“We’re going to have to raise our level of aggression if that’s what’s going to get us to the free-throw line,” said Carlisle, after Nowitzki took just four foul shots and one technical.
The Mavericks were energized by Antoine Wright’s three-pointer and pulled within 82-80 early in the fourth quarter after Terry made a three-pointer and Nowitzki nailed a jump shot.
Denver responded with a 15-4 scoring run that put the Mavericks away.
The first half was marked by aggressive play, with Denver’s Kenyon Martin throwing Nowitzki to the floor.
Howard, who spent significant time on the sidelines during the regular season, twisted his right ankle when he got entangled with Billups. He went to the locker room, but was back before halftime.
“I can’t avoid injuries,” Howard said. “Right now, I could get hurt walking off a plane.”
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