Howard guides Mavs past Bobcats

Dirk Nowitzki added 23 points and seven rebounds for the streaking Mavericks, who won their seventh straight game and for the 21st time in 24 contests. Devean George chipped in with 12 points.

Rookie Adam Morrison paced the Bobcats, who are a dismal 2-11 on the road this season, with 17 points and six boards off the bench. Gerald Wallace tallied 16 points while Matt Carroll finished with 14.

The Mavericks took a comfortable 13-point cushion into the fourth quarter and quickly put things away by scoring 11 of the frame’s first 15 points. Devin Harris capped the mini-run with a driving layup to make it a 20-point game, 89-69, with 7:02 left.

Charlotte never really threatened the rest of the way as the Mavs cruised toward the finish line.

The Bobcats took a slim 26-24 edge after the opening 12 minutes but Dallas recovered with a solid second quarter to take a 49-41 advantage at intermission.

The Mavs continued to pull away in the third and entered the final frame with a 78-65 lead.

Game Notes

The Mavericks, who have won five in a row at American Airlines Center, are 12-3 at home this season...The Bobcats now return home to host Washington on Wednesday and the Lakers on Friday...This was the second and final meeting of the campaign between Charlotte and the Mavericks. On November 20th, Nowitzki scored 24 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Dallas to a hard-fought 93-85 victory over the Bobcats at Charlotte Bobcats Arena...Dallas has won all six meetings between the squads. The Bobcats are 0-3 on the road against the Mavericks.