NBA: Porzingis, Doncic carry Mavs to OT win over Pelicans

Kristaps Porzingis scored 34 points, and Luka Doncic added a 30-point triple-double as the host Dallas Mavericks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 127-123, in overtime on Wednesday.

Seth Curry added 21 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 18 and Delon Wright had 10 for the Mavericks. Doncic added 17 rebounds and 10 assists, and Porzingis had 12 boards and five blocked shots. Dallas improved to 6-3 in the past nine games.

Brandon Ingram scored 27 before fouling out, Lonzo Bell had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Zion Williamson scored 21 for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight. Jrue Holiday had 19 points, Frank Jackson scored 12, and Derrick Favors added 10 points and 14 rebounds.

The score was tied three times in overtime before Doncic made a 3-pointer for a 121-118 lead with 1:10 left.

The Mavericks led by two at halftime, and the Pelicans tied the score four times during the first seven minutes of the third quarter.

Williamson's dunk gave New Orleans its first lead since the first quarter, and Josh Hart followed with a layup that gave the Pelicans a 77-73 edge.

The score was tied three more times before Courtney Lee's dunk gave Dallas an 87-85 lead at the end of the third quarter.

New Orleans scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, and the game was tied three times before Wright's 3-pointer gave the Mavericks a 98-95 lead.

Ball's 3-pointer pulled the Pelicans even at 100 midway through the final quarter.

The score was tied twice more before Doncic's layup gave Dallas a 106-104 edge with 3:43 left.

Ingram's 3-pointer and baseline jumper gave New Orleans a 109-106 advantage with 1:51 left.

Maxi Kleber dunked, Curry made a 3-pointer and Curry sank one of two free throws to give the Mavericks a 112-109 lead with 10 seconds left.

Nicolo Melli hit a 3-pointer over Porzingis to tie the score with 7.9 seconds left and force overtime.

The Pelicans led for most of the first quarter before Curry's 3-pointer gave the Mavericks a 24-22 lead at the end of the period.

Dallas took its biggest lead of the game at 45-34 when Hardaway made a 3-pointer midway through the second quarter.

Favors scored the final four points of the half as New Orleans got within 57-55 at halftime.

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NBA: Mavericks ride return of Doncic to win over Kings

Luka Doncic recorded 33 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in his return from an ankle injury to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 130-111 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Doncic missed seven games with the injury and the Mavericks went 3-4 without the All-Star point guard. Doncic was 10-of-18 shooting -- including 3 of 7 from 3-point range -- and 10 of 12 from the free-throw line in 31 minutes before exiting with 6:26 remaining.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting and also contributed 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. Tim Hardaway Jr. made five 3-pointers on his way to scoring 19 points, and Seth Curry added 18 for Dallas, which has a 33-22 record entering the All-Star break.

Buddy Hield posted 22 points and nine assists for the Kings, who have dropped back-to-back games after winning six of their previous eight contests.

De'Aaron Fox added 16 points, Kent Bazemore had 15 points and seven rebounds, Harry Giles III scored 11 points and Nemanja Bjelica had 10 points.

Sacramento (21-33) shot just 41.4 percent from the field and was 12 of 39 from behind the arc.

The Mavericks shot 56.5 percent from the field, including 17 of 40 from 3-point range.

Dallas led by 11 at the break before Porzingis scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the third quarter as the lead reached 23 during the stanza.

The Mavericks pushed their advantage to 19 when Porzingis knocked down a 17-footer to make it 78-59 with 6:58 left in the quarter.

Sacramento trimmed its deficit to 14, but Porzingis scored seven points during a 9-2 burst to give the Mavericks an 89-68 advantage with 3:27 remaining in the quarter.

Hardaway buried a 3-pointer to increase the lead to 93-70 with 2:22 left before Dallas took a 96-77 lead into the final quarter.

The Kings moved within 101-86 on Bazemore's three-point play with 10 minutes left. But the Mavericks answered with a 12-5 surge with Doncic capping it with a 3-pointer to make it 113-91 with 7:50 to play.

The lead topped out at 25 points.

Doncic looked spry in his first contest since Jan. 28 as he registered 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the first half as Dallas took a 63-52 lead.

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NBA: Doncic delivers another triple-double as Mavs beat Bulls

Luka Doncic registered a triple-double for the second straight game, contributing 38 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to boost the host Dallas Mavericks to a 118-110 victory against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

Doncic scored a career-high 21 points in the third quarter, capping the flurry with a deep 3-pointer. The home crowd serenaded him with chants of "M-V-P!" as he shot free throws in the final minute of the game.

Dwight Powell (16 points), Tim Hardaway Jr. (15) and Dorian Finney-Smith (11) followed in double figures for the Mavericks.

Lauri Markkanen scored 26 points to lead six Bulls in double figures. Tomas Satoransky (11 points, 14 assists) notched a double-double for Chicago, which has lost four straight and five of six to fall a season-worst 11 games below .500.

Dallas led, 61-55, at halftime and 88-82 after three quarters before gaining separation to start the fourth. After a Thaddeus Young layup brought the Bulls to within 88-84 with 10:54 to go, the Mavericks responded by scoring of 15 of the game's next 23 points.

The Mavericks stretched their advantage to as many as 14 points in the fourth.

Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. left the game with a right ankle sprain midway through third quarter. Carter was driving to the basket when he landed on Powell's foot and rolled his ankle. The second-year player writhed in pain for a few moments before a small group including trainer Jeff Tanaka helped him off the floor. X-rays were negative, the Bulls reported.

Gafford, who rolled his ankle late in the first half, helped keep the Bulls afloat with his hustle on both ends of the floor. During one second-quarter sequence, he blocked a shot before slamming home a tip dunk off the backboard seconds later. Gafford finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, and has blocked multiple shots in six of the past seven games.

Zach LaVine (20 points), Coby White (15) and Young (11) also were in double figures for Chicago. Markkanen and Young both finished one rebound shy of a double-double as the Bulls won the battle under the boards 45-43.

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NBA: Clippers manhandle Mavs for 6th straight win

Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points, and Paul George added 17 of his 26 points in the first quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to six games with a 114-99 victory over the host Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

George and Leonard were playing together in a road game for the first time, and they were on the court as teammates for just the fourth time overall.

Luka Doncic had 22 points and eight rebounds, and Kristaps Porzingis added 15 points and 10 boards for the Mavericks, who saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. Dallas lost a home game for the first time since Nov. 8.

The Clippers' defense, led by guard Patrick Beverley, clamped down on Doncic, who entered averaging 30.6 points per game, third best in the NBA. The Mavericks were also the second-best scoring team in the NBA at 119.1 points per game.

George shot 5 of 9 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range in the first quarter. The Clippers went 7 of 11 (63.6 percent) from beyond the arc in the opening 12 minutes but hit just 39.3 percent from the field overall during the quarter.

The fast start helped the Clippers to a 62-46 halftime lead, with the Mavericks shooting just 31.4 percent from the field in the opening two quarters. They finished at 38 percent in the game while the Clippers converted 42.3 percent.

Doncic had 15 first-half points but was just 2 of 9 from the field and 0 of 5 from 3-point range, though he did go 11 of 11 from the free-throw line.

Seth Curry finished the night with 13 points for Dallas, and J.J. Barea added 12 points in just his third game of the season.

The Clippers built their advantage to as many as 22 in the third quarter when they shot 54.5 percent from the field, and they led 93-77 at the start of the fourth.

Lou Williams had 21 off the Los Angeles bench, and Montrezl Harrell added 12 as the Clippers won at Dallas for the first time since November 2016.

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NBA: Lakers ride James' triple-double to win over Mavs

LeBron James had 39 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to defeat host Dallas Mavericks 119-110 in overtime Friday night.

James, who also had four steals, connected on 13 of 23 shots from the floor, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. Anthony Davis scored 31 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Lakers, who overcame a 15-point deficit and won their fourth in a row. Danny Green had 14 points, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime.

Luka Doncic also recorded a triple-double, finishing with 31 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 16 points and 9 rebounds, while Dwight Powell had 14 points for the Mavericks.

Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma made his season debut, scoring 9 points in 19 minutes. He had been out due to a left ankle injury.

The Lakers scored the first 7 points in the extra session and never trailed in OT. The Mavericks cut the deficit to 110-108 after a 3-pointer by Doncic with 2:59 remaining, but a bucket by Davis and a 3-pointer by James increased the lead to 7 to clinch the win for the Lakers.

Davis' jumper gave the Lakers a 100-99 lead with 1:20 remaining in regulation. However, a 3-pointer by Dorian Finney-Smith put the Mavericks up 102-100 with 31 seconds left. A free throw by Powell gave the Mavericks a 3-point edge before Green's trey forced overtime.

A 10-0 run to start the third allowed the Lakers to knot the score at 58 after a layup by Avery Bradley less than three minutes into the quarter. The clubs traded leads for much of the period before a late 9-2 surge helped the Mavericks go up 85-76 heading into the fourth.

Dallas held a 58-48 advantage at the break. James led all scorers in the first half with 14 points while Davis had 13.

Doncic finished the half with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Porzingis added 12 first-half points.

The Mavericks dominated the boards, outrebounding the Lakers 61-41, including an 18-6 edge on the offensive end.

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NBA: Last dance? Dirk, D-Wade bask in fading All-Star glow

CHARLOTTE -- Dirk Nowitzki wants to be everywhere, treating his final NBA All-Star Weekend as if it were his first.

The novelty is not gone for Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks' forward who entered the NBA in the 1998 draft out of Germany, who is serving as an honorary All-Star Sunday as part of Team Giannis.

"This could be the last time I'm on this stage. I'm taking it all in," Nowitzki, 40, said Saturday during a practice at Bojangles Coliseum.

Revived by rookie wunderkind Luka Doncic and his other "half-my-age" teammates, Nowitzki hasn't decided whether to play next season -- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has a spot in the organization waiting either way -- but Nowitzki wants to be on the court Sunday.

"This isn't getting old," Nowitzki, a 14-time All-Star, said after a self-deprecating jab at his own age.

Friday night Nowitzki acted as an assistant coach for Team World in the Rising Stars Challenge. And if he finds a seat he likes Saturday night, he'll be there for the 3-point shootout and slam dunk competition, too.

Dwyane Wade turned 37 in January and is an All-Star with Team LeBron. Wade said last week his only goal with to throw James, his former teammate with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, one final lob.

Wade conceded Saturday he has bigger goals, but he doesn't know if he will find five minutes or 20 in the game.

"I'm excited for it," said Wade, an All-Star for the 13th time. "LeBron being the captain, picking me to be on his team, this is the perfect ending to me and his careers like this."

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NBA: Curry drops 48 as Warriors escape Mavericks

Stephen Curry scored a game-high 48 points -- 24 in each half -- and dropped the game-winning 3-pointer to allow the Golden State Warriors to escape Dallas with a 119-114 victory over the host Mavericks on Sunday night.

Curry, who scored 16 points in the first quarter, made 11 3-pointers and scored the final seven points for the Warriors in a game the Mavs led 113-108 with 3:51 to go in the game. 

Kevin Durant scored 28 points and Klay Thompson had 16 on an abysmal shooting night in which he went just 2 of 11 from beyond the arc.

Rookie of the Year favorite Luka Doncic led Dallas with 26 points, making 5 of 10 from beyond the arc and adding five assists and six rebounds.

Forward Harrison Barnes scored 22, but as he was trying to get off a game-tying 3-point attempt with five seconds to go, Barnes lost control of his dribble and helplessly watched the ball roll out of bounds.

Curry was fouled and drained two free throws to give the Warriors a four-game win streak as they head into Denver on Tuesday night for a showdown with the Nuggets.

A floater by Curry with 1:39 to go tied the game at 114-114. Barnes then missed a 3-point attempt, DeAndre Jordan snared the offensive board, got it to Doncic, who missed a step-back 3-point attempt.

Dallas lost for just the fifth time in 21 home games.

The Warriors closed the first half on a 25-11 run for a 62-54 lead. Curry and Durant combined for 41 of the Warriors' first-half points.

Dallas continued to claw and keep the game within striking distance by nearly matching Golden State from the 3-point arc, hitting 16 of 38 for the game compared to Golden State's 19 of 45, and by outscoring the Warriors by 12 at the free throw line.

Jordan finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Mavs, and rookie guard Jalen Brunson added 12 points in 30 minutes with his playing time increased due to the Achilles injury to bench leader J.J. Barea.

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NBA: Mavs hand Warriors 3rd loss in 4 games

Rookie Luka Doncic hit the go-ahead hook shot with 70 seconds left, and the host Dallas Mavericks halted a 10-game losing streak to the Golden State Warriors with a dramatic 112-109 victory Saturday night.

Doncic scored 24 points and helped the Mavericks win their fourth straight when he gave Dallas a 109-108 lead. Dallas then got stops as Kevin Durant missed a hook shot on the next possession and a fadeaway with 23.8 seconds left and Klay Thompson missed a baseline jumper with 10.6 seconds left.

Doncic made two free throws with 7.2 seconds remaining, and the Mavericks sweated out the final seconds as Harrison Barnes fouled Durant with six seconds left.

Durant missed the second free throw, and Jonas Jerebko got the rebound, but DeAndre Jordan blocked his hook shot with 3.4 seconds left. The game ended when Doncic corralled the rebound in the final seconds.

Barnes added 23 for the Mavericks, who also won for the second time in the last 19 meetings with Golden State and shot 46.5 percent.

Durant led all scorers with 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting but faltered in the fourth quarter. He was 1-of-7 in the final 12 minutes as the Warriors lost for the third time in four games and also dropped consecutive games for the 11th time under coach Steve Kerr.

Klay Thompson added 22 for the Warriors, who shot 44.7 percent and 9-of-33 on 3-pointers.

The Warriors played without Draymond Green, who sat out with a right toe injury. Jerebko started for Green and totaled five points and 10 rebounds.

Durant scored 18 points as the Warriors shot 53 percent and took a 59-57 lead into halftime. He added 11 more in the third, but Golden State could not fend off Dallas and held an 86-82 lead through three.

The Warriors built a 90-82 lead less than a minute into the fourth on a 10-footer by Quinn Cook, but Dallas took a 93-92 lead on Dwight Powell's three-point play with 9:18 left.

It was 97-96 Golden State after J.J. Barea hit a 29-foot 3-pointer with 6:42 left. Thompson hit a 3-pointer with 6:21 to go, and Durant returned moments later, but the Warriors could not make the plays down the stretch.

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NBA: Randolph, Kings overpower Mavericks

Zach Randolph scored 11 of his game-high 22 points while the Sacramento Kings were running up a 14-point lead in the first quarter Tuesday night, paving the way to a 114-109 win over the Mavericks in Dallas.

The win was the Kings' second in three meetings with the Mavericks this season.

J.J. Barea had a 19-point, 13-assist double-double for Dallas, which joined Atlanta and Phoenix as the NBA's first three 40-game losers. Berea's assist total was a season high.

Randolph connected on his first of two 3-point attempts among five field goals in the early runaway. The Kings more than doubled the Mavericks' total, 27-13, into the final minute of the first quarter.

Randolph's second 3-pointer gave Sacramento its largest lead of the first half, 61-38, with 2:02 left in the second quarter.

The Kings went on to lead by as many as 26 points in the third period en route to a fourth win in their past six road games.

Dallas, which has lost nine of its past 11, got no closer than 10 in the second half until the final seconds.

Randolph's point total, his highest since pouring in 26 at New Orleans on January 30, was the product of 10-for-15 shooting, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range.

Bogdan Bogdanovic dropped in three 3-pointers to account for almost half of his 19 points for the Kings, who had opened a three-game trip with a competitive 111-106 loss at Minnesota on Sunday.

Garrett Temple added 13 points, Justin Jackson 12, Kosta Koufos and De'Aaron Fox 11 apiece and Willie Cauley-Stein 10 for Sacramento, which connected on 54 percent of its shots.

Randolph also shared game-high rebounding honors with Koufos with seven. Fox complemented his 11 points with a team-high seven assists.

Harrison Barnes and Dwight Powell scored 18 points apiece, Dennis Smith Jr. had 17, Wes Matthews 13 and Dirk Nowitzki 12 for Dallas, which had beaten the Los Angeles Lakers, 130-123, in its last home game.

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Harden keys Rockets' win over Mavericks

James Harden keyed a sizzling start and, after a sluggish second quarter, the Houston Rockets caught fire again in the third in rolling to a 104-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday at American Airlines Center.

Harden finished with 25 points and 13 assists. He tallied nine points on three 3-pointers in the first quarter as Houston started 8-for-8 from the floor, including 6-for-6 from behind the arc. The Rockets shot 59.1 percent in the opening period, drilling 10 of 14 3s while taking a 38-28 lead.

Trevor Ariza added 23 points, hitting 5 of 14 3-pointers. Eric Gordon (17 points, 4 of 7 treys), Clint Capela (16 points, 13 rebounds) and Chris Paul (12 points, seven boards, four assists) all reached double figures for the Rockets, who have won seven of eight games and improved to 6-2 against their Southwest Division foes.

Houston finished 21-of-51 from behind the arc.

 
The Mavericks have dropped four of five. Dallas forward Wesley Matthews stroked a 3 to open the scoring before Harden and Paul responded with treys that provided Houston the lead for good. Matthews finished with a game-high 29 points and converted 7 of 14 3-pointers.

Houston missed its opening nine attempts in the second quarter, enabling the Mavericks to close their deficit to four points. But Ariza and Harden sandwiched driving layups around a pair of 3-pointers, one from Ariza and another from Gordon, as the Rockets reclaimed a double-digit lead. Gordon had missed 16 consecutive 3s over two games against the Warriors and Heat.

Despite missing 29 of 39 shots following their blistering start, the Rockets maintained a 51-45 lead at the break. By the midpoint of the third period, Houston added three 3-pointers plus a three-point play to its ledger and led 67-53. The Rockets stretched their advantage to 18 points in the third quarter and led by as many as 20 before the Mavericks rallied in garbage time.

Guard Yogi Ferrell scored 19 points off the bench for the Mavericks, who shot just 42.7 percent.

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Lakers outlast Mavs in overtime, 107-101

Julius Randle recorded 23 points and 15 rebounds and Jordan Clarkson scored five of his 19 points in overtime as the Los Angeles Lakers stretched their season-best winning streak to four games with a 107-101 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

Kyle Kuzma scored 18 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tallied 17 for the Lakers. Kuzma also collected 10 rebounds as Los Angeles held a 59-39 edge on the boards.

Dennis Smith Jr. scored 17 of his 23 points in the first half for Dallas. Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews added 17 points apiece and Dwight Powell scored 13 on 6-of-7 shooting for the Mavericks, who had a modest two-game winning streak snapped.


Clarkson drained a 3-pointer for the first points of overtime. He later added a jumper to make it 104-99 with two minutes left, and Dallas managed only two free throws the rest of the way.

Los Angeles used a strong fourth-quarter push to force overtime. The Lakers posted a 7-0 run to hold a 92-87 edge with 1:25 remaining in regulation as Caldwell-Pope began the spurt with a go-ahead 3-pointer and Clarkson and Randle added baskets to make it 92-87.

Consecutive baskets by Barnes and Smith pushed Dallas within 94-93 with 14 seconds left. After Caldwell-Pope split two free throws, Barnes' hoop knotted the score at 95 with 5.9 seconds remaining, and Los Angeles' Lonzo Ball missed a jumper just prior to the buzzer.

Lakers forward Brandon Ingram exited in the second quarter due to a sprained left ankle.

Dallas began a 10-0 run in the final minute of the third quarter and took an 80-70 lead on Dirk Nowitzki's 3-pointer with 9:32 to play. The Lakers answered with a 15-3 burst and took the lead on a Kuzma shot with 4:40 remaining before a free throw by Randle made it 85-83 with 3:59 to play.

Randle scored 10 first-quarter points as the Lakers jumped out to a 31-20 lead.

Los Angeles led by six with just over five minutes left in the second quarter before the Mavericks erupted with 15 straight points. Smith scored seven points during the surge and Ferrell capped it with a 3-pointer to give Dallas a 52-43 lead with 2:13 to play.

The Mavericks took a 52-46 lead into the break.

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Knicks hold off Mavs' rally, end three-game skid

Kristaps Porzingis had 29 points and eight rebounds and Jarrett Jack drained the tiebreaking shot to help the New York Knicks post a 100-96 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night in Dallas.

Kyle O'Quinn contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench as New York halted a three-game slide and won for just the second time in the past nine contests. Enes Kanter recorded 13 points and 18 rebounds and Jack had 12 points and eight assists.

Harrison Barnes scored 25 points for the Mavericks, who have lost three straight following a season-best four-game winning streak. Wesley Matthews added 14 points but Dallas shot just 37.4 percent from the field - including 6 of 24 from 3-point range - and was outrebounded 59-40.

  
The Knicks blew a late 13-point lead but were rescued by Jack, who hit an 11-foot floater in the lane with 31.4 seconds left for a 96-94 edge. Courtney Lee tacked on four three throws to boost the lead to six before Barnes scored a meaningless basket.

The margin was three early in the fourth quarter before Frank Ntilikina and O'Quinn tallied back-to-back baskets to cap a 9-0 surge as the Knicks took an 86-74 lead with 7:08 remaining. O'Quinn later scored in the interior to push the score to 90-77 with 4:49 to play.

New York still held an eight-point lead after two free throws by Porzingis with 3:25 to play. But Barnes began an 8-0 burst with a 3-pointer and Devin Harris ended it with another 3 to tie the score at 92 with 2:28 to play.

Porzingis scored 13 points and Kanter added 11 as the Knicks took a 56-52 lead into the break.

New York started strong with the game's first eight points and later held a 22-11 advantage after Doug McDermott's 3-pointer with 4:37 left in the opening quarter. The Knicks were 14-of-19 shooting and led 33-25 at the end of the stanza.

New York led 48-38 after a 3-point by Ntilikina with 5:31 remaining in the half before Dallas finished strong and moved within four on Smith's 3-pointer as time expired.

Porzingis scored 10 of the Knicks' 19 third-quarter points as New York led 75-71 entering the final stanza.

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Dazzling Irving makes it sweet 16 for Celtics

LOS ANGELES -- Kyrie Irving exploded for 47 points as the Boston Celtics notched their 16th consecutive victory with a thrilling overtime defeat of the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

Irving was in sensational form at the Mavs' American Airlines Center, helping Boston overturn a late fourth quarter deficit before powering to a 110-102 win.

Irving's haul included five three-pointers and three rebounds as Boston came back from 89-79 down with just over five minutes remaining in the final quarter to win.

Boston improved to 16-2 with the victory to head the Eastern Conference. Dallas fell to 3-15 with the loss.

The Mavericks, however, came close to a morale-boosting victory against the team setting the early season pace.

Harrison Barnes scored 31 points for the Mavericks to lead the home scoring, with Wesley Matthews adding 18 points.

J.J. Barea added 16 points while German veteran Dirk Nowitzki scored 14.

But the Mavericks efforts were in vain as Irving turned on the style to drag Boston over the line.

Jaylen Brown also made a hefty contribution with 22 points while Jayson Tatum had 15 and Marcus Smart 12.

It was Irving's contribution that proved critical, however, as the former Cleveland Cavaliers star produced 10 points in overtime to seal the win.

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Bogut called for flagrant foul on Harden as tempers flare

Tempers flared between the Houston Rockets and Dallas on Tuesday, with the Mavericks' Australian center Andrew Bogut among those involved in the thick of the action.

Bogut seemed confused about why he had been called for a flagrant foul that helped spur a game-changing 16-0 run by the Rockets in the second quarter.

Both locker rooms had plenty to say even though the Rockets won a lopsided game 123-107 in Dallas.

The teams combined for eight technical fouls and two Flagrant 1s and even saw Houston's Trevor Ariza ejected in the fourth quarter.

It all may have stemmed from a Flagrant 1 called on Bogut in the second quarter, when he tried to lay a hard screen on Houston star James Harden. The Rockets were on an 11-0 run at that point, and it became a 16-0 run after Bogut's foul.

Harden made both free throws and then drained a three-pointer on the ensuing possession, a pivotal stretch that Dallas coach Rick Carlisle called "the killer" for his team's chances.


The players were a little more colorful than that.

"I don't know what they was on tonight," Harden said. "That other team was trippin' tonight, just disrespectful, unprofessional -- players and coaches.

"I don't know what was their problem, but I think that got us going. They wanted to throw a little cheap shot and just woke us up a little bit, and it was over from there."

Bogut didn't feel he warranted a flagrant foul on the play. He didn't get an explanation from the officials, quipping that he'll have to go through his agent and Mavs general manager Donnie Nelson to try to avoid a fine.

"If you watch the replay, yeah, (Harden) made no effort to run around my screen," said Bogut, who had missed the previous 11 games with a bone bruise in his right knee.

"So obviously I turned to protect myself and hit him and he went face-first into my shoulder. Yeah, it was a hard screen and I set hard screens. But to get a flagrant for it is kind of head-scratching when I felt like (Mavs guard) Justin Anderson had his wrist in a ju-jitsu hold four plays later, and that was brushed off like a regular foul."

Bogut then took a subtle shot at the league office.

"You admire the effort the league's putting in Secaucus (New Jersey) with that beautiful facility where they watch replays and watch TV and have leather chairs and all that kind of stuff," Bogut said.

"But you scratch your head at a lot of these things and it becomes very, very frustrating."

The competitive juices certainly flowed during and after the game.

But Bogut acknowledged that his flagrant had nothing to do with the outcome, saying the Mavs "got absolutely killed." The Rockets were just too strong for them once again.

The Rockets (24-9) swept all four games against the Mavericks for the first time since the 1997-98 season, and they have won 13 of their last 15.

Harden led the way with 34 points, 11 assists and five rebounds. Forward Ryan Anderson finished with 22 points.

But the intensity of the game became the story.

"Obviously it's a competition," Anderson said. "You have guys battling each other, you get hit and you feel like you have to retaliate sometimes. But we held our heads, we got the win, and that's all that matters."

The Mavs (9-23), meanwhile, own the worst winning percentage in the Western Conference at .391. Harrison Barnes led them with 21 points, while Wesley Matthews had 19.

For his part, Matthews wasn't pleased with the number of technical and flagrant fouls on the night.

"I don't know what that was. It wasn't even basketball," Matthews said.

"Tempers between two in-state teams that play each other four times ... We have to be better than that. There was opportunity for us to channel it into basketball, and we didn't do that."

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