Ellis scores 38 as Mavs beat Spurs
DALLAS - Monta Ellis equaled his season high with 38 points, including 11 during the final four minutes, to spark a late rally as the Dallas Mavericks beat the depleted San Antonio Spurs 99-93 Saturday in Rajon Rondo's debut with the Mavericks.
Ellis broke a 91-91 tie with a basket from the right corner that sailed over the corner of the backboard to give Dallas the lead for good.
Rondo, the four-time All-Star who played eight-plus seasons with the Celtics, finished with six points on 3-for-11 shooting. He had nine assists and seven rebounds.
Marco Belinelli led San Antonio with 21 points.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich dressed 10 players and played only eight after his team played triple-overtime games on Wednesday and Friday. Veterans Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili were left home.
HIGHLIGHTS
• HORNETS SOLVE JAZZ: Kemba Walker scored 20 points and Al Jefferson added 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Hornets beat the Utah Jazz for the first time in six years, 104-86 in Charlotte. Jefferson nearly registered his third straight game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds but left the game with six minutes remaining with a mild groin strain. "It feels good," Jefferson said. "If they needed me, I could've come back in there." The Hornets had lost 10 consecutive games against the Jazz with their last win coming on Nov. 14, 2008.
• LATE RUN AIDS HAWKS: Kyle Korver scored 22 points, including seven points late, to help the Atlanta Hawks hold on for a 104-97 win over the Rockets in Houston. The score was tied with three minutes left before Atlanta used a 7-0 run to make it 97-90 with just under a minute to go. Korver hit one of his four three-pointers during that run.
