Finley leads fourth-quarter surge

ByABC News
March 13, 2014, 6:47 PM

— -- DALLAS (AP) -- The Dallas Mavericks got a big game from a likely source -- Michael Finley. Rookie Marquis Daniels gave the Mavericks an unlikely bonus in his third career start. Finley scored 35 points, 20 in the fourth quarter, and Daniels had 14 points, nine assists and nine rebounds as the Mavericks stretched their winning streak to six games with a 107-96 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday night. With starting point guard Steve Nash out (stomach flu) and leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki struggling to find his shooting touch (7-for-19 from the field), Finley and Daniels bailed out the Mavericks. "That was quite a test for us and we passed," Dallas coach Don Nelson said. "Marquis played quite a game for a guy that stepped in when we needed him. He almost had a triple-double ... Finley stepped up and carried us through the whole game." Finley had 11 points -- four jumpers and a 3-pointer -- in a decisive 22-1 fourth-quarter run. Finley's 20-point fourth quarter came during Dallas' season-high 38-point fourth quarter. "In the first two quarters with Steve being out, I knew I had to be more assertive," Finley said. "I was maybe a little bit too assertive. In the fourth quarter, I just let everything come to me." The 6-6 Daniels, normally a shooting guard but subbing for Nash at the point because backup Travis Best is on the injured list due to an inflamed Achilles' tendon, had career-highs for assists, rebounds and minutes (45). "I knew I had to make a quick adjustment," said Daniels, a free agent from Auburn. "I was just happy to get my chance to play and contribute and my teammates showed a lot of confidence in me." Nelson said Nash will also miss Wednesday night's game at Minnesota. Antawn Jamison added 21 points and Nowitzki had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks, who completed an unbeaten five-game homestand. Ray Allen's 25 points, Ronald Murray's 19 points and Rashard Lewis' 14 points and 11 rebounds paced the SuperSonics, who've lost four of five. The Mavericks won their eighth in a row at home heading into a three-game road trip against playoff contenders Minnesota, San Antonio and Houston. Murray's 15-footer with 1:52 left got the Sonics as close as 98-94. But Finley converted two free throws, then hit a jumper in the lane with 1:04 remaining to push Dallas' edge to 102-94. Seattle held a 77-70 advantage with 10:33 to play on Allen's layup before Dallas rallied with a 10-0 run capped by Jamison's three-point play with 8:52 left to take command, 80-77. After the Sonics got a free throw from Jerome James, the Mavericks tacked on 12 more unanswered points. The Sonics were unable to contend with Finley, who 13-for-25 from the floor and converted all six free throws. "We didn't have an answer for Finley," said Allen, who guarded Finley most of the night. "That was our demise. We had played a pretty good game up to that point." Seattle took a 71-69 lead into the fourth quarter on Murray's 14-foot jumper with 18 seconds left in the third quarter. But the Sonics were able to convert only 10 of 26 fourth-quarter field goal attempts, missing 10 straight during Dallas' big run. "I thought we had some open looks that we didn't knock down," Seattle coach Nate McMillan said. "We some easy baskets that we needed to make." Seattle led throughout the first half, going up by as many as eight with 5:29 left in the second quarter. But Dallas closed with a 14-4 run capped by Nowitzki's dunk with 35 seconds left in the second quarter for a 47-45 halftime advantage.