Mavericks vs. Wizards recap: Mavs snap skid with 107-101 win

It took an unexpected late-game effort, but the Dallas Mavericks held on to beat the winless Washington Wizards, 107-101, and snap a three-game losing streak. Despite leading the game by 18 at halftime and by 22 points at one point in the third quarter, the Mavericks were nearly undone by a furious Washington rally in the fourth quarter.

Down by double digits, the Wizards (0-7) went on a 15-0 run in the final period, capped by a Cartier Martin three-pointer to cut Dallas' lead to three, at 88-85. But on the next play, Chris Kaman scored on an inside jump hook to push the lead back to five, and the Mavericks (5-4) were able to stay in control and secure the win.

Kaman dropped 23 points and gathered eight rebounds in his second start of the season. O.J. Mayo led the team with 25 points, the fourth time in the last five games he's scored at least 20 points. Though Dallas shot 50 percent from the floor, only three other players—Elton Brand, Jae Crowder, and Troy Murphy—managed more than 10 points for the Mavericks.

For the Wizards, Jordan Crawford was a spark off the bench, coming up with 21 points, seven assists and three three-pointers. Washington got an unexpected boost from Martin, who drilled all four of his three-point attempts and finished with 14 points in just 10 minutes of play. The Wizards' starting five, however, combined for just 38 points, leaving the bench to do the heavy lifting.

With the losing streak over, the Mavericks will head to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Tip-off will be at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday.