Bench helps Mavericks beat Cavaliers 96-86

3/16/2013

DALLAS — Rodrigue Beaubois scored 18 points off the bench and keyed a fourth-quarter run to lead the Dallas Mavericks past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 96-86 on Friday night.

Beaubois had seven points and two assists in a 17-4 run that gave Dallas the lead for good to start the fourth.

Reserves Darren Collison and Brandan Wright each scored 13 to pace a Mavericks bench that outscored the Cavaliers’ 60-19.

Cleveland's Dion Waiters had 21 points and Shaun Livingston chipped in with 13. The Cavaliers, who were playing their second game without all-star Kyrie Irving, shot 37 percent and turned the ball over six times in the fourth quarter.

Led by the seldom-used Beaubois, the bench helped the Mavericks pull away in the fourth.

Beaubois scored to put the Mavericks up 71-70 early in the fourth. The French guard found Wright for a layup and then drained a 3-pointer to extend Dallas’ advantage to 80-72.

The Cavaliers dropped to 5-11 without Irving in the lineup. The reigning Rookie of the Year is expected to miss three to four weeks with a left shoulder strain.