Mavericks down the Cavaliers 104-95 to halt three-match losing streak
After clinging on to the LeBron James betrayal mantra for the early part of the season, time seems to be running out for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Having lost 16 of their last seventeen encounters coming into the match, things took a turn for the worse, as a Nowitzki-less Dallas Mavericks inflicted a 104-95
defeat on them at the Quickens Loans Arena on Sunday night.
Dallas took the field without their ace sharp-shooter Dirk Nowitzki and starting forward Caron Butler (knee injury). The Mavericks though, were not the only ones
with injury concerns. Cleveland were equally short-handed and played without centre Anderson Varejao (broken cheekbone) and guard Daniel Gibson (bruised thigh).
Despite being down a pair of starters, the Wine and Gold stayed within striking distance of Dallas all night, and it took some gritty defence down the stretch from
the visitors to fight off a 35-point effort from Antawn Jamison.
First Half
The Mavericks started the match with a bang as they showcased an exhilarating display of offensive firepower to romp ahead to a 21-7 advantage midway through the
first quarter.
The Cavaliers however, refused to let the match flow in the same vein. Ramon Sessions sprung from the bench for a jumper, kick-starting a vociferous comeback which
saw the home team reeling off a 21-6 surge, capped by a jam from J.J. Hickson to go up 28-27 early in the second. The Cavaliers were their own enemy on the night though, as they committed
six turnovers in a space of nearly six minutes, complemented by an array of fouls to hand Dallas an easy passage of play.
The Mavs made those mistakes count, knocking down four from downtown in a 22-6 spurt that sparked them to a 49-34 lead. The Cavaliers though were playing with a determination
that has not been visible in their ranks all season, as they rallied back with a 13-6 stretch.
Second Half
With the score poised at 55-47 .until half time, both teams jump-started the second half with some pin-point shooting. The desperate Cavaliers made a bevy of surges
on the Mavericks ring, but every time they nudged close, the Mavericks always seemed ready with a counter-punch. The topsy-turvy period strengthened Dallas' stranglehold in the game, as they never allowed the Cavaliers within an eight point barrier.
The teams headed into the final quarter with the score at 79-69, and the Mavericks continued to make it tough for the Cavaliers to make the final push. The quarter
was matched at 26-25 as the Mavericks breezed to a 104-95 win. Antawn Jamison led Cleveland with a season-high 35 points and 10 rebounds, while Ramon Sessions came off to bench to finish
with 19 points.
For the Mavericks, all starters got into the double figures, as Shawn Marion (22 points) and DeShawn Stevenson (21 points) scored season-highs to pace the balanced
attack.
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