RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
SEATTLE (AP) -- It keeps getting worse for Paul Westphal and the
Seattle SuperSonics.
|  | | Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki had season highs of 28 points and 14 rebounds to power the Mavericks past Gary Payton's Sonics. |
One day after Westphal admitted that he offered to resign as
head coach, the Sonics dropped a 97-95 decision to the Dallas
Mavericks on Friday night.
"That was a crying shame to let that game get away," Westphal
said. "The last six minutes, we started turning the ball over and
missing shots. We let a nice effort get away."
A nice effort, but another loss for the disappointing Sonics,
who saw their record fall to 3-7.
Westphal, Seattle's third-year coach, said he told his players
after a loss in Orlando on Nov. 6 that he would step down, but the
players wouldn't let him.
Steve Nash sank a wide-open 15-footer with 12.3 seconds left to
give the Mavericks a 97-95 lead after Seattle's Brent Barry missed
a 3-pointer.
The Sonics didn't get off a final shot as Gary Payton was
stripped of the ball and Michael Finley went downcourt for a dunk
with 2.4 seconds left.
Seattle led by 17 points in the second quarter and was ahead by
10 points in the final period.
"We know we have to play 48 minutes," Westphal said. "We
played about 42 minutes tonight."
The Sonics players were unhappy, too.
"We have to regroup," said Patrick Ewing, whose presence has
brought extra pressure for Westphal, who is in the final season of
his contract.
"We have to stay focused," Ewing said. "The fortunate thing
about being in the NBA is that if you have a tough loss, you have
another game tomorrow."
Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with season highs of 28 points
and 14 rebounds, while Finley tied his season-best with 26. Payton
paced the Sonics with 22.
"We're a fast-break team and we need to play defense every
night," Nowitzki said. "I try to play hard every night.
Sometimes, it doesn't work out every night. Tonight it did."
Dallas coach Don Nelson said his 7-foot forward from Germany was
being modest.
"He's a nightmare to guard," Nelson said.
Vin Baker made a five-foot bank shot to put the Sonics in front
92-88 with 2:53 left before Nowitzki's 3-pointer and Finley's layup
after a turnover by Seattle's Ruben Patterson.
That put Dallas in front 93-92 with 2:14 left before Baker's
three-point play with 1:29 left.
Finley's 20-footer tied the score at 95-95.
After trailing by 13 points at halftime, the Mavericks cut
Seattle's lead to 76-72 on Nash's free throw with 4½ seconds left
in the third quarter. But Payton dribbled down the court and sank a
25-footer for a 3-pointer as time ran out.
After a 15-0 run, the Sonics were ahead 51-34 with 4:11 to go in
the first half. Ruben Wolkowyski's free throw with 9:02 on the
clock gave Seattle an 86-76 advantage.
Game notes
Patterson was in the Sonics' starting lineup for the second
straight game despite missing practice Wednesday and Thursday
because of a cold and the flu. He played 38 minutes and scored 13
points. Top draft choice Desmond Mason went to the bench for the
second game in a row. Mason played seven minutes. ... Nowitzki's 28
points were four shy of his career high. ... Dallas ended a
four-game losing streak in Seattle with its first victory here
since Nov. 1, 1997. The Mavericks had lost 18 of their last 20
games in Seattle. ... Greg Buckner, Dallas' starting shooting
guard, left the game with 4:45 to go with a foot injury. "It's
going to be like that the whole year," Buckner said. "I'm goiung
to have to have surgery at the end of the year." ... The Sonics
committed 16 turnovers. They're averaging 19.8 turnovers after 10
games.
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NBA Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
Seattle Clubhouse
Westphal offered to step down as Sonics coach
RECAPS
Golden State 92
Indiana 90
Philadelphia 94
Miami 73
Boston 106
Atlanta 99
Detroit 96
Charlotte 89
Minnesota 99
San Antonio 94
Milwaukee 89
Cleveland 76
New York 90
Phoenix 85
Dallas 99
Seattle 95
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