Michael Finley scored 23 points, including the go-ahead 18-footer with 1:58 left, as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 108-99 Sunday.
After Sacramento -- which entered with the Western Conference's best record at 30-12 -- fought back from a 10-point deficit to tie the game at 97 on Mike Bibby's 3-pointer with 2:14 left, the Mavericks scored nine straight points to clinch the victory.
"We were strong," Mavericks coach Don Nelson said. "Everybody didn't play great all the time, but they certainly played hard all the time. We needed to take care of the ball, and we did that."
Steve Nash had 21 points and a season-high 13 assists, with just one turnover. Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points and 12 rebounds.
"We've had a good streak and that feels good," Nash said. "It always feels better to justify it against a good team. It's very vindicating and rewarding to beat a team with the best record."
Peja Stojakovic led Sacramento with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Doug Christie had 23 points, while Bobby Jackson had 18. Brad Miller had 11 points and 17 rebounds.
Nets 110, Celtics 91
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Richard Jefferson scored 25 points and the New Jersey Nets ended their longest losing streak since Jason Kidd joined the team more than two years ago with a win over the Boston Celtics.
Kenyon Martin added 20 points and 15 rebounds and Kidd had 10 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds to help the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions snap a five-game slide.
Ricky Davis had 26 points to lead the Celtics, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Paul Pierce, who picked up three fouls in the first half, added 13 for Boston.
Bulls 96, Raptors 89
In Chicago, Jamal Crawford scored 27 points and the Chicago Bulls broke a six-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors in the teams' first meeting since a major Dec. 1 trade.
Crawford also hounded former teammate Jalen Rose, who finished with 22 points for the Raptors but shot just 5-for-12 from the field in his return to Chicago. Toronto has lost five straight.
Timberwolves 99, Suns 95
In Minneapolis, Sam Cassell scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to their fourth straight win, beating the Phoenix Suns.
ADVANTAGE ATLETICO: Well off the pace in La Liga, the Copa del Rey represents Atletico Madrid’s best chance of silverware this season Atletico Madrid on Thursday hammered Copa del Rey holders Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their semi-final. After an Eric Garcia own-goal sent Diego Simeone’s side ahead early on, Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez struck to give Atletico a landslide lead by halftime. Barca defender Garcia was sent off in the final stages, with Atletico maintaining their significant advantage on the record 32-time winners, which they take into the second leg at the Camp Nou on March 3. Both sides missed good chances in the second half, with Barca’s Pau Cubarsi having a goal disallowed before Garcia was sent off
Dasun Shanaka hammered the fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in T20Is as the cohosts thrashed Oman by 105 runs at the World Cup yesterday in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, for their second win in Group B. The 2014 champions piled up 225-5, the highest total of the tournament, before restricting an outclassed Oman to 120-9. The 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem waged a lone battle for Oman, compiling an unbeaten 53 to become the oldest player to score a 50 in T20 World Cups. Having promoted himself up the order and under pressure to deliver, Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka smashed a 19-ball half-century. It has been
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Manchester City FC halved Arsenal FC’s lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 home defeat of Fulham FC, and Aston Villa FC stayed in the frame with a late 1-0 victory at home to Brighton and Hove Albion FC on Wednesday. Nottingham Forest FC squandered a chance to put some distance between themselves and the bottom three as they drew 0-0 at home to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. Second-from-bottom Burnley FC pulled off a remarkable 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace FC to boost their slender survival hopes. City have little margin for error in their pursuit
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