Nowitzki carries Mavs over Grizzlies

Despite shooting just 7-of-18 from the field, Nowitzki converted 10-of-12 from the line while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out five assists.

Erick Dampier added 22 points with 15 boards and Jerry Stackhouse had 19 points for the Mavericks, who have won four straight.

Hakim Warrick poured in 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting with eight rebounds and Stromile Swift scored 21 points for the Grizzlies, who have dropped six in a row.

Mike Miller finished with 16 points while Chucky Atkins and Damon Stoudamire each contributed 11 in defeat.

Memphis shot 52 percent (38-for-73) from the field.

This was the first game of a home-and-home series as both teams will meet again in Dallas on Saturday.

The Mavericks led by as many as seven, 17-10, with 7:08 to play in the first quarter, but Swift’s two free throws and a dunk tied the game for the Grizzlies minutes later. A reverse layup by Memphis’ Lawrence Roberts with five seconds left ended the first, 28-28.

The Grizzlies opened the second with an 8-2 spurt on three jumpers by Stoudamire and one by Dahntay Jones. Dampier’s two free throws put Dallas within one with 4:43 remaining, but Warrick answered by draining a jumper and dunking twice while Kyle Lowry scored five points in the final 1 1/2 minutes to give Memphis a 57-51 halftime lead.

The game remained close in the third, with each team exchanging leads. Greg Buckner’s layup and free throw put the Mavericks up 75-73 with 3 1/2 to play, but the Grizzlies ended the quarter with a three-point edge on five straight points, including a pair of free throws and a layup by Warrick.

Dallas’ offense, though, heated up in the final frame and outscored Memphis, 37-25. Trailing by seven with 10:33 to play, the Mavericks scored nine consecutive points to go up by two. Minutes later, Nowitzki padded their lead by draining a three and then a jumper for an 11-point cushion with 1 1/2 left.

Game Notes

Dallas finished 46 percent shooting...Memphis shot just 20 percent (1-for-5) from three-point range.