Cleveland, OH (My Sportsbook) - Michael Finley scored a team-high 26 points, as the Dallas Mavericks erased a double-digit third-quarter deficit and remained the lone unbeaten team in the NBA with a 103-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gund Arena. The Mavericks are 8-0 and off to the best start in the franchise's history.

Dirk Nowitzki did not hit a field goal until there was 9:17 left in the fourth quarter, but he finished with 17 points, including 13 in the fourth, and grabbed 12 rebounds. Walt Williams pitched in 14 points, while Eduardo Najera and Avery Johnson both came off the bench and contributed 12 points each for the Mavericks, who defeated the Cavaliers for the fourth consecutive time.

Cleveland led by 13 points on four separate occasions, but could not hold off the surging Mavericks. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a career-high 34 points and hauled in 14 rebounds, while Jumaine Jones netted 23 and Ricky Davis added 19 points for Cleveland, which has lost five straight games.

Davis, who played only six minutes in Cleveland's 20-point loss to Indiana on Tuesday after being benched by head coach John Lucas, was 9-of-23 from the field in 34 minutes off the bench on Wednesday.

Dallas grabbed a 74-73 lead and led for the first time in the game with 10:22 remaining in the fourth. The teams went back-and-forth over the next several minutes, as neither enjoyed more than a four-point lead. Cleveland took a 91-89 lead with 3:39 left as Davis had a thunderous one-handed slam dunk off a steal, but Dallas answered with a running jumper from Williams to tie the score.

Dallas led 93-92 with 1:10 left in the game and Cleveland had a chance to take the lead, but Ilgauskas was called for an offensive foul after he lowered his shoulder into Steve Nash. Nowitzki then hit a pair of free throws and extended the lead to 95-92 with 55.3 seconds left.

After two foul shots by Milt Palacio cut the lead to one, Finley had a driving layup for the three-point lead. Cleveland failed to score on its next possession and Nash hit a pair of free throws for a 99-94 advantage. Davis hit a jumper with 10 seconds left to make it a three-point game, but Finley hit two more foul shots.

Palacio came down and drilled a long-range three-pointer with 2.6 seconds left to trim the margin to two, but Nash sealed it by hitting both foul shots.

Cleveland hit on eight of its first 10 shots, including seven consecutive baskets, to jump out to an early 19-8 lead. Cleveland led by eight, 31-23, after one period.

The Cavaliers led 41-32 with 7:58 left in the opening half, but the Mavericks reeled 10 of the next 13 points to cut the deficit to 44-42. Cleveland went into the locker room with a 52-48 lead.

Ilgauskas and Jones each led the Cavs with 16 first-half points, while Finley pumped in 16 for the Mavs.

Cleveland stretched the lead to 71-58 in the third, but the Mavs responded with a 12-0 run, ignited by two three-pointers from Williams, over the final 3:00 of the third period to get within 71-70 after three periods.