HOUSTON-Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points then was ejected for arguing a call in the fourth quarter of the Dallas Mavericks' 98-94 preseason victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
Shawn Marion and Jason Kidd both added 14 points for the Mavericks (5-2) and Drew Gooden added 12 points and 10 rebounds.? Marion returned for the preseason finale for both teams after missing the last four games with a strained right calf.
Carl Landry scored 22 points and Trevor Ariza added 17 for the Rockets (4-4).
About the same time the NBA's regular referees agreed on a two-year contract and ended a lockout, the replacement refs had their hands full in the fourth quarter in Houston.
First, Gooden dragged down Pops Mensah-Bonsu while the two were going for a rebound. When Mensah-Bonsu got up, Gooden shoved him, knocking Mensah-Bonsu's red headband askew.
The referees conferred and issued technical fouls to both players. Gooden assumed he had been ejected and went straight to the locker room. But he had not been thrown out and returned to the court a few minutes later.
Nowitzki, who picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, returned with 4:01 left and Dallas leading 88-85.
He was called for his sixth foul only 12 seconds later, fighting Mensah-Bonsu for a rebound. Nowitzki protested and referee Lorenzo Bronson gave him a technical foul and ejected him.
Kidd banked in a 3-pointer with 1:01 left to put Dallas up 90-87, and after a Houston turnover, Kris Humphries hit a shot from the perimeter to push lead to five. Kidd went 6 of 6 from the free-throw line over the last 26 seconds to keep Houston at bay.
Dallas outrebounded Houston 50-40 and held the Rockets to 22 percent shooting from 3-point range (6 of 27).
Nowitzki scored 14 points on 6-for-6 shooting in the first quarter and the Mavs led 27-24.
Marion also hit his first six shots, including a driving, one-hander midway through the second quarter. The Rockets finished the half on an 11-3 run to take a 56-48 lead. Houston hit nine of 14 shots in the second quarter.
Dallas opened the second half with a 16-2 run as the Rockets missed their first eight shots. Nowitzki scored 11 points in the quarter and Dallas took an 81-76 lead into the fourth.
NOTES: Mavericks C Erick Dampier didn't make the short trip with the team for what coach Rick Carlisle called "a personal situation." ... Rockets F Luis Scola sat out for the third time in four games with a sprained right ankle.
