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Mavs beat Raptors for 1st win of season

Dec 31, 2011 - 4:51 AM Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Ian Mahinmi scored a career-high 19 points off the bench to lead the Dallas Mavericks to their first win of the season, a 99-86 victory over Toronto on Friday.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points and Jason Terry had 17 for the Mavericks, who finally broke through after becoming the first reigning NBA champions to start a season 0-3 since the 1969-70 Boston Celtics.

"Tonight I was just trying to make plays," Mahinmi said. "Obviously, we were on a losing streak, and I did everything I could out there to get that win."

Shawn Marion scored 12 and Jason Kidd added nine points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Andrea Bargnani scored a game-high 30 points and Leandro Barbosa chipped in 20 off the bench for the Raptors, who fell to 1-2. DeMar DeRozan and Jose Calderon both scored 11.

Dallas led 29-23 after one quarter but Toronto used a 12-0 run to tie the game at 44 with just over two minutes left in the half.

The Mavs responded with two Nowitzki jumpers and a Marion bucket, and Bargnani ended the half with a jumper to pull the Raptors within 50-46.

They went on a 14-0 run during the third quarter, thanks in part to threes by Calderon and Bargnani, to establish a 68-61 lead with just under four minutes to play.

But the Mavs closed the frame with a 16-2 run to take a 77-70 lead into the final stanza.

"We've got to understand how to win to beat a championship team. We worked hard to get a 68-61 lead, and then we've got to learn how to close it out," said Raptors head coach Dwane Casey.

Dallas continued to pour it on in the fourth. A long Terry jumper put them up by 11 with less than five minutes remaining, and the Raptors scored just five more points the rest of the way.

Game Notes

The Mavericks have won 13 of 16 against the Raptors...Dallas' Brendan Haywood pulled down a game-high nine rebounds...The Mavs will face Minnesota on Sunday, when the Raptors take on Orlando.