Dallas ? The Dallas Mavericks expected their first serious test of the season from the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, but the game soon deteriorated into a rout.

Michael Finley had 25 points and Steve Nash added 17 as Dallas continued its franchise-best start with a 114-75 runaway over the road-weary Pistons.

Eduardo Najera scored 16 points, Shawn Bradley had 14 and Dirk Nowitzki 12 for the Mavericks (6-0), the league’s only unbeaten team.

“We set the tone early and got things rolling and we kept it rolling,” Bradley said. “We didn’t give them an opportunity to get back in the game.”

Dallas finished with four turnovers, matching the franchise low and one short of the NBA record shared by four teams.

“We did an outstanding job of taking care of the ball,” said Nash, who had 10 assists and no turnovers.

Richard Hamilton’s 19 points and Clifford Robinson’s 13 paced the Pistons (5-2), who had been off to their best start since 1996-97 but were dragging from a five-game road trip.

“We played really well tonight,” Nash said. “They’re getting off a 10-day road trip so they might have been a little tired.”

Mavericks coach Don Nelson’s emphasis on improving his team’s defense has been producing results. The Pistons shot just 36 percent (26-for-73) from the field and 2-for-20 on three-pointers.

Dallas raced to a 37-20 advantage after the first quarter behind Nash’s nine points. The Mavericks went on to lead by as many as 28 in the second quarter (63-35 with 2:13 left until halftime).

The Mavericks took control early, starting the game with a 26-11 run capped by Raja Bell’s three-pointer.

Indiana's Jonathan Bender, top, blocks the shot of Toronto's Morris Peterson. The Pacers defeated the Raptors, 108-84, Saturday night in Indianapolis.

Finley led the way with 16 points as the Mavericks built a 68-43 halftime edge.

In the first half, the Pistons had few answers for the Mavericks’ zone defense, shooting 14-for-40 from the field and 1-for-11 from three-point range.

“We don’t have individual stoppers on defense so we have to do it as a team,” Nelson said. “We’ve worked hard on the zone and it’s pretty decent.”

The Mavericks removed any doubt as to the game’s outcome, turning it into a rout with a 27-10 third quarter for a 95-53 lead.

Pacers 108, Raptors 84

Indianapolis – After trailing by 13 at halftime, Indiana outscored Toronto by 37 points in the second half to defeat the Raptor. Brad Miller scored 23 points as five Indiana starters scored in double figures. Ron Artest added 17, Jermaine O’Neal had 15 points and 16 rebounds, Al Harrington scored 14 points and Jamaal Tinsley 13.

Voshon Lenard led Toronto with 22 points, just four in the second half. Toronto played without injured starters Vince Carter and Antonio Davis.

Wizards 93, Cavaliers 79

Cleveland – Jerry Stackhouse scored 27 points and Michael Jordan had eight of his 12 in the fourth quarter to lead Washington over Cleveland, the Wizards’ second victory over the Cavaliers in a week.

Jordan put the Wizards up 77-64 with 6:53 left on a 16-foot fadeaway from the baseline against the overmatched Bimbo Coles. After the Cavaliers pulled within eight with under three minutes left, Jordan drove the lane and scored against Darius Miles as flashes popped in the sellout crowd of 20,562.

Celtics 105, Timberwolves 99

Minneapolis – Antoine Walker made nine three-pointers and scored 31 points and Paul Pierce had a big fourth quarter as Boston won its fourth straight game. Walker, who was 9-for-39 on three-pointers coming into the game, shot 9-of-13 to help Boston overcome Pierce’s struggles through the first three quarters. Pierce, averaging 26 points, scored just eight on 3-of-13 shooting through three quarters.

SuperSonics 84, Heat 82

Miami – Seattle did not show any fatigue despite playing its fourth road game in five nights, withstanding a second-half comeback to defeat Miami. Rashad Lewis had 24 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, and Gary Payton scored 20 – including a key 3-pointer late in the fouurth.

Eddie Jones scored 23 points for the Heat, but in the last five seconds he had a potential game-tying shot blocked by Desmond Mason and then missed a three-pointer as time expired.

The Heat pulled within two points with 1:30 remaining, but neither team scored the rest of the way.

Nuggets 84, Grizzlies 73

Denver – Rodney White scored 18 of his career-high 22 points in the second quarter as Denver beat Memphis 8to keep the Grizzlies winless. Denver, the league’s worst scoring team, had 72 points through three quarters after scoring a home record-low 63 against Detroit on Thursday night. It was the Nuggets’ first win in four home games and just their second overall. Memphis, which opened last season with eight straight losses, dropped to 0-7 to remain the league’s only team without a victory.

Rockets 111, Warriors 104

Houston – Steve Francis scored 23 of his 31 points in the second half, including six in the final 1:02, to lead Houston past Golden State. It was the third time in five games that Francis scored 30 or more. Cuttino Mobley added 25 points for Houston, followed by Kenny Thomas with 20 and Eddie Griffin with 13.

Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas led Golden State with 28 points each, while Erick Dampier added 23 and Antawn Jamison 21. The Warriors lost their sixth in a row.

Bulls 100, Nets 93

Chicago – Jay Williams had a triple-double in his best NBA game yet, and his three-pointer with 34 seconds left helped seal Chicago’s victory over New Jersey. Williams finished with 26 points, 13 assists and 14 rebounds, Chicago’s first triple-double since Michael Jordan had one in April 1997. Jalen Rose also had 26 for the Bulls, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Bucks 110, 76ers 105, OT

Milwaukee – Tim Thomas scored 21 points, including five in overtime, and Ray Allen had 20 as Milwaukee ended Philadelphia’s four-game winning streak. Michael Redd, Sam Cassell and Toni Kukoc added 16 points apiece for the Bucks, who got 45 points from four players off the bench. The Milwaukee bench outscored Philadelphia’s 45-20,

Trail Blazers 95, Spurs 76

San Antonio – Bonzi Wells came off the bench to score 19 points and Rasheed Wallace overcame early foul trouble for 18 to lead Portland over San Antonio. The loss was the first for the Spurs in the new SBC Center.