RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) -- Greg Buckner is the Dallas Mavericks' defensive
stopper, but the shooting guard showed he can also contribute on
offense.
Buckner scored on three straight possessions in the final 2:05
and finished with 13 points as the Mavericks beat the Indiana
Pacers 94-88 on Thursday night.
|  | | Point guard Steve Nash led the Mavericks with 18 points Thursday night. |
The 6-foot-4 Buckner used his quickness against 6-9 Indiana
forward Austin Croshere.
"I had a mismatch and I wanted the ball," said Buckner. "My
role is usually to guard the other team's best (offensive) guy, but
I can also help out on the offensive end. If you play basketball,
you like scoring. The coaches said the ball was coming to me so I
was ready."
Dallas was protecting an 83-80 lead when Buckner drove for
consecutive layups to expand the Mavericks' advantage to 87-80 with
1:25 to play.
After Reggie Miller's free throw, Buckner added a short jumper
in the lane with 58 seconds left to stretch Dallas' lead to 89-81.
Howard Eisley, who had 16 points for the Mavericks, sealed the
win with five free throws over the final 29.5 seconds.
Steve Nash scored 18 points, Dirk Nowitzki had 15 and Michael
Finley 14 to help the Mavericks to their second 2-0 start. Dallas
opened the 1997-98 season at 3-0.
The Mavericks' confidence is soaring after home wins over the
Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks, two Eastern Conference playoff teams
from last season. Dallas is trying to return to the playoffs
following a 10-year drought.
Nowitzki, not known for his defense, came up with a key block on
a Croshere layup attempt with 2:10 remaining that led to the second
of Buckner's three consecutive baskets.
"It's definitely all about confidence in each other at crunch
time," said Finley. "I think the key was coming up with some
defensive stops down the stretch."
Travis Best's career-high 30 points and 11 rebounds led the
rebuilding Pacers, winless in their first two games. Indiana went
0-3 at the start of the 1996-97 season.
Miller and Zan Tabak had 13 points each for the Pacers.
Indiana went only 19-for-29 from the line, and Pacers coach
Isiah Thomas pointed to that stat as the difference in the game.
The Pacers were the NBA's top shooting team from the free throw
line last season.
"We've got to concentrate more and work on it more in
practice," Thomas said. "This was a winnable game for us if we
knock down our free throws."
The Mavericks led 47-43 at halftime and were ahead by as many as
15 in the first quarter.
Game
notes
Best just missed a triple-double, finishing with eight
assists. ... With three rebounds, Indiana's Sam Perkins has 7.501
for his career. ... Mavericks coach Don Nelson said power forward
Gary Trent could miss more than a month because of a leg injury.
Trent began the season on the injured list. ... Dallas rookie Etan
Thomas is sidelined by a toe injury. ... Indiana point guard Jalen
Rose is out with a fractured left wrist. ... The Pacers collected
two technicals and a flagrant foul in the first quarter.
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NBA Scoreboard
Indiana Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 94
Atlanta 69
Dallas 94
Indiana 88
San Antonio 103
Minnesota 91
Houston 115
Milwaukee 93
Denver 101
Golden State 97
Phoenix 108
Portland 82
Vancouver 99
LA Clippers 91
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