Jefferson, Bobcats get rare win over Mavs 114-89


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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Al Jefferson scored 30 points, Anthony Tolliver added 22, and the Charlotte Bobcats earned a rare win over the Dallas Mavericks, 114-89 on Tuesday night.

The Bobcats had lost 17 of 18 against the Mavericks, but they scored 60 points in the paint and tied a season-high with 12 3-pointers to snap Dallas' five-game winning streak.

Tolliver was 5 of 6 from 3-point range, and the Bobcats went 12 of 24 from beyond the arc.

Jefferson was 14 of 23 from the field and reached the 20-point plateau for the 14th time in 15 games. He has averaged 27 points per game during that span.

Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki sprained his left ankle in the second quarter and was taken to the locker room for observation. He returned in the second half and finished with 16 points in 25 minutes.

Charlotte's rare _ and relatively easy _ victory came on the night it was announced that Bobcats owner Michael Jordan's wife gave birth to the couple's identical twin daughters.

Jordan's spokeswoman Estee Portnoy told The Associated Press on Tuesday night that Yvette Jordan gave birth to Victoria and Ysabel on Sunday in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Jordan wasn't at the game.

The Bobcats built a 58-44 lead at halftime behind 16 points each from Jefferson and Tolliver, who was 4 of 5 from the field with three 3-pointers.

Bobcats forward Josh McRoberts had a career-high 13 assists and nine points for the Bobcats (23-29), who are clinging to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Gerald Henderson added 15 points, and Bismack Biyombo scored 10 points on 5 of 5 shooting and blocked a 3-point attempt by Vince Carter.

It wasn't all good news for the Bobcats as point guard Kemba Walker left the game with stiffness in his Achilles in the second half and didn't return. The extent of his injury is uncertain.

Nowitzki had been 16-0 against the Bobcats while averaging 26.1 points per game. But he had just two points in 10 minutes of action in the first half before rolling his ankle when he landed on McRoberts' foot.

The 12-time All-Star was taken to the locker room for observation, but returned to start the second half and played 15 more minutes.

The Mavericks had averaged 109.2 points per game and shot 49.2 percent during their recent winning streak, but were held to 45 percent shooting by the Bobcats.

But Dallas' primary problem was stopping Jefferson in the paint.

Playing at the top of his game, the 10-year NBA veteran scored almost at will with a series of low post moves, pump fakes and up-and-under moves.

NOTES: The Bobcats handed out a season-high 42 assists. ... Monta Ellis had 16 points and has reached double figures in six straight games for Dallas. ... The Bobcats honored six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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