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Mavs take care of Bucks

Dec 15, 2013 - 4:59 AM Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Brandan Wright scored 19 points in his season debut and Jose Calderon added 18 as the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks pounded the Milwaukee Bucks, 106-93, at American Airlines Center.

Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle and star forward Dirk Nowitzki missed Saturday game due to unspecified illnesses.

Wright, who had been out recovering from a fractured left shoulder, made 9- of-10 shots and had six rebounds in a reserve role.

"It was great to see him out there. His athleticism on defense, on offense, all of those in-between shots that we know he's really good at - he showed us that again," Mavs assistant coach Monte Mathis said. "He did a great job with the game plan, the schemes on defense. He's just an experienced guy, so it's great to have him back."

Shawn Marion tallied 13 points and 12 rebounds and Vince Carter notched 15 points and a season-best nine assists for the Mavs, who have won four of their last six games. DeJuan Blair chipped in 11 points and nine boards.

John Henson recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks, who have lost three in a row. Brandon Knight had 16 points for Milwaukee, which trailed by as many as 34 points.

"I think a culmination of injuries, games and travel has played a part in it. We have a couple days off now to regroup. Hopefully we can get back on track," Henson said.

The last time these teams met in Dallas, the Bucks posted a 95-90 win on Feb. 26, 2013. Milwaukee was aiming for its first set of back-to-back wins in Dallas since the 1992 and '93 seasons, but the Mavs raced to a big lead in the first quarter and rolled to victory.

Dallas shot 15-of-24 from the field in the opening 12 minutes, led by Calderon's 12 points. That helped the hosts to a 38-26 lead after one period.

The margin was 59-41 at the half and the difference was raised to 75-45 on Jae Crowder's jumper with 7:14 left in the third. Carter's 3-pointer in the final second of the period made it 93-61.

Milwaukee could only get as close as the final score.

Game Notes

Bucks swingman Carlos Delfino had a successful procedure performed on his injured right foot Saturday. Delfino, who has yet to play this season while recovering from a previous surgery on his foot he underwent back in May, will be placed on non-bearing weight restrictions over the next eight weeks before being evaluated further ... Dallas has won three straight and 11 of the last 16 meetings with Milwaukee ... Calderon was 4-of-6 from 3-point range.