Ryan Nembhard totals 23 assists as Mavericks roll past Bulls
Ryan Nembhard notched the second-most assists in a game in Dallas history as the Mavericks defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls 149-128 on Sunday.
Nembhard fell narrowly short of a triple-double in the season-ending clash, chalking up 15 points, nine rebounds and 23 assists.
Only current Dallas coach Jason Kidd, with 25 assists in February 1996, has registered more for the Mavericks.
John Poulakidas scored a career-best 28 points off the bench for Dallas (26-56), including 8 of 16 from 3-point range.
Tyler Smith and AJ Johnson added 20 each for the Mavs, and Moussa Cisse paired 17 points with a career-high 20 boards.
Cooper Flagg scored 10 points, his stellar rookie campaign ending with 10:11 left in the second quarter after spraining his left ankle on a bad landing while leaping for an offensive rebound.
Rob Dillingham scored 25 for Chicago (31-51). Collin Sexton contributed 19, Leonard Miller had 17, and Lachlan Olbrich added a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
Dallas used a 16-0 burst to turn a brief 2-4 deficit into an 18-4 lead and never looked back.
Flagg, Khris Middleton and Max Christie were all prolific as the Mavericks hit 15 of 23 from the floor in a first-quarter offensive blitz.
Cisse threw down a powerful dunk to end the period with Dallas up 45-34.
Smith scored 12 off the Mavericks' bench in the second frame as the one-way traffic continued.
Dallas dominated the quarter at both ends, 35-22, and held sway 80-56 at halftime.
Dillingham was the only Bull to really offer resistance, contributing 10 in the second period for a 17-point half.
Poulakidas caught fire after the long break, pouring in 22 points for the third quarter, including 6 of 9 from deep.
Behind the rookie's perimeter shooting, Dallas stormed ahead 115-81 and led 119-88 with one to play, despite Flagg, Middleton and Christie all sitting out the entire second half.
The Bulls saved some face in the fourth quarter, in which they outscored the Mavericks 40-30.