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 Mavs shooting guard Monta Ellis scored a team-high 20 points,
including a driving layup in a 6-0 run that gave Dallas the lead for
good down the stretch at American Airlines Center.
Dallas power forward Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points and drilled a
3-pointer with 23 seconds left that helped nail down the win.
"It was a clutch shot by him and that was the difference," Phoenix
coach Jeff Hornacek said.
The Mavericks missed their previous 10 3-pointers, with Nowitzki
offering up an airball on the previous possession.
The Suns (39-40) were eliminated from the playoff race despite a
season-high, 30-point effort from reserve guard Gerald Green.
Phoenix beat Dallas in the previous three meetings before a
late-season fade of seven losses in the past eight games.
The Suns will miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
"We're going to keep our heads up," Green said. "We're still going
to finish out the season strong. We have a few more games left.
Obviously, this is a big disappointment for us, but we're planning
on finishing the season strong and hopefully we can build on this
for next season."
The Mavericks (47-31) didn't have much to play for in the standings
coming off three-day break during which they clinched a playoff
spot. Dallas is locked into the Western Conference's seventh seed
for the postseason, unable to move up or down during the last week
of the season.
Still, the Mavs want to use the last few games to establish
momentum.
"We are just trying to develop a mentality that we want to continue
to the playoffs," said guard Devin Harris, who scored 12 off the
bench. "We have five games left, and we really want to bring this
home and establish ourselves on how we want to play and how we can
be successful in the playoffs. We got off to a good start tonight."
Mavs center Tyson Chandler had 23 rebounds and 12 points, point
guard Rajon Rondo chipped in 12 points and dished out seven assists,
and backup center Amar'e Stoudemire added 10 points. Dallas was
without injured forward Chandler Parsons.
The Suns had their chances in a back-and-forth game one night after
scoring only 69 points in a blowout loss at Atlanta. Green drilled
five 3-pointers, the last giving Phoenix a 98-95 edge.
"We lost today, so it doesn't really matter," Green said. "I'm just
trying to do whatever I can to help my team win."
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Suns forward Markieff Morris had 19 points -- only four in the
second half -- to go along with seven assists and six rebounds.
Point guard Eric Bledsoe scored 14.
The Mavericks were down 100-97 before rallying.
"I like the second half, and we have to build on the second half,"
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "They scored 63 points in the first
half, 41 in the second half, which is obviously much better and much
more of what we need preparing for the playoffs."
The Suns rode Green's 18 points in 14 first-half minutes to a 63-59
lead at halftime. The reserve knocked down seven of 12 shots --
three of six from long distance -- during a wild half that saw both
teams shoot nearly 60 percent. Green finished the night 10-for-19
from the floor, 5-for-10 from 3-point range.
NOTES: Mavericks F Chandler Parsons (right knee) missed his second
consecutive game, and his availability for the rest of the regular
season is uncertain. "We'd like to get him back to play a game or
two before the playoffs, if it's possible," coach Rick Carlisle
said. "But nothing is for sure." ... Dallas G Rajon Rondo (left
knee) and F Richard Jefferson (toe) both started. ... Phoenix was
without G Brandon Knight (ankle) and C Alex Len (broken nose). ...
Dallas is headed to the playoffs for the 14th time in 15 seasons.
... The Suns fell to 6-12 on the second night of back-to-backs.
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