focus on something else," coach Don Nelson said. "We're happy the way we clinched it and we can build from here. We are doing a great job and it couldn't happen at a better time.

"We're playing the best we've played all year. We're on a roll. The guys are doing a good job of playing together."

For the long-suffering Mavs, it was a night to remember.

"It's a great feeling," Nowitzki said. "My first two years, we were close but we didn't make it. Just to know that we're in the playoffs is a great feeling."

On the other end of the spectrum, Houston lost for the sixth time in eight games. The Rockets usual leading scorer, Steve Francis, managed only five points, 15 below his average, on 1-of-12 shooting.

"It wasn't like I was missing jumpers," Francis said. "I missed a lot of easy shots, a lot of layups. It just wasn't going in for me. I tried to do other things to help the team because I don't believe in that stuff about `it just wasn't my night.'

"We didn't play good defense during several lapses in the game. That really hurt us."

Cuttino Mobley led the Rockets with 28 points. Maurice Taylor had 16 and Hakeem Olajuwon 15.

"We were playing one of the hottest teams in the league," coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "We were in it for a while, but we missed some point-blank shots and we burnt up some energy in the backcourt chasing them and you just can't win that way."

With Olajuwon scoring eight points, the Rockets moved ahead 29-23 with 1:57 left in the first period. But Howard helped keep the Mavs close scoring 11 in the period, which ended with Houston up 32-29.

Howard hit his first two shots in the second period and Finley and Vernon Maxwell hit back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Mavs inch ahead 39-38. It remained close until late in the quarter when Dallas went on a 9-2 run to open a 59-50 lead with 2:36 left.

The Mavericks stretched the lead to as many as 12 before settling for a 67-58 lead at intermission, the most points allowed by the Rockets in a half this season.

The Mavs stretched the lead to 90-72 at the end of the third quarter.

Nowitzki scored the first two baskets of the fourth quarter to stretch the Mavs lead to 94-72, their biggest of the night. With mostly reserves in for both teams, Houston used a 13-0 run to close to 100-93 with 2:53 to play.

Game notes
Dallas' Greg Buckner dislocated his kneecap with 7:03 left in the second quarter and was carried off the court. He didn't return and is day-to-day ... Olajuwon has played 76 games against the Mavs, the most against any team in the league ... Dallas has a club-record 23 road victories.

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RECAPS
Boston 82
Miami 77

Charlotte 103
New Jersey 88

New York 94
Orlando 82

Indiana 85
Phoenix 81

Toronto 100
Philadelphia 85

LA Lakers 96
Utah 88

Detroit 110
Chicago 83

Dallas 109
Houston 97

San Antonio 107
Seattle 89

Denver 94
Portland 92

Milwaukee 107
Sacramento 101


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