AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) _ Jerry Stackhouse looked comfortable with his new role as the Pistons' primary offensive threat, scoring 33 points Tuesday night in a 99-98 preseason victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Stackhouse shot 13-for-25 from the field and scored six of Detroit's final eight points as the Pistons handed the Mavericks (3-1) their first loss of the preseason.

Stackhouse is expected to carry a bigger share of the offensive load this season for Detroit, which won't have Grant Hill. Cedric Ceballos saw his first extended playing time of the preseason and added 18 points, while Chucky Atkins shot 4-for-5 from 3-point range and scored 18 points with six assists.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 14 in the third quarter and finished with 29 points and a team-high nine rebounds for Dallas.

Detroit had an 8-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter to erase a five-point deficit, and the Pistons held small leads for most of the rest of the game.

A 3-pointer by Steve Nash with 2.3 seconds left made it a one-point game, but Dallas was unable to foul on the ensuing inbounds pass and the clock ran out.

John Wallace, part of a Mavericks-Pistons deal made earlier in the summer, shot 0-for-7 in the first quarter and didn't shoot again.

Christian Laettner, who spent the past two seasons with the Pistons, barely grazed the rim on his first field goal attempt and was razzed by the fans all night. He scored six points in 21 minutes.