Mavericks 106, Kings 98: Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 23 points and seven rebounds as host Dallas overcame a horrible start to take down Sacramento.

Chandler Parsons knocked down five 3-pointers en route to 19 points and Monta Ellis scored 16 for the Mavericks, who were behind by 20 points less than nine minutes into the contest. Tyson Chandler added 14 points and 11 rebounds while Devin Harris led the reserves with 12 points.

Rudy Gay collected 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Kings, who have dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season. Ramon Sessions scored 18 and DeMarcus Cousins recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Dallas, which lost the third quarter in six of its first seven games, dominated against Sacramento in the period and took its first lead at 69-67 when Ellis’ basket capped a 17-4 burst. Ellis beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to send the Mavericks into the fourth up 78-72, and they were in front by 11 after Nowitzki’s 3-pointer with 5:22 to play before holding the Kings off down the stretch.

Sacramento began the game on a 24-4 run and was in front 32-14 at the end of the first quarter before spreading the gap to as much as 24 points early in the second. It was a 52-31 gap with 5:11 left in the first half before the Mavericks started to find a rhythm and closed with a 17-5 spurt to draw within nine points at the break.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Nowitzki (26,953) pushed past Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) for ninth place on the all-time NBA scoring list and into first among foreign-born players. … Sessions (10) and Gay (five) combined to go 5-of-10 in the third quarter while the rest of the Sacramento players went 0-of-9. … Kings G Darren Collison (shoulder) missed his first game and is day-to-day.