New-look Mavericks top Kings

DALLAS — In the first quarter, Dallas Mavericks newcomers Erick Dampier and Devin Harris provided two spectacular plays that can already be set aside for the season-ending highlight film.

Dirk Nowitzki, however, remains the key to that story’s plot.

With the Mavericks now tailored around him for the first time, Nowitzki responded by scoring 29 of his 33 points over the first three quarters, helping them to a steady lead, then making clutch plays on both ends of the court in the final half-minute to preserve a 107-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

“The way this team is set up, the ball is going to go through Dirk,” teammate Michael Finley said. “We need him to give us that. He’s really stepping up and taking that role.”

Nowitzki assisted on the game’s first basket and scored the second one. Dallas opened with a 7-0 lead and was up at least that many from the end of the first quarter until late in the fourth.

But the Kings were able to trim a 19-point deficit to 103-98 with just less than a minute to play. Then Nowitzki rebounded a miss by Peja Stojakovic, was fouled and hit two free throws with 15.5 seconds left.

Nowitzki ended the Kings’ last threat by forcing Bobby Jackson to heave up a 3-pointer that clanged off the backboard with six seconds left.

“I hate to say you’re encouraged from a loss, but I liked the way we played together in the second half,” said Sacramento’s Chris Webber, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The tight finish was no surprise considering these were the NBA’s two top-scoring teams last season. Sacramento ended Dallas’ season in the first round of the playoffs, a five-game beating that led to major changes — including Harris, a rookie, running the offense instead of Steve Nash, as well as the addition of Dampier to give the Mavericks a true center for the first time in many years.

Both showed off quickly, with Harris running a nice pick-and-roll with Nowitzki for his first career assist — a play that hardly registered with the 20,041 fans still buzzing about the block Dampier had made.

Before the quarter ended, Harris gave a glimpse of why he was the No. 5 pick in the draft, perfectly sending a high lob that Dampier slammed down.