NBA: Nowitzki, Ellis lead Mavs rout of Cavs

DALLAS - All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a routine 124-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night (Tuesday, PHL time) at American Airlines Center.

Nowitzki failed to score at least 30 for a third consecutive game, but it mattered little as Dallas had things well in hand. Guard Monta Ellis finished with 22 points after scoring a combined 33 in the previous three games.

#MavsWin: Mavs deafeat the @cavs 124-107, @swish41’s 23 pts. Complete box score: http://t.co/UVsXR8nTTn #DALvsCLE pic.twitter.com/mMpwJaiq4H

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 4, 2014

Four other Mavericks scored in double figures, including two reserves, guard Devin Harris (16 points) and forward Brandan Wright (14). Center Samuel Dalembert scored 18 points, and guard Jose Calderon had his first double-double in a Dallas uniform with 11 points and 10 assists.

The Mavericks (28-21) swept the season series from Cleveland for the second season in a row, and they won for the 11th time in the last 13 meetings in Dallas.

Harris continues to provide a spark off the bench. He made two baskets late in the third quarter to help Dallas take its largest lead of the game to that point (91-76), forcing a timeout from Cleveland coach Mike Brown.

The Mavericks held a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter despite an 8-0 run from Cleveland midway through the period. The Cavaliers (16-32) lost for the seventh time in eight games.

All-Star guard Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 27 points and dished out eight assists for Cleveland, which lost its fifth game in a row. Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson added 17 points and eight rebounds. Forward Luol Deng had 18 points for Cleveland, which was outrebounded 45-31.

The Mavericks were hot in the first half, shooting 51.1 percent and taking as much as a 13-point lead. Nowitzki had 16 points at the break, and Ellis added 13.

Dallas was up early before Irving started to heat up. The Eastern Conference All-Star reserve nailed back-to-back three-pointers to give Cleveland an 18-16 lead in the first quarter.

Nowitzki scored 12 points in the second period, and his consecutive triples pushed the Mavericks out to a 52-39 advantage. The Cavaliers finished the half strong but still trailed 59-52 going into the locker room, with Irving accounting for 13 points.

Dallas finished its four-game homestand 3-1, and it next plays Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time) at Memphis. The Mavericks hold a one-game lead on the Grizzlies for eighth place in the Western Conference.

The Cavaliers look to end their skid Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time) at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. - Reuters


The scores:

MAVERICKS 124 - Nowitzki 23, Ellis 22, Dalembert 18, Harris 16, Wright 14, Calderon 11, Crowder 8, Carter 7, Ellington 3, Blair 2, James 0, Larkin 0

CAVALIERS 107 - Irving 27, Deng 18, Thompson 17, Jack 12, Bennett 11, Miles 10, Varejao 10, Zeller 2, Sims 0, Waiters 0, Dellavedova 0

Dallas        27-32-35-30
Cleveland    25-27-27-28