Nelson Returns, Mavericks Win

Don Nelson wasn’t sure he would be at the Dallas Mavericks’ game Friday night. He was, and coached his team to its highest point total of the season.

Dirk Nowitzki scored a career-high 36 points, and Steve Nash had 18 points and 13 assists as the Mavericks beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 112-94, at Philadelphia.

Nelson had missed Dallas’ previous three games while consulting with doctors about how to treat his prostate cancer. He rescheduled some appointments and, thanks to team owner Mark Cuban’s private plane, arrived 40 minutes before the game.

Nelson will have surgery Jan. 4, and will be gone six to eight weeks. Assistant Del Harris, who coached the team during the three-game absence, will fill in again.

“That’s the type of game that’s fun for coaches to coach in,” Nelson said. “It was great competition, it’s what I live for. I could hardly stay away.”

He wasn’t slated to return to the Mavericks until the team’s game at Detroit on Sunday. But he moved up a blood test and a bone scan to Friday morning and was able to make the game.

“Once I found that I could get that done in the morning, the toughest part was getting here,” Nelson said.

Utah 89, New York 58--John Starks celebrated his return to Madison Square Garden by scoring 18 points against his former team, and the Knicks had their lowest total since the shot clock was introduced.

The Knicks committed 26 turnovers and shot 39% in eclipsing their previous record low of 61 points, April 12, 1992, at Detroit.

New York managed 13 points in the first quarter and then scored 12 in the second, going nearly five minutes without a point against Utah’s second unit.

Starks, signed as a free agent by the Jazz in the off-season, scored nine points early as the Jazz rushed to a 15-point lead in the first quarter and never let the Knicks in the game.

Larry Johnson did not dress for the Knicks after spraining his right knee in Thursday night’s loss at Toronto. In that game, New York scored 68 points.

Portland 106, Orlando 96--Rasheed Wallace scored 22 points and Arvydas Sabonis had a season-high 18 at Portland.

With Phoenix losing to the Clippers, the Trail Blazers and Sacramento moved into a virtual tie for first place in the Pacific Division.

Tracy McGrady had 39 points--one under his career high--to lead Orlando, which played without Grant Hill for the 19th time in 23 games this season.

Hill, slowed by a sore left ankle, started the first two games of the Magic’s road trip, but hobbled off the court late in Tuesday night’s game at Seattle.

Seattle 99, Miami 81--Gary Payton had 25 points and 13 assists to lead the SuperSonics as the Heat fell to 0-13 at Seattle’s Key Arena.

The SuperSonics (13-12), who moved past .500 for the first time this season, had a 17-0 run that bridged the end of the second quarter and start of the third.

Patrick Ewing had two steals and six points in an 8-0 run early in the third quarter. He made his first seven field goal attempts and finished with 16 points on eight-for-10 shooting, in addition to 10 rebounds.

Minnesota 99, Detroit 90--Kevin Garnett had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the Timberwolves defeated the Pistons at Auburn Hills, Mich.

Detroit’s Joe Smith scored 16 points in his first game against his former team. He signed with the Pistons after his contract with the Timberwolves was voided by the NBA in October because of a secret agreement that violated the salary cap.

The Timberwolves treated their former teammate like a family member before and after the game. “Once we got out there it was just like a normal game,” Smith said.

Sacramento 104, Boston 81--Chris Webber had 30 points and 13 rebounds as the Kings won for only the second time in their last 19 games at Boston.

It was the second consecutive blowout home loss for the Celtics, who lost to the lowly Chicago Bulls, 104-86, Wednesday.

Milwaukee 104, Toronto 97--Glenn Robinson scored 31 points as the Bucks held on to defeat the Raptors at Milwaukee.

The Raptors’ Vince Carter left the game because of a sore left knee in the third quarter and spent the rest of the game icing it. He finished with 15 points.

Cleveland 103, Indiana 95--Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Andre Miller carried the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Indianapolis, scoring 16 of their final 19 points.

Ilgauskas finished with 24 points and Miller had 17.

Atlanta 85, Chicago 74--Jason Terry had 17 points and 13 assists, and Dikembe Mutombo tied his season high with 18 rebounds at Chicago as the Hawks prevented the Bulls from winning consecutive games for the first time this season.

Charlotte 103, Washington 89--The Wizards lost their ninth in a row, falling to the Hornets at Washington. David Wesley scored 25 for the Hornets, who have won 11 of 14.

Around the League

The Cavaliers put rookie center Chris Mihm on the injured list with a sprained ankle and activated forward J.R. Reid, who has not played yet this season because of tendinitis in both knees. . . . Asked if he’d ever be interested in taking Bobby Knight’s old coaching job at Indiana University, Pacer Coach Isiah Thomas answered, “Yes.” . . . The Timberwolves put swingman Todd Day on the injured list because of a hyperextended left knee.