Mavericks beat Knicks for 6th straight win

[February 03, 2011]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points and 11 rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks seized control in the third quarter before beating the New York Knicks 113-97 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory.

Jose Barea added 22 points and Tyson Chandler had 15 points and 11 boards for the Mavericks, who outscored the Knicks 26-6 to open the second half and went on to their fifth consecutive win in New York.

This one wasn't as dominant as the Mavs' 128-78 rout on Jan 24, 2010, their most lopsided win ever and the Knicks' worst loss on their home floor. But Dallas was just as impressive in the first 7 1/2 minutes of the third quarter en route to its 16th win in the past 18 meetings overall.

Danilo Gallinari scored 27 points and Amare Stoudemire finished with 21, but missed all five shots in the second half before leaving for good as the Knicks went deep into their bench.

Playing without starting forward Wilson Chandler for the third straight game because of a sore left calf, the Knicks missed 26-of-36 shots over a nearly 20-minute span bridging the second and third quarters. Toney Douglas had 22 points off the bench, but starting guards Raymond Felton and Landry Fields were a combined 6 of 25.

Leading by four at halftime, Dallas opened the third with a 15-4 burst, with Nowitzki's 3-pointer making it 71-56 not long after Stoudemire botched a dunk. A basket by Shawne Williams briefly halted the Mavs' momentum, but Jason Kidd made a 3-pointer, Barea converted a three-point play, Tyson Chandler dunked and DeShawn Stevenson nailed a 3-pointer to make it 82-58 with 4:27 left.

The Knicks, who missed 11 of 14 to start the period, suddenly stormed back when Gallinari led a 13-0 burst that cut it to 82-71 on Douglas' layup with 1:14 remaining. Dallas led by 13 going to the fourth.

Nowitzki and Jason Terry hit the first two baskets of the final period and the Knicks never got within single digits, with the Mavs using another burst midway through the period to put it away.

Stevenson scored 13 points, Terry had 12, and Kidd finished with 10 assists.

The Mavericks made seven of their first eight shots, but the Knicks controlled the rest of the first quarter, shooting 56 percent and surging to a 34-27 lead. Dallas picked up its defense in the second, limiting New York to 18 points on 7-of-22 shooting and taking a 56-52 lead.

NOTES: Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said Peja Stojakovic, who signed with the Mavericks on Jan. 24, could make his debut with the team next week. The veteran sharpshooter is working out in Dallas while the Mavs are on the road this week. "Between now and then his workouts have got to continue to be going in the right direction in terms of the conditioning and the rehab on the knee, and so far it's been all very positive," Carlisle said. Stojakovic last played in November for the Toronto Raptors before sitting out with a swollen left knee. ... Nowitzki scored 13 points in the first half, giving him exactly 22,000 for his career. ... Singer Justin Bieber was at the game and was loudly booed when shown wearing large pink glasses on the overhead scoreboard.

[Associated Press; By BRIAN MAHONEY]

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