Yao finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Artest scored 29 points. He had seven points in the decisive run, which began with the game tied at 92. Along the way, he also showed his allegiance to his new big man.
After Yao was fouled hard and caught a late elbow from Dallas’ Josh Howard, Artest rushed between Yao and Howard. Officials quickly got involved, then decided to give Artest a technical foul. Yao then showed his allegiance by telling an official, “He was trying to separate us.” The new teammates walked away slapping hands.
The Mavericks got within eight in the final minutes, then Dirk Nowitzki blocked a layup by Houston’s Aaron Brooks, bringing fans to their feet. But Nowitzki missed a turnaround 12-footer on the other end and the result was never in doubt again.
Nowitzki scored 36 points, but had only one in the fourth quarter - on Artest’s technical. Howard had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Jason Kidd had seven points, seven rebounds and 12 assists.
Houston’s Tracy McGrady scored 16 points, making only three of 10 shots, and sat out the fourth quarter. He’s still recovering from offseason operations on his left knee and left shoulder. Brooks, who was supposed to be out one to three weeks with an ankle injury, had 14 points, including a wild 3-pointer that started the key run.
