Mavs Lose To Nets

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DALLAS — If Deron Williams and the Brooklyn Nets could play in Dallas more often, the point guard potentially could be an All-Star again and the Nets might not be scraping for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Williams has a knack for coming alive when he plays in his hometown and against the team he spurned in free agency in 2012. After scoring 25 points that included a season-high four 3-pointers in a 104-94 victory over the Mavericks on Saturday night at American Airlines Center, Williams is 4-0 in Dallas since signing his $100 million deal with the Nets.

It was Williams’ highest-scoring game since he had 24 on Nov. 22 against San Antonio, and his 3-point total equaled the number he made in the previous 10 games. He connected on 9 of 14 shots overall and was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.

“It was good to see my shots drop, especially the 3s,” said Williams, who also had six rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes. “Just a good win.”

Brooklyn (24-33) desperately needed the victory in their final of eight consecutive road games — and after playing so well at Houston on Friday night only to allow the Rockets to steal the game late.

This time, the Nets were able to hold off the Mavs’ charges and hold

onto the 13-point lead they built with a dominant third quarter. Brooklyn, which has won four straight in Dallas for its longest active road winning streak against any opponent, finished the trip 3-5.

Dallas (39-22), playing without injured starters Tyson Chandler and Chandler Parsons, has lost consecutive games. The Mavs got to 99-92 after a three-point play from forward Dirk Nowitzki with 2:37 to play. But they twice failed to cut into the deficit more after a turnover and missed bank shot by guard Monta Ellis off a tough drive.

Nets guard Jarrett Jack made it 101-92 with floater after an offensive rebound allowed Brooklyn to take the clock to under one minute.

Jack finished with 12 points off the bench and Nets trade deadline acquisition Thaddeus Young was big off the bench with 16 points and eight rebounds.

“I thought we played extremely well and we had a good road trip, and to close out the road trip with a win here in Dallas is just going

up in class in terms of the opponent,” Nets coach Lionel Hollins said. “And we had a chance to win every game, and felt like (Friday) night that was our game. We didn’t get it, but we came back tonight and we were strong mentally to step up. We jumped on them early, we rode the lead through the game, and ultimately got the win.”

Brooklyn scored 35 points in the third quarter and led by as many as 13 before Mavs guard Devin Harris banked in a half-court heave to get Dallas back to within 10 heading into the fourth quarter.

“We got bombed that quarter and that was the game,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “The rest of it was either even or we were up a point or two. The third quarter did us in. They scored early and they got energy and juice on the offensive end. We didn’t respond well.”

Dallas, which started the game small with J.J. Barea joining Rajon Rondo and Ellis in a three-guard look, took a 51-47 lead into halftime on true spread-the-wealth scoring as eight players had between five and nine points.

Nowitzki led the Mavs with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, but Ellis was the only other Dallas starter to score in double figures with 12 points on just 4-of-16 shooting and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Rondo, back in the lineup after being suspended by the team for one game, had eight points on 4-of-10 shooting from the floor with six assists, seven rebounds and four turnovers.

Harris scored 12 points off the bench and Al-Farouq Aminu had 12 points, five rebounds, four steals and two blocks.

“They’re a skilled team and Deron had himself a ballgame,” Nowitzki said. “We never really got any traction there. We had a bad third quarter energy-wise and we gave up 35 points, which is obviously way too many. We kept battling back, but never got over the hump. We couldn’t make a play to make it a ballgame, so it’s definitely a disappointing loss.”

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