Stackhouse scores 23 in Mavs' sixth straight win

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Avery Johnson cited his Dallas Mavericks' defense and rebounding as the reasons for the victory that sent their coach to the All-Star game.

He also knew the Golden State Warriors helped out just as much with a phenomenally inept fourth quarter.

Jerry Stackhouse scored a season-high 23 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 18 and the Mavericks roared past the Warriors in the final minutes for their sixth straight victory, 102-93 on Wednesday night.

Jason Terry scored 16 points for the Mavericks, who got their 17th road victory of the season and improved to 4-0 on their five-game road trip. After Johnson watched his team trudge through the first half of their first game in three days, he was pleased to see a near-flawless finish.

And the Mavs had plenty of help from the Warriors, who absolutely fell apart in the fourth quarter -- missing their first 16 shots and going 10:42 between field goals.

"They missed some shots, but I know we contested them better in the fourth quarter than we did all game," said Johnson, who clinched the right to coach the Western Conference All-Stars in Houston next month. "(The All-Star game) is nothing about me. It just shows the guys that play for the Mavs won some games."

The Mavs have won more than a few: They're 32-10. Dallas overcame a slow start with dynamic play in the final minutes, scoring 15 consecutive points spanning the final two quarters before cruising to its 12th victory in the last 13 trips to Oakland.

"They got off to a pretty good start, and we were pretty much sleepwalking through the first half," said Stackhouse, who hit three 3-pointers for the second straight game. "Really the key was our rebounding and getting them to work on the offensive end. We started to get some second-chance opportunities, and we held them to one shot."

Baron Davis had 26 points and 10 assists, while Troy Murphy added 22 points and 14 rebounds -- but Golden State managed just four free throws while Dallas pulled away in front of a booing home crowd. Mickael Pietrus' short hook with 1:47 to play was the Warriors' first field goal of the fourth quarter, ending a 24-4 run by Dallas.

"All of a sudden, we went stone cold," coach Mike Montgomery said. "We just can't sustain the level. Part of it is rebounding, and part of it is free throw shooting. When we learn to play, (and) sustain a level like we're capable of, then we'll be able to beat these teams."

The Warriors have lost eight of their last 10, falling into disarray at the midway point of the season after their most promising start since their last trip to the playoffs in 1994.

"We're better than we've been since I've been here, but we're also more disappointed, because we have the talent to be over .500," said Mike Dunleavy, who scored just eight points in 38 minutes. "You just have to stick with it and fight through it. Who knows how good this team can be or where we'll finish up?"

The Mavericks took their first lead since the opening minutes on Stackhouse's 3-pointer early in the fourth, then went ahead 87-78 on Nowitzki's jumper with 6:51 to play.

Though Jason Richardson finally ended Golden State's scoreless quarter with one free throw moments later, he then left the game clutching his back. Richardson finished with 17 points.

The defeat was another late-game embarrassment for the Warriors, who blew a 19-point lead in the second half of their home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

Devin Harris led Dallas with 11 points in the first half, but sprained his right shoulder with 2.1 seconds left in the first half when he ran facefirst into Mike Dunleavy's pick. Harris was flat on the court for several seconds before walking awkwardly to the locker room.

Golden State led by 11 points in the first quarter when the Mavericks came out in an uncharacteristic shooting slump. Murphy went 8-for-11 in the first half, scoring 17 points.

Game notes
F Keith Van Horn returned after missing the Mavs' past three games with a sprained left ankle. He scored two points in 16 minutes. ... Erick Dampier, who spent seven seasons with the Warriors, was booed heartily. He left Golden State in a sign-and trade deal before last season. ... Dallas finishes its road trip Thursday at Seattle.