Mavericks run into buzz saw
Raptors hold Dallas 0-for-13 on 3-pointers to end six-game skid.
TORONTO — Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle had glowing praise for an old pal turned opponent. He wasn’t as kind when it came to his own team.
Linas Kleiza scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, rookie Terrence Ross had 18 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Mavericks 95-74 on Friday night, snapping a six-game losing streak.
“We played poorly and they played great,” Carlisle said. “I don’t know how else to sum it up. It’s as simple as that.”
Not quite that simple, really.
Carlisle made sure to credit Toronto coach Dwane Casey, his former assistant in Dallas, for his efforts on the sideline.
“After tonight, I think it’s very, very clear that whatever problems the Raptors franchise have are completely unrelated to coaching,” Carlisle said. “Dwane Casey is doing a great job with a roster that’s beat up.”
Casey took over the Raptors last season, but has endured questions about his status as Toronto stumbled to a 419 start. Still, Casey didn’t call Friday’s victory cause for relief.
“We still have a lot of games to play,” he said. “We need to continue with the basics.”
DeMar DeRozan and Jose Calderon scored 14 points each for the Raptors, who had lost 14 of their previous 17 meetings with the Mavericks.
Dallas came in ranked as the NBA’s fifth-best 3-point shooting team but endured a miserable shooting night. The Mavericks went 0-for-13 from 3-point range, coming up empty for the first time since February 1999. Their stretch of 1,108 games had been the longest active streak in the NBA.
“The whole team played like (garbage) tonight,” O.J. Mayo said.
Derek Fisher was credited with a 3-pointer at 9:09 of the fourth, but the basket was later changed to a 2 after video review.
Casey called it one of Toronto’s best defensive efforts of the season.
“Our guys did a good job as a whole,” Casey said.
Shawn Marion had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who lost their second straight and dropped below .500 at 11-12. Chris Kaman scored 15 points and Mayo added 10.
Dallas lost 117-115 in double overtime at Boston on Wednesday.
“It’s frustrating,” Kaman said.
Mayo, Dallas’ leading scorer this season, didn’t make his first field goal until a driving hook shot with 1:08 left in the third. He finished with six turnovers, giving him 15 in his past two games.
“Just got to get better,” he said. “Can’t keep turning the ball over and expect to help this team win.”
Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Serge Ibaka added 18 points and 11 rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the visiting Sacramento Kings 113-103 on Friday night for their 10th straight win.
It’s the franchise’s longest winning streak since November 1996, when it won 11 in a row as the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Kings didn’t go away easily, closing to 103-98 after trailing by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter. Isaiah Thomas scored all 26 of his points in the final 13½ minutes. He had four 3-pointers, a layup and a jumper during a 23-4 comeback attempt by Sacramento.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks had already emptied his bench, but ended up calling timeout to put starters back in and hold off the Kings.
Lakers 102, Wizards 96: Kobe Bryant had 30 points, and reserve Jodie Meeks scored 24, helping the visiting Lakers beat Washington to end a four-game losing streak. Cartier Martin scored a season-high 21 points for Washington, which fell to an NBA-worst 3-17. After his team’s 116-107 loss at the New York on Thursday, Bryant opined: “At this point, I wish we had the Washington Generals on our schedule.” Instead, they got the Wizards, who took a 41-32 lead on Martin’s threepoint play with 7½ minutes left in the second quarter before the Lakers rallied.
Pacers 95, 76ers 85: Paul George scored 28 points and Roy Hibbert had 19 points and a season-high 14 rebounds to lead host Indiana over Philadelphia. George scored 14 points during a third-quarter flurry that changed the game. Philadelphia played without guard Jrue Holiday, who sat out with a sprained left foot. Evan Turner had 20 points and Spencer