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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- Minutes after punching a ball deep into the
stands, Antonio McDyess delivered a knockout blow that floored the Dallas Mavericks.
McDyess, frustrated by what he perceived to be a lack of foul calls, grabbed a rebound in the low post and scored as time expired to give the Denver Nuggets a 102-100 victory over the Mavericks on Saturday night.
"I was so mad that it was a great feeling to get the
game-winner," McDyess said. "You could hear them slapping my arm.
Getting the game-winner made up for all of that."
McDyess finished with 11 points and 19 rebounds, and Kevin Willis had 18 points for the Nuggets, who won their ninth straight home game and ended a six-game losing streak against the Mavericks.
Michael Finley led Dallas with 32 points, Steve Nash had 23, and
Dirk Nowitzki added 21 points and 14 rebounds.
"I would have rather lost by 20," Nash said. "Hopefully our karma account will build up and we'll get one back down the road."
McDyess' putback provided a dramatic end to a fast-paced game
featuring two teams battling for playoff position in the crowded
Western Conference.
Having already lost the Mavericks (28-18) three times by
double-figures this season, the Nuggets (26-18) could ill afford to
be swept by Dallas, which had won 16 of 20 against Denver.
"We didn't want to be swept by this or any team," McDyess said. "This got the monkey off our backs."
The victory came at a price for the Nuggets as they played the
final 17 minutes without point guard Nick Van Exel, who ruptured a
tendon in his right foot midway through the third quarter.
Van Exel will be placed in a cast for two days and then be re-examined.
"It could be two days or it could be two weeks," Nuggets coach
Dan Issel said. "We'll know more Monday."
Even without their fiery leader, the Nuggets led 97-93 in the
final two minutes before Nash rallied his team. He hit a 3-pointer
and two free throws on back-to-back possessions to give the Mavs a
one-point lead with 46 seconds left.
James Posey responded with a 3-pointer for Denver, but Nash tied the game at 100 with a 16-foot jumper with 16 seconds remaining.
After a Denver timeout, Robert Pack missed a driving 10-footer, and McDyess grabbed the rebound on the right block and banked in an uncontested shot as the buzzer sounded.
"Antonio is an All-Star in my book," Dallas coach Donn Nelson said. "He made an All-Star play at the end of the game. We threw a lot of different looks at him, but in the end he had the last laugh."
Trailing by 10 early in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks gained the momentum when Nash banked in a 3-pointer to spark a 16-2 run that gave Dallas a 93-89 lead with 5:22 remaining.
That was about the time McDyess' frustration peaked. After being
called for elbowing Nowitzki, he punched the ball about 20 rows
into the stands and immediately drew a technical foul.
The show of emotion may have inspired the Nuggets, who scored eight straight to take a 97-93 lead, while Dallas missed seven consecutive shots.
"We put ourselves in a position to win, but couldn't get the
ball to fall through the hoop at vital times," Nelson said.
Van Exel scored nine of Denver's first 15 points to open the
second half but hobbled off the court with 5:02 left in the third
quarter. Before his departure, he had 18 points and nine assists.
The Mavericks, who beat Denver by 18 a week ago, trailed by 12
early in the second quarter but used an 18-4 run to take a
two-point advantage. Finley hit a 16-foot jumper from the baseline
at the buzzer to give Dallas a 58-53 lead at the break.
Finley finished the half with 24 points, two more than his
season average.
Game notes
Denver C Raef LaFrentz did not dress because of a sprained
right ankle sustained Thursday against Utah. ... Issel returned to
the bench after missing one game to attend his uncle's funeral. ...
Dallas, third in the NBA in free-throw percentage (80.1) was
21-for-23 from the line. ... The Mavs fell to 22-3 when leading at
halftime. ... The last time Denver won nine straight home games was
during the 1993-94 season. ... Posey scored his 1,000th career
point. ... The Nuggets are 20-3 when scoring 100 points. ... Dallas
had 23 offensive rebounds last week against Denver but just six
Saturday.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
Denver Clubhouse
RECAPS
San Antonio 99
Utah 86
Toronto 90
Chicago 80
Minnesota 93
Portland 80
Miami 81
Orlando 59
Houston 110
Charlotte 97
Atlanta 101
Cleveland 90
Washington 89
Phoenix 82
Detroit 108
Milwaukee 103
Denver 102
Dallas 100
Seattle 106
New Jersey 97
Sacramento 101
LA Clippers 89
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