Mavericks 103, Kings 100: Dirk Nowitzki had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as Dallas held on to beat the visiting Kings.

Monta Ellis added 17 points and six assists for the Mavericks but missed two free throws with six seconds remaining that left the door open for the Kings to tie it. Samuel Dalembert contributed 15 points and three blocks and Shawn Marion scored 14 points as all five starters reached double figures in scoring for Dallas, which dropped percentage points behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.

Rudy Gay scored 30 points to lead Sacramento but committed seven of its 20 turnovers. DeMarcus Cousins added 17 points and seven rebounds and rookie guard Ray McCallum scored a season-high 16 points while dishing out eight assists for the Kings.

Sacramento used a 12-2 burst through the middle of the third quarter to pull within a point and the Kings were still two behind heading into the fourth quarter. The Kings moved ahead for the first time on a tip-in by Gay with 7:26 left and that sparked a 6-0 run that put Sacramento on top 85-80 with just over six minutes remaining.

Cousins and Jason Thompson made baskets to keep the lead at five but the Kings didn’t score for more than two minutes, allowing the Mavericks to score 10 straight points for a 94-89 lead with two minutes remaining. Nowitzki helped close out the game by making four straight free throws and Ellis added two more, preventing the Kings from mounting another rally.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Sacramento G Isaiah Thomas, the team’s second-leading scorer (20.7), missed his third straight game with a deep thigh bruise. … Sacramento F Reggie Evans recorded 18 rebounds, his most since grabbing 24 last April against the Philadelphia 76ers. …. The Mavericks bolted to a 10-point lead 7 1/2 minutes into the game and the advantage bounced between five and 12 points before a 7-0 run put Dallas on top 50-33 with just over two minutes left in the first half.