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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) -- The Dallas Mavericks are quickly becoming the
kings of the comeback.
|  | | Darrell Armstrong had 19 points and 12 assists, but missed two free throws that could have won the game in regulation. |
Michael Finley made two 3-pointers in the final eight seconds to force overtime, then Dirk Nowitzki opened the extra period with an emphatic running slam for Dallas' first lead as the Mavericks beat
the Orlando Magic 115-106 Thursday night.
The theatrical rally came one night after the Mavericks dug themselves out of a 16-point hole in Charlotte and beat the Hornets on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Howard Eisley.
"We're learning how to win these games. We have to, especially if we want to be a playoff team," said Nowitzki, who had career highs of 38 points and 17 rebounds.
"Last night gave us confidence," said Finley, who scored 21
points before fouling out in overtime. "Games like these, we would
have lost in the old days."
This time, Dallas trailed 37-15 after one quarter and was still
down 93-82 with 1:46 left in regulation. Orlando led 96-93 with 5.8
seconds to go when Darrell Armstrong, a 90-percent foul shooter, missed two free throws. The Magic went 12-of-21 from the line in the fourth quarter.
"That's my opportunity to show people that I can knock them
down," Armstrong said. "It hurts. That's a win we should have
had."
After a timeout, Finley threw an inbounds pass to Nowitzki, took
it back and drilled a long shot from the right side. The play was
similar to the one called in Charlotte, which ended with Nowitzki
fumbling a pass and feeding Eisley.
"It was designed to go to Dirk and have him create something," Finley said. "I was just trying to get space. I knew when I shot it that I had to get an arc and luckily it went in."
This tied the second-biggest comeback in Dallas history and
ended a four-game home losing streak. It was the perfect way to
start the second half of the Mavs' best season in 11 years.
"We were on empty tanks, especially after last night and
getting in late," Dallas interim coach Donnie Nelson said. "Those
guys found it somewhere."
The Magic ended a three-game winning streak, the last of which
featured a 20-point comeback to beat Chicago.
Orlando opened with seven straight jumpers and a 17-4 lead. The
Magic finished the first quarter 15-of-21, then missed 13 of their
next 16 shots.
Yet the Mavericks could only get to 60-57 in the third before
the burst at the end.
A thunderous celebration followed Finley's game-tying shot and
the crowd never stopped cheering in overtime. Nowitzki's dunk was
followed by two free throws by Shawn Bradley, putting the Mavs ahead for good.
"We lost the game on our own," Orlando coach Doc Rivers said. "We made every possible mistake you can make at the end of the game."
Nowitzki scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He
had 10 straight and 14 of 16 to help keep the Mavs close during the
fourth quarter.
Tracy McGrady led Orlando with 34 points, but had just four in the fourth quarter.
Armstrong, coming off a season-high 32 points against the Bulls,
had 19 points and 12 assists. He made just two of his last nine
shots. Mike Miller scored 16.
Game notes
This was Dallas' first overtime game of the season. Orlando
fell to 1-3 in overtimes. ... More than 20 minutes after the game, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban
was still roaming the stands, giving high-fives and screaming, "I
love this team." ... Steve Nash missed his fifth straight game. The Mavs improved to 2-5 without him this season. ... This
was the seventh straight game McGrady has scored at least 25 points
and the 26th time in his last 30 games. ... Dallas' biggest
comeback is by 25 against Denver. ... Armstrong had four turnovers
after making a total of five in his previous four games. ... The 37
points Dallas allowed in the first quarter was two less than
Phoenix scored against the Mavs in the opening period of their last
home game.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Orlando Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 84
Atlanta 76
Dallas 115
Orlando 106
Portland 85
Miami 74
Detroit 116
Chicago 110
Houston 112
Golden State 104
Boston 82
LA Clippers 79
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Tracy McGrady Official Site
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