Hornets surprise Mavericks 97-92

[March 03, 2012]  NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Chris Kaman had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Jarrett Jack hit a key basket down the stretch and the New Orleans Hornets beat the Dallas Mavericks 97-92 on Friday night.

The Hornets led for the entire second half but did not secure the win until Jack hit a leaning jumper with 17.9 seconds left, giving them a 93-89 lead. Xavier Henry added a season-high 19 points off the bench. Jack finished with 15 points and six assists.

Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points, but was only 7 of 19 from the floor as Dallas lost a season-high fourth in a row. Jason Terry was one of nine from the field, and Jason Kidd had only one field goal.

Rodrigue Beaubois had a season-high 25 points for Dallas, making 11 of 17 shots after starting for the first time in 13 games.

Trailing 82-70 with 8:30 left, Dallas made it close with a 10-0 run. Vince Carter's 3-pointer stated it. After both teams endured nearly a three-minute drought, Kaman was called for goaltending on a Shawn Marion floater. Nowitzki hit a jumper and Beaubois converted a 3-point play when he threw the ball high off the backboard and was fouled on a driving layup.

The Hornets responded with a 9-4 run. Solomon Jones hit a mid-range shot from the baseline. Henry stole a Nowitzki pass and cruised in for a dunk.

After Beaubois scored, Kaman converted one of two free throws and tipped in a Jack miss to give the Hornets an 89-84 lead. Jack then hit a short jumper for a 91-84 lead before Nowitzki hit a 3-pointer and threw a long pass to Beaubois for a layup when Jack lost the ball, cutting the deficit to 91-89.

Jack atoned for that error with his next shot and sank two free throws to make it 95-89 after Vince Carter missed a step-back 3-pointer.

Nowitzki's 3-pointer with 5.5 seconds left was too late to help the Mavericks. The Hornets' Marco Belinelli made sure of it by hitting two foul shots with 1.6 seconds left.

New Orleans outrebounded Dallas 50-34, getting 17 second-chance points to the Mavs' 7.

Dallas cut into a six-point halftime deficit in the third quarter but never went ahead. With the Mavs trailing 68-67, Nowitzki had a shot go in and out. Terry missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the score at 72.

The Hornets then went on a 10-1 run.

Kaman and Henry took turns scoring in the first half as New Orleans led 52-46 at the break.

Kaman hit six shots in a row to start the game, scoring 13 of the Hornets' first 19 points. Then Henry got hot, connecting on six of seven. His 13 points in the second quarter surpassed his season high of 12 for a game.

Dallas trailed 41-30 before Kidd sparked a 12-0 run with a 3-pointer. Carter followed with a driving dunk, and Shawn Marion dunked off an inbounds pass to give the Mavericks a brief 44-43 lead.

Nowitzki, who was questionable with a back injury that forced him out of the Mavs' game with Memphis in the second quarter on Wednesday night, made a 3-pointer on his first attempt, banked in a 3 a little later and hit two more 3s the final 61 seconds of the game.

NOTES: Dallas played the third game of a stretch when it has nine games in 12 days. ... The Hornets' 97 points were 16 more than they had in the teams' first two meetings, which the Mavs won 96-81 and 83-81.

[Associated Press]

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