Mavericks Give Up After Falling Behind

One of the darker sides of the NBA’s shortened season was exposed at the Delta Center on Friday night. The Dallas Mavericks didn’t even try.

Bryon Russell scored 17 points and Karl Malone added 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Utah Jazz trounced Dallas, 80-65. But the real story was the Mavericks’ game plan--or their complete lack thereof.

The Mavericks, who were playing the fourth of five games in six nights, simply didn’t try to beat the league-leading Jazz. After Dallas fell behind by 18 points at halftime, starters Michael Finley, A.C. Green, Steve Nash and Shawn Bradley didn’t play in the second half.

“This was a game we used to get our reserves in,” Dallas Coach Don Nelson said. “I used it to get our starters rested for tomorrow, plain and simple. I was hoping to stay competitive in the game, but that didn’t happen, so we did the next-best thing and played the game out.”

Detroit 95, Miami 93--Bison Dele’s dunk with 2.7 seconds left gave the Pistons the victory at Auburn Hills, Mich., ending the Heat’s seven-game winning streak.

Miami lost point guard Tim Hardaway to a hyperextended right knee. Hardaway banged knees with Detroit’s Grant Hill in the first quarter and did not return after halftime.

Orlando 103, Indiana 100--Penny Hardaway scored the first six points of overtime to lift the Magic in a matchup of the teams with the best records in the Eastern Conference at Orlando, Fla.

Hardaway finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds as the Magic remained unbeaten at home.

Charlotte 97, Portland 95--Derrick Coleman scored 28 points for the Hornets at Charlotte, N.C.

J.R. Reid added 22 points and Bobby Phills had 21 for Charlotte, which ended a six-game losing streak.

Denver 96, Milwaukee 95--Danny Fortson scored 16 points in his first start at center and converted an offensive rebound with 5.8 seconds left as the Nuggets won their third consecutive home game at Denver.

Seattle 92, San Antonio 82--Gary Payton scored 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter before being knocked out of the game by Jerome Kersey’s hard foul at Seattle.

Payton suffered a bruised left hip when Kersey slammed Payton to the floor from behind.

Boston 94, New York 80--Rookie Paul Pierce made five three-point baskets and scored 24 points to lead the Celtics at Boston.

Toronto 102, Minnesota 92--Rookie Vince Carter scored 21 points and Charles Oakley added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors at Toronto.

Golden State 94, Phoenix 90--Donyell Marshall scored 15 points, including two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining for the Warriors at Oakland.

Jason Kidd had 18 assists for Phoenix.

Around the League

Loren Meyer of the Denver Nuggets was suspended for one game and fined $5,000 for a flagrant foul on Cedric Ceballos of Dallas on Thursday night. Ceballos will be out six to eight weeks after suffering a broken right wrist on the play. . . . The MRI exam performed Friday on the left knee of Denver Nuggets rookie Raef LaFrentz revealed a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and a small tear of the lateral meniscus. Steve Traina, the team’s orthopedic surgeon, estimated LaFrentz could return to basketball in six to eight months.