LOS ANGELES, 1 May 2004 — Sharpshooter Dirk Nowitzki had a chance to be a hero but the German wunderkind came up a zero, and the Dallas Mavericks’ season is over.
Mike Bibby exploded for a playoff career-high 36 points and the Sacramento Kings escaped with a dramatic 119-118 victory over the visiting Mavericks on Thursday night to wrap up their Western Conference first-round playoff series, 4-1.
Peja Stojakovic had 23 points and 10 rebounds while Brad Miller added 21 points for Sacramento, which shot 53 percent (48-of-91) from the floor, including 11-of-20 from behind the arc.
The Kings will face the winner of the first-round series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. The T-Wolves hold a 3-1 advantage.
Nowitzki had 31 points and 14 rebounds while Steve Nash collected 24 points and 14 assists for Dallas, which lost three games by total of seven points.
Sacramento overcame an early 16-point deficit and led 119-114 on Bibby’s jumper with 3:21 remaining. Dallas pulled within one on a layup by Nash and Nowitzki’s follow-shot with 29 seconds to go. After Nowitzki forced Bibby into a miss, the Mavs had a chance to win. Stojakovic raked the ball out of Nowitzki’s hands, forcing his off-balance jumper from the right wing to bounce off the rim as time expired.
Detroit Pistons 91, Milwaukee Bucks 77: Tayshaun Prince had 10 of his career-playoff-high 24 points in the decisive third-quarter, along with eight assists and nine rebounds, as the host Pistons bounced the Bucks to close out their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, 4-1.
Prince credited his teammates for his sparkling effort.
The Pistons will host the New Jersey Nets in Games One and Two of their second-round match-up, beginning Monday night. The Nets swept the Pistons in 2003 en route to their second straight Eastern Conference crown. They have swept three straight series since last season, including a first-round blanking of New York last Sunday.
Chauncey Billups scored 19 points and Richard Hamilton added 18 for Detroit, which won the series by an average of 12 points.
Michael Redd tallied 22 points and Joe Smith added 16 and eight rebounds for Milwaukee, which shot 39 percent from the field.
After leading 39-32 at halftime, Detroit put away the game in the third quarter. Prince scored 10 points on five of six shooting, when the Pistons outscored the Bucks, 30-22 to take a commanding, 69-54 cushion.
The Pistons coasted home in the final 12 minutes.
