MEMPHIS, Tennessee, (AFP) - Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points and the Dallas Mavericks routed Memphis 102-76 on Monday, completing a first-round sweep of the Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association playoffs.
Josh Howard added 24 points and a game-high nine rebounds while Jerry Stackhouse contributed 19 points for the Mavericks, who became the first NBA team to reach the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Spaniard Pau Gasol scored 25 points to lead the Grizzlies, who set an ignoble NBA record with their 12th consecutive playoff defeat and became the first club ever sweep by the Mavericks in a seven-game series.
"You want the extra rest. It's very important," Nowitzki said. "We came out aggressive and set the tone. We didn't want momentum to change. When you have a chance to end a series early you want to do it. You want the extra rest."
The Mavericks will have a minimum of five days to rest before a Western Conference semi-final matchup against either eighth-seed Sacramento or top-seeded defending champion San Antonio, level at 2-2 in their series.
"Our defense is working good," Nowitzki said. "We prided ourselves on that all season long. Now we have to sit back and keep working in practice and see what happens."
The 7-foot German made 12-of-21 shots from the field, scoring 13 points in the first half and 11 in the third quarter as the Mavericks showed early they would not be denied, taking the lead for good midway into the first quarter.
In the series, Nowitzki scored at least 30 points in three games and averaged 31.2 points.
Memphis fell to 0-12 in NBA playoff history.
