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Mavericks 113, Pistons 102
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Power forward Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points and forward Vince Carter added 18 off the bench to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 113-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night at The Palace.
Dallas (34-23), which has defeated Detroit five straight times, also received double-doubles from three other players. Guard Monta Ellis supplied 12 points and 13 assists, center Samuel Dalembert contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds and small forward Shawn Marion had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Point guard Jose Calderon added 11 points as the Mavs won for the eighth time in 10 games.
Forward Josh Smith scored a season-high 32 points despite a scoreless fourth quarter for Detroit (23-33), which has lost four of its last five games. Power forward Greg Monroe had 17 points and 17 rebounds and point guard Will Bynum chipped in 17 points and eight assists off the bench.
Marion’s breakaway dunk with 6:33 remaining in the quarter gave Dallas a 75-62 lead. Smith responded with two dunks during a 7-0 Pistons spurt to make it a six-point game. The teams essentially traded baskets the rest of the quarter and the Mavs carried an 88-82 lead into the fourth.
A three-point play by Dallas guard Devin Harris with 7:30 remaining made it 101-92. Ellis’ jumper with just under six minutes left stretched the Mavs’ lead to 11. When Nowitzki stepped inside the 3-point line and hit a jumper, Dallas was up 107-98 with 3:57 left. The Pistons could not mount a threat from that point.
Ellis had 11 assists by halftime to spark the Mavs to a 64-54 lead. Dallas shot 54.5 percent from the field and outrebounded Detroit 24-15.
NOTES: PF Josh Smith’s 24 first-half points were a season high for a half by a Piston. PG Brandon Jennings scored 23 in the second half at Dallas on Jan. 26. … The Mavericks’ 64 first-half points tied the season high for halftime points allowed by the Pistons. … Dallas PF Dirk Nowitzki has 378 double-doubles in his career but just three this season. … Detroit C Andre Drummond’s NBA-leading 5.5 offensive rebounding average is 1.4 higher than the two players who are second on the list, the Los Angeles Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Nikola Pekovic. “He’s had over 10 offensive rebounds four different times,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said of Drummond. “I haven’t heard of that since guys like (Dennis) Rodman were playing.” … Detroit is one of only two teams shooting below 70 percent from the foul line. It has a league-worst 66.2 average, with Houston ranking 29th at 68.9. … The Pistons began a stretch of four games against Western Conference teams.
