OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Antawn Jamison found out what it's like to be on the other side of the lopsided matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors.
Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points and 15 rebounds and Antoine Walker added 20 and 14 as Jamison and the Mavericks extended their winning streak over the Warriors to 18 games with a 95-87 triumph.
Jamison spent five seasons with the Warriors before being traded to the Mavericks in a nine-player deal on August 18. He did not have to wait long to return to the Arena in Oakland, where he was finally on the right side of the series.
"It's been 18 so hopefully we can continue that streak," he said. "I know it was a big thing when I was on the other side. The most important thing is we came in, and we still didn't play like the way we're capable of playing, but the guys found a way to get the job done and get the victory tonight."
Jamison had just five points on 1-of-6 shooting but got to watch his former club get torched by Nowitzki, who scored 11 points in the final seven minutes as Dallas pulled away for its first win of the season.
The Mavericks had a 72-70 lead when Nowitzki converted a three-point play with 7:19 remaining. He added a fast-break dunk with 6 1/2 minutes left to spark a decisive 11-4 run.
Nowitzki scored six consecutive points for Dallas before Michael Finley buried a 3-pointer for a 93-84 cushion with 37 seconds to go.
Steve Nash had 16 points and 11 assists for the Mavs, who bounced back from Tuesday's season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Well it was a situation where we had to win this game," Dallas coach Don Nelson said. "We needed to start playing a little bit better. It was an opportunity for us and it was a game where you just couldn't leave this arena and not come away with a win. That's the way we felt about it."
Walker, who had 19 points in his debut with Dallas, made 10-of-20 shots from the floor and dished out four assists as he adjusts to his new surroundings.
"Offensively, everything is going to be fine," he said. "With the way we pass the ball on this team, it's going to be a ton of shots, a ton of opportunities to score. All I've got to do is constantly work on my game and get better and get ready to take care of those opportunities when they come."
"He's just a really great competitor and he's picked things up quickly," Nelson said. "We want him in the game all the time."
Clifford Robinson collected 18 points and 12 rebounds in his debut with Golden State and Erick Dampier had 14 and 17 for the Warriors, who have not defeated the Mavericks since April 10, 1999.
"It was the season opener and you have to expect the jitters a little bit," Robinson said. "The preseason is over and these games count. We got off to a slow start, but we did a really good job of staying in the game."
Calbert Cheaney added 14 points and 10 rebounds, Mike Dunleavy, Jr. scored 14 points and Avery Johnson 12 for Golden State, which shot just 39 percent (36-of-92) from the floor and made only 10-of-17 free throws.
"We obviously are not a great shooting team, we struggled to score points," Musselman said. "Our starters did not make a single free throw."
"We just could not hit shots, they just would not go in," Dunleavy said. "They just would not drop. We played one of the best teams in the league down to the wire."
