Mavericks survive late run, top Warriors 112-103

[April 13, 2012]  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points and former Golden State lottery pick Brandan Wright had 16 points and nine rebounds, leading the Dallas Mavericks past the Warriors 112-103 on Thursday night.

Jason Kidd added 12 assists, 10 rebounds and nine points to pace the Mavericks to a 19-point lead before hanging on late, moving 1 1/2 games behind Memphis for the Western Conference's fifth playoff seed. The Grizzlies lost 107-97 to San Antonio earlier in the night.

The Mavericks are just a half-game ahead of Denver and Houston.

David Lee had 30 points and eight rebounds and rookie Klay Thompson finished with 24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the shorthanded Warriors. Golden State has lost three straight and is already eliminated from playoff contention.

Dallas survived late behind its usual playmakers.

After the Warriors whittled the deficit to three early in the fourth quarter, Nowitzki returned and took charge. The 7-footer made a difficult fadeaway and backed down defenders for a layup to start an avalanche of offense.

Jason Terry followed by swishing a walk-up 3-pointer in front of the Warriors' bench. Then Nowitzki passed out of a double-team to find Vince Carter for another 3 and put away Golden State for good.

These Warriors had little chance of a lasting comeback.

Point guard Stephen Curry (sprained right ankle) and center Andrew Bogut (fractured left ankle) are likely out for the season. Leading scorer Monta Ellis and forward Ekpe Udoh departed in the trade that netted Bogut from Milwaukee, and rookie coach Mark Jackson has only a shattered roster remaining to explain why his misguided playoff prediction predictably flopped.

Not until Nate Robinson swished a jumper and a 3-pointer and Brandon Rush dunked to open the fourth did Warriors fans -- who still packed Oracle Arena with an announced crowd of 17,929 to cheer a franchise with one playoff appearance since 1994 -- get riled up for anything other than next season. The shots sliced Dallas' lead to 89-86, giving the defending NBA champions a scare.

If only a brief one.

The site of another familiar face -- a constant theme in these parts -- ripping the home team did most of that early.

Wright, drafted eighth overall by the Warriors in 2007, bullied and bruised his way around the paint against Golden State's undersized frontline. He had 12 points and six rebounds off the bench by halftime, including a pair of dunks.

The Mavericks, who plucked the injury-riddled Wright -- traded to New Jersey by the Warriors after 2 1/2 seasons -- out of free agency in December, opened the game open behind patches of open space with the forward drawing so much attention. Nowitzki followed with a flurry of jumpers, giving Dallas a 60-41 lead late in the second quarter to take complete control.

NOTES: Bogut was shooting around before the game without his walking boot for the first time since being acquired in the March 13 trade. ... The Mavericks improved to 12-5 against the Warriors since being upset by Golden State in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, when Dallas was the top seed and coming off an NBA finals loss to Miami a year earlier. ... The Warriors held the team's second annual Bollywood Night, which featured Indian-themed music, outfits and other entertainment during intermissions.

[Associated Press; By ANTONIO GONZALEZ]

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