DALLAS -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 39 points and Josh Howard
scored 11 of his 25 in the fourth quarter to help Dallas pull away
from Milwaukee.
Nowitzki, who scored 21 points in the first half, hit 14 of 25
shots from the floor for his 11th 30-point game of the season. The
Mavericks shot 53 percent from the floor and equaled their
season-high point total.
Despite its stellar shooting, Dallas didn't pull away until the
fourth quarter. The Mavericks led by 22 points early in the third
quarter, but the Bucks sliced the lead to 88-80 after three.
Milwaukee trailed 97-88 before Dallas took control with a 9-2
run, which was capped by Howard's three-point play that put the
Mavericks ahead 106-90 with five minutes left.<
^Kings 86, Spurs 81=
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Peja Stojakovic had 28 points,
including six 3-pointers, and Mike Bibby scored 13 of his 16 points
in the second half for the Kings.
Chris Webber added 14 points and 13 rebounds for Sacramento,
which snapped the Spurs' five-game winning streak. The Kings also
avoided their first three-game home losing streak since April 2000
with a gritty fourth-quarter performance.
Manu Ginobili scored 18 points for the Spurs, but Tim Duncan got
just six of his 14 points in the second half as the Spurs lost in
Sacramento for just the second time in their last five trips.<
^Rockets 99, Jazz 80=
HOUSTON -- Tracy McGrady scored 25 points to help Houston
win its third straight game.
Bob Sura tied season-highs with 24 points and 10 rebounds for
the Rockets, who won for the 10th time in their last 14 games.
Gordon Giricek had 15 points to lead the Jazz, who lost their
fifth straight.
Early in the third quarter, Houston went on an 23-4 run that
included four three-point plays, two by Yao Ming and one each by
Sura and Juwan Howard.<
^MORE<