Associated Press
DALLAS ó Dirk Nowitzki hit a key 3-pointer with less than 30 seconds to play and finished with 23 points to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the trade-depleted Charlotte Bobcats 95-90
Jason Terry had 26 points for the Mavericks, 10-0 against the Bobcats. Emeka Okafor had a season-high 27 points and 17 rebounds for Charlotte. Raymond Felton added 16 points.
* Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Sean Singletary are expected to make their Bobcats debuts Saturday night against Detroit, coach Larry Brown said.
“I spoke to everybody, and I think the guys from Phoenix are excited about coming,” Brown said. “They’re all good guys and will add something to our ballclub.”
* WASHINGTON ó Ray Allen and Paul Pierce scored 22 points apiece as Boston beat Washington 122-88 for a 13th consecutive victory and the best start in the history of the storied franchise. The Celtics are 21-2.
* GREENBURGH, N.Y. ó New York Knicks guard Cuttino Mobley retired because of heart disease that he said has gotten worse.
Mobley said doctors told him he faced significant risks if he kept playing.
COLLEGE HOOPS
VILLANOVA, Pa. ó Scottie Reynolds scored 18 points and sank the winning free throws with 4.8 seconds left to lift No. 15 Villanova to a 59-56 win over Saint Joseph’s.
RACING
CHARLOTTE ó Bobby Labonte has been released from his contract with Petty Enterprises, which is trying to negotiate a deal with Gillett Evernham Motorsports that would solidify the future of its famed No. 43.
Petty Enterprises has been unable to find sponsorship for Labonte and is in danger of eventually closing its storied organization if it can’t work out a merger with GEM.
GOLF
NEW YORK ó Corey Pavin was introduced as the next U.S. captain for the Ryder Cup. He was selected to lead a team in 2010 that will try to successfully defend the cup for the first time since 1993.
NHL
PHILADELPHIA ó Scott Hartnell had a hat trick, and Philadelphia staged its biggest comeback in 20 years by erasing a four-goal deficit in the third period and beating Carolina 6-5 in a shootout victory.
Simon Gagne tied it with 1:44 left in regulation. Gagne and Mike Richards scored the only goals in the shootout.
Eric Staal scored two goals and added an assist for the Hurricanes. Matt Cullen, Sergei Samsonov, and Joni Pitkanen also scored.
* PITTSBURGH ó Petr Sykora ended the longest streak in NHL history without a hat trick by a player who had at least two goals and led Pittsburgh’s 9-2 rout of the New York Islanders.
* MONTREAL ó Martin St. Louis scored twice as Tampa Bay ended its nine-game losing streak with a 3-1 win against Montreal.