SACRAMENTO, CALIF. ? Jason Terry’s driving three-point play with 12.6 seconds to go gave the Dallas Mavericks the lead and the Sacramento Kings were once again left pleading for a goaltending call in a 115-113 loss Friday night.
The Kings have lost four in a row for the first time since dropping the last four games of the 1999-00 season and now head on the road for nine of their next 10 games.
This is a game they thought they had when Cuttino Mobley drove to the basket with 27.7 seconds to go and a one-point lead. Erick Dampier came over and blocked Mobley’s shot after it hit the backboard, but the ball did not appear to be on its way down yet.
The Kings pleaded for a goaltending call that never came. It was similar to Tuesday night’s loss to Phoenix when Amare Stoudemire blocked Brad Miller’s shot with less than a second to go to preserve a two-point win.
Kings coach Rick Adelman screamed “Not again!” and owners Gavin and Joe Maloof pointed to video board to no avail. Noted referee heckler and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban smirked during the argument.
Terry scored on a driving layup on the other end and was fouled by Chris Webber. He converted the free throw to make it 115-113, and Mike Bibby missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Kings.
Mobley had to be held back from going after the officials by Miller after the game.
Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 27 points, Michael Finley added 19 and Terry 17 as coach Don Nelson tied Dick Motta with the most wins in franchise history with 329.
Bibby led the Kings with 25, Webber added 23 points and 11 rebounds and Miller had 22 points and 10 boards.
Nowitzki gave Dallas its first lead of the fourth quarter with two free throws that made it 110-109 with 3:06 to play. Webber answered with a jump hook before Nowitzki put Dallas back ahead 112-111 with 2:08 to go with two more foul shots.
Two free throws by Miller put the Kings up 113-112 on the next possession but that would be their last points. Webber missed two free throws with 1:18 to go and Bibby missed a shot just before Dampier’s block of Mobley.
These teams are familiar foes, meeting for the 22nd time over the last three seasons. The Kings knocked Dallas out of the playoffs last season, getting revenge for Dallas’ seven-game win in 2002-03.
Like most of those meetings, this one was also dominated by the offenses. Dallas and Sacramento who have been in the top five in scoring in the league in each of the last six years.
After Bibby hit a 3-pointer to give the Kings a 96-92 lead on their first possession of the fourth quarter, Sacramento had outscored half of the 22 teams that had already played Friday night.
The Mavericks shot 60 percent in the first half and still trailed 64-61 because the Kings made 54 percent of their shots and had five players in double figures in the opening half.
Sacramento capitalized on early foul trouble by Dampier, who picked up his third personal with 2:47 to go in the first quarter. With Finley forced to match up at times with Miller, who has a 5-inch and 36-pound size advantage, the Kings were able to score inside.
Miller and Webber each had 13 points in the half and combined for half of Sacramento’s 48 shots in the first half.
