Mavericks Start and Finish Well

The Dallas Mavericks played well enough at the beginning and the end against the Utah Jazz that it didn’t matter so much what happened in the middle.

Nick Van Exel made a three-point shot with 13.1 seconds left, and the Mavericks defeated the Jazz, 92-90, Monday night despite squandering a 16-point lead at Salt Lake City.

The game featured two flagrant fouls, two technicals and lots of contact inside.

“What a physical game. Holy cow,” Maverick Coach Don Nelson said. “I don’t think there would be any players left to play the game if they were all this rough. Just an unbelievable game.”

The Mavericks spoiled Karl Malone’s 1,400th game and avoided falling to 0-2 against the Jazz this season. It could just as easily have been the Jazz celebrating.

Utah’s Matt Harpring, who missed Saturday’s game with sore ribs, returned to the lineup and scored 20 points -- but he missed a baseline jump shot that would have forced overtime.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points and Steve Nash had 20 points and six assists for the Mavericks, who have won four in a row.

Malone finished with 18 points and Van Exel had 12.

New Orleans 103, Boston 96 -- Jamal Mashburn scored 30 points, including two tough jumpers down the stretch at New Orleans, and the Hornets extended the Celtics’ losing streak to four games.

David Wesley scored 18 points for New Orleans, which ended a two-game losing streak and defeated Boston for the first time in three meetings this season.

Phoenix 115, Chicago 111 -- All-Star teammates Stephon Marbury and Shawn Marion scored 36 points apiece to lift the Suns in overtime at Phoenix.

Marbury, who had nine assists, scored six points in overtime. Marion made a three-point shot with 19.4 seconds left in regulation to help send the game to overtime.

Jalen Rose scored 28 points for Chicago, but his streak of consecutive free throws made ended at 33.

New Jersey 109, Seattle 108 -- Kenyon Martin scored a career-high 35 points and Jason Kidd made a three-pointer with 1:31 left in overtime to lead the Nets at East Rutherford, N.J.

Desmond Mason scored a season-high 30 points for Seattle, which rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half.

Miami 99, Atlanta 79 -- Eddie Jones scored 26 points at Miami and the Heat ended Atlanta’s three-game winning streak.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks.

Golden State 101, Memphis 91 -- Troy Murphy had 21 points and 13 rebounds at Oakland, and the Warriors ended a three-game skid.

The Warriors improved to 21-26 -- matching their win total from last season with one game remaining before this weekend’s All-Star break.

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Milwaukee forward Jason Caffey filed suit against his former agent, an attorney with the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, alleging that he stole nearly $1 million.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, claims that Githaiga Ramsey diverted $916,316.58 from Caffey’s bank accounts from 1999 to 2001. Also named as defendants are Ramsey’s companies, GDR Sports & Entertainment and Mason Tillman & Associates, as well as the county of San Francisco.

Ramsey declined to comment on Caffey’s claims.

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Toronto center Jelani McCoy is scheduled to have nose surgery today and is expected to return to the team next week.

McCoy was elbowed by Jeff Foster of Indiana on Friday. He will have surgery to reset his septum and nasal bone.