Warriors Find Way, Beat Mavs

February 20, 1999 / 2:49 AM EST / CBS/AP

Consumed by tumult and defeat in recent seasons, the Golden State Warriors suddenly find themselves in the midst of their longest winning streak in more than three years.

John Starks scored 16 points, including an eight-foot running jumper with 10.8 seconds remaining, and the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 84-79 Friday night.

It was their fourth straight win, matching Miami and Cleveland for the longest in the NBA this season. And it's already helping to bury the ghosts of the past four disastrous seasons, typified by Latrell Sprewell's attack on coach P.J. Carlesimo last December.

"It can be tough, but if these guys put their minds to it, we can go more than four," said Chris Mills, who came from New York to Golden State with Starks and Terry Cummings in the Sprewell trade last month.

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"We should just keep pushing hard as a team," said Mills, who hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final moments.

"We're Warriors, baby," Starks added. "We signify what this jersey means. Warriors hang in there, and that's what we've been doing."

Antawn Jamison added 12 points and Felton Spencer had 11 for the Warriors, who had opened the season with five losses in a row.

Michael Finley had 19 points to lead Dallas, which has lost seven straight since beating the Warriors in double overtime for its only win of the year. Gary Trent added 18 points and Steve Nash had 14

"This is definitely the toughest loss of the year," Dallas center Shawn Bradley said. "It is for me I can tell from Steve and Michael. I know the general feeling is pretty down because we played like we should've won."

Taking a 62-60 lead into the fourth quarter, Golden State stretched its lead to 75-65 when Tony Delk converted a three-point play with 6:37 remaining.

But the Warriors failed to score for the nxt 4@1/2 minutes, during which the Mavericks used a 14-0 run to go in front 79-75.

Trent fueled the surge with eight of his points but Starks, who also had a career-high 10 rebounds, made a pair of free throws to end the Warriors' drought. Mills then drained a 3-pointer from the corner to put Golden State back in front 80-79 with 1:39 left.

With 35 seconds remaining, Finley drove the lane and tried to muscle in a layup but Erick Dampier swatted it away. Starks then hit the runner and Jason Caffey stole Dallas' ensuing inbounds pass, finishing the scoring with a breakaway slam.

"They made a great block on Finley on the end, even though he was aggressive to get to the basket," Dallas coach Don Nelson said. "It was good basketball on both ends down the stretch. The last pass was just one of those things. It will be good to play another game right away. This was a tough loss."

Trailing 43-34 at halftime, Dallas got a strong third period from Finley, when he had 11 of his points and evened the scored at 60-all on a pair of free throws by Robert Pack with 58.3 seconds left.

Bimbo Coles broke the Mavericks' momentum with two quick baskets, driving the lane for a layup and hitting a 17-foot jumper before Pack made two more free throws, pulling Dallas within two. Notes: Golden State last won four in a row from Dec. 29, 1995 to Jan. 5, 1996. ... A.C. Green has played in 987 consecutive games, the longest such streak in NBA history. He's scheduled to play in his 1,000th straight March 13 against Vancouver. ... Bradley tied a season-high with five blocks. ... Golden State's Muggsy Bogues went on injured list with the chicken pox. He's out indefinitely. The Warriors also were without Donyell Marshall, who sat out the game with a sprained left wrist and Adonal Foyle, who missed a fourth straight game with a sprained right ankle.