Dirk Nowitzki scores 25 points to lead Mavericks past struggling Kings 99-91

Nowitzki carries Mavs past struggling Kings 99-91

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 99-91 victory over the struggling Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.

The Mavericks used a 13-0 in the second quarter to take command and never trailed again in improving their record away from home to 12-5, the most road wins in the Western Conference.

Jose Barea scored 17 points for Dallas, which has won three of four. Josh Howard had 16 points and Jason Kidd added 14 points and seven assists.

Leading by 10 points, Nowitzki went on his own 6-0 run, making a pair of jumpers and hitting two free throws to put the Mavericks in front 93-76 with 3:39 remaining.

The Kings ran off 11 straight points to pull to 93-87 on Donte Greene’s 3-pointer with 30.1 seconds left. Howard, Jason Terry and Nowitzki all made two free throws in the final 29 seconds to help seal the victory.

Omri Casspie scored 22 points and had a career-high 11 rebounds for the Kings, who have dropped three straight and five of six overall. Jason Thompson bounced back from a scoreless game Friday against the Lakers with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

After missing the previous three games with an ankle injury, rookie Tyreke Evans started slow, missing six of seven shots, then got going late in the second quarter. Playing a bit tentative offensively, he shot 6 of 18 overall and had 14 points and six rebounds.

A consistent scorer throughout his 11-year career, Nowitzki averaged only 14.7 points in the previous three games. The NBA’s seventh leading scorer with a 25-point average, Nowitzki scored 11 and 13 in his previous two contests. The last time he had 13 or fewer points in three straight games was the final two of 1998-99 and the first one of the following season.

Against the Kings, he made 8 of 18 shots, hit all nine free throws, and added seven rebounds.

Kidd scored eight points and Nowitzki had six in the third quarter when the Mavericks built the lead to 13 points and went into the fourth ahead 77-67.

Taking advantage of several Sacramento miscues, which they turned into layups at the other end, the Mavericks reeled off 13 straight points in the second quarter. Barea scored 13 points and Nowitzki had 11 for the Mavericks. Thompson had 13 points for the Kings and Casspi added 11.

NOTES: Kidd made his first six shots before missing a 3-point attempt late in the third quarter, his only miss of the game. … Kevin Martin, who averaged 30.6 points the first five games of the season for the Kings, has missed the past 28 games with a broken wrist. There is still no date for his return, which is expected sometime this month. … Kings head coach Paul Westphal spent two seasons in the Mavericks organization, serving as executive vice president of basketball operations last year.