Without Nowitzki, Mavericks beat Suns 109-99

[February 02, 2013]  PHOENIX (AP) -- O.J. Mayo scored 20 points to lead six Dallas players in double figures and the Mavericks, despite the absence of Dirk Nowitzki, added to their mastery of Phoenix with a 109-99 victory over the Suns on Friday night.

Darren Collison added 19 points and Vince Carter 17 for the Mavericks, minus Nowitzki for the second game in as many nights because of a sore right hip.

Shannon Brown scored 20 and Goran Dragic added 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Suns, 0-3 against Dallas this season and losers of 11 of the last 12 in the series.

The Suns lost at home for the first time in four games since interim coach Lindsey Hunter took over from the fired Alvin Gentry.

After scoring a season-high 27 points in Wednesday night's win over the Lakers and averaging 18.2 points in his first six games under Hunter, the Suns' Michael Beasley was 2-of-13 shooting for four points.

The Mavericks trailed most of the night before Carter's 3-pointer put them up for good, 84-81, with 8:51 to play. The basket was part of a 12-4 run that gave Dallas a 92-85 lead on Jae Crowder's 3 with 6 1/2 minutes to go.

Phoenix never got closer than five again.

Dallas' only lead of the first half was at 2-0 but the Suns never were up by more than seven in the first two quarters and it was tied at 54 at the break.

Dragic had 10 points, four rebounds and four assists in the first quarter, with the Suns holding a 31-29 lead. Brown opened the second quarter with a pair of 21-footers to make it 35-29, then capped an 11-4 run with a 3-pointer to put Phoenix up 40-33 with 9:10 left in the half.

The Mavericks caught the Suns with a 15-8 surge, trying it at 50 on Mayo's 3-pointer 2:16 before the break.

The Mavs went nearly 4 1/2 minutes without a point as the Suns scored 11 straight to go up 71-61 on Marcin Gortat's layup with an assist from Dragic with 4:45 left in the third quarter. But Dallas responded with a 13-2 run to take the lead for just the third time of the night, 74-73, on Brandan Wright's inside basket with 1:12 left in the period. Brown's basket 20 seconds later put Phoenix up 75-74 entering the fourth.

NOTES: The Suns play seven of their next eight on the road, where they are 4-19, second-worst in the NBA (Washington is 3-20). ... For the second time in three games, Hunter used rookie Kendall Marshall as the backup point guard instead of Sebastian Telfair. ... Dallas is 13-16 without Nowitzki, 7-11 with him. ... The teams don't meet again until April 10 in Dallas, where the Mavs can sweep the season series. ... Dragic has one career triple-double. ... The Suns are 4-3 since Hunter took over.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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