Don Nelson, who coached the Mavericks from 1997-2005, made a triumphant return to Dallas — barely — in a wild finish. His Warriors led 107-97 with 2 minutes 26 seconds left but didn’t score again. Jerry Stackhouse missed a three-pointer with five seconds left that sealed the 107-104 victory.
“At 66, you don’t find a lot of emotion except for love and death. But it was special for me,” Nelson said.
Troy Murphy scored 20 for Golden State, which has beaten the Mavericks four straight times in Dallas. Mavericks forward Josh Howard left the game in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return.
Layups
Kings center Brad Miller will miss at least four weeks after an MRI exam revealed a partly torn plantar fascia in his left foot. Miller, a three-time All-Star who played for the U.S. national team at the world championships this summer, was averaging six points and seven rebounds. . . . Steve Francis missed the second half of the Knicks’ loss to the Spurs because of an injured left ankle. He limped off early in the first quarter but returned and played 10 1/2 minutes in the first half. X-rays taken at halftime were negative. . . . 76ers guard Allen Iverson and Jazz forward Carlos Boozer were named Eastern and Western Conference players of the week, respectively. Iverson averaged a league-high 34 points with 9.7 assists; Boozer averaged 20.7 points and a league-leading 15 rebounds.
