Dallas Mavericks beat Detroit, win third straight in playoff chase

How the Mavs won: J.J. Barea scored 29 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 98-89 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

It was the third straight win for the Mavs, who are seventh in the Western Conference standings.

The game was a struggle for the Mavs, but two free throws by Devin Harris with 2:05 left built Dallas’ lead to 95-85, and they held on from there.

The Mavs built a 16-point lead, only to see the Pistons rally and tie the game at 58-58 with 4:55 remaining in the third quarter. But the Mavs grabbed control of the game again by ending the third period on a 13-3 and carrying a 71-61 lead into the fourth quarter.

This short two-game road trip ends for the Mavs on Sunday in Minnesota.

Key players: Barea led the Mavs with 29 points, Dirk Nowitzki scored 19, Wesley Matthews popped in 17 and Devin Harris added 13 points.

Key stat: The Mavs won the rebounding battle against the rugged Pistons, 48-47.

Records: Mavs 38-38, Pistons 40-36

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 9:09 PM with the headline "Dallas Mavericks beat Detroit, win third straight in playoff chase."