Mavericks Showing They’re Big Winners

The Dallas Mavericks’ Big Three strutted their stuff against a fading team that hasn’t won in a month.

Dirk Nowitzki made long shots and dunks to score 35 points, Michael Finley soared over and around Vince Carter for 25 and Steve Nash combined 19 points with a season-best 15 assists, carrying Dallas past the hapless Toronto Raptors, 122-103, Thursday night at Dallas.

The bonus prize for the Mavericks was becoming the first team in the NBA with 43 victories. For Toronto, the loss was their 13th consecutive, prompting a closed-door meeting after the game.

“We’re on the verge of something good,” Finley said. “Right now, we can’t look at the standings and hope other teams lose. If we keep winning, I like our position.”

At 43-18, Dallas is in a virtual tie with Sacramento for the best record in the NBA. The Kings (42-17) have a slightly better winning percentage, .712 to .705.

The Raptors are within two games of the longest losing streak by any team this season. Two after that and they’ll tie the worst skid in franchise history.

“It’s a new experience--I’ve never been in that position before,” said Toronto Coach Lenny Wilkens, the winningest coach in NBA history. “I’m sure they want to win so bad. They know that there’s two or three games that got away from us and had they not, the streak doesn’t exist.”

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Detroit 95, Washington 92--Jon Barry made a three-pointer from the left corner at the buzzer to give the Pistons a victory at Washington.

Barry, wide open in the corner, took the pass from Damon Jones, rattled in the shot and mouthed “Go home, go home” to the crowd as the Pistons celebrated.

Corliss Williamson scored 23 points and Jerry Stackhouse had 19 for the Pistons.

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Memphis 122, Indiana 111--Jason Williams, playing his first game since Feb. 19, scored 33 points and handed out 11 assists as the Grizzlies won at Memphis, Tenn.

Seven Grizzlies finished in double figures as Memphis snapped an eight-game losing streak and set a franchise record for points scored in regulation. The victory was the first over Indiana in franchise history after 13 losses.

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San Antonio 99, Houston 97--Tim Duncan had a double-double by halftime and finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds at San Antonio.

Spur rookie Tony Parker had 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Malik Rose added 14 points and David Robinson grabbed 12 rebounds.

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Denver 104, New York 93--Juwan Howard had 30 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for the Nuggets, who shot 55% after making less than 40% of their shots in six of their previous nine games.

New York has lost eight of 10 overall and six consecutive on the road.

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Seattle 92, Charlotte 89--Shammond Williams scored five points in the last 40 seconds of overtime at Seattle after Desmond Mason tied the game on a soaring left-handed dunk off a missed three-pointer by Gary Payton as time expired in regulation.

New Jersey guard Jason Kidd was fined $5,000 by the league for making an obscene gesture toward fans Wednesday night in the Nets’ loss to Phoenix. The former Sun star was playing in Phoenix for the first time since being traded to New Jersey during the off-season.