Washington at Dallas

[Real Deal]

TIME: 8:30 PM ET

TV: NBALP

[Built Ford Tough]

DALLAS -- Rodrigue Beaubois finished for the Dallas Mavericks, a good sign for a team trying to get back on track while also preserving veterans like Jason Kidd.

 

Beaubois made some acrobatic moves to keep balls in play and scored 19 points, including five straight in a clinching stretch early in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks got a desperately needed 107-98 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

 

"From start to finish, you look at offense, defense, decision making, it's one of his best game's he's had," coach Rick Carlisle said. "Really significant because down the stretch I wanted to keep Kidd out if possible. ... He did a great job, so there's some real growth there."

 

Kidd, only 10 days shy of his 39th birthday, wasn't needed in the fourth quarter.

 

Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points and Jason Terry, who like Beaubouis played the entire fourth quarter, had 24. Vince Carter added 14, while Shawn Marion had 10 points and 13 rebounds.

 

The defending NBA champions had lost eight of their previous 10 games. There were three road losses in three nights before a short break leading into consecutive home games against the league's two worst teams.

 

"I thought Roddy gave us a lift," Nowitzki said. "We've got to work for everything we get and grind those wins out."

 

After Terry's short jumper early in the fourth quarter, Beaubois quickly followed with five consecutive points in less than a minute. That 7-0 run put the Mavs up 92-79 with 8½ minutes left.

 

Beaubois made a 12-footer, then followed up Terry's miss with a putback layup and extended his personal run with a free throw on the next possession with 8½ minutes left.

 

"We weren't playing that good so we needed this," Beaubois said. "I try to attack and play my game. I made jumpers and made some layups. I try to be aggressive but I'm also a point guard so I try to get other guys the ball. I'm learning."

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20120313_WAS@DAL