RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) -- With Vince Carter grounded, Michael Finley soared.
|  | | Dirk Nowitzki had 19 points Tuesday, despite taking some punishment from Charles Oakley of the Raptors. |
Finley took advantage of the first missed game of Carter's career, scoring a season-high 32 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 107-93 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.
Steve Nash added 21 points and 10 assists as the Mavericks won for the fifth time in six games, continuing the best start in
franchise history.
"It's easier without Vince," Nash said. "Sometimes teams play better trying to make up for a star, but their style is different without him."
Carter, the NBA's second-leading scorer at 27.5 points per game, remained in Toronto for treatment on a strained tendon in his left quadriceps. He had played 145 straight games since coming into the league three years ago.
Carter was hurt Sunday in Chicago. Although listed as day-to-day, he'll also miss Toronto's game in Charlotte on Wednesday night.
Without him around to match Finley leap for leap, the Raptors decided to take their chances and let Finley shoot from the outside -- especially after his dunk provided Dallas' first points, ending an 0-for-9 start and prompting him to wave his arms and scream,
"Let's go! Let's go!"
Toronto stuck with its beat-us-deep strategy even after Finley buried three straight jumpers in the first quarter. He also made four straight in the second quarter, then sealed the victory with a layup and long jumper in the final 2:14, each keeping the lead at 10 points.
"Once we got into a comfortable flow and figured out what they
were doing defensively against us, we started playing real well,"
said Finley, who finished 16-of-29.
Corliss Williamson led the Raptors with 22 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. Toronto had won three straight and three
in a row on the road.
"We were short-handed, but this was a winnable game," said Mark Jackson, who had 13 points and nine assists. "We're not a young team. We're a veteran team and we understood what we had to do. We just didn't do it."
Del Curry started in place of Carter and had nine points in a 31 minutes, 11 more than his previous high this season. Rookie Morris Peterson, coming off a career-best 18 points, added 10 and Alvin Williams scored just 2 in 21 minutes.
The Raptors were especially hurt by their 16 turnovers.
"We talked about not being in a hurry, but then we'd see a guy open and rush to get the ball inside," coach Lenny Wilkens said. "That's just guys being anxious."
Fired up by their first appearance on national television since January 1998, the Mavericks came out misfiring. They didn't score on their first 10 possessions, yet Toronto led only 8-0 and Dallas was within three by the end of the quarter.
"We did come out flat," said Nash, who had the added bonus of
being seen nationwide in his native Canada. "Maybe we were a
little nervous, a little excited, but we didn't try to treat it
different than any other game."
Dallas got a scare in the final minutes when Hubert Davis hurt
his right knee and had to be helped off the court. He fell without
being hit while spinning at the top of the key, away from the
ball.
Game notes
Mark Cuban fine alert: The Mavericks went 30 minutes, 54
seconds before going to the free throw line. The owner watched the
game from the upper deck and said he didn't even notice the
drought. ... Dallas signed forward Mark Bryant and waived forward
Bill Curley, who played just five games. ... Dallas coach-general
manager Don Nelson will not join the team Thursday in Portland to
undergo a biopsy of his swollen prostate. Assistant coach Del
Harris will take his place. Nelson expects to return to the bench
Saturday against Golden State.
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NBA Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
Raptors' Carter grounded with case of 'jumper's knee'
RECAPS
Atlanta 102
Washington 75
Boston 87
Cleveland 72
Milwaukee 102
Miami 101
Utah 98
New Jersey 92
Dallas 107
Toronto 93
Minnesota 96
Chicago 76
Sacramento 88
Houston 81
Seattle 105
Portland 93
LA Lakers 124
Indiana 107
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