Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points and the Dallas Mavericks rallied from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit for a crucial 105-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA on Sunday.
Josh Howard added 24 for the Mavericks, who used a smothering defense in a 16-0 run that put them ahead for good in a game the Suns had led nearly throughout. Phoenix went scoreless for just under 8 minutes, missing 12 shots in the process.
Nowitzki scored 12 in the fourth quarter, when Dallas outscored Phoenix 27-9.
PHOTO :EPA
Amare Stoudemire had 31 points and Steve Nash 14 points and 10 assists for the Suns.
Hornets 108, Warriors 96
At New Orleans, Chris Paul had 16 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, and New Orleans tied a franchise record for single-season victories with its 54th.
It was the fourth career triple double for Paul, and the Hornets won their 11th straight home game and fourth straight overall.
Monta Ellis scored 35 points to lead Golden State.
Peja Stojakovic and David West each scored 25 points, helping New Orleans close the game on an 18-6 run after Golden State had rallied to tie the game at 90 early in the fourth quarter.
Pistons 91, Heat 75
At Miami, Rodney Stuckey scored 19 points and Detroit wrapped up the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs with their fifth straight win.
Earl Barron scored 20 points for Miami, which lost its seventh straight.
Spurs 72, Trail Blazers 65
At Portland, Oregon, Tim Duncan had 27 points and 11 rebounds and San Antonio won its 12th straight against Portland.
Manu Ginobili’s dunk with 1:31 left all but sealed it for the Spurs, who handed the Blazers their fifth consecutive loss.
All-Star guard Brandon Roy, who returned after a four-game absence because of a groin injury, led the Blazers with 18 points.
LaMarcus Aldridge added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Pacers 105, Bucks 97
At Indianapolis, Travis Diener scored 15 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Indiana beat Milwaukee to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt.
Diener made five of six 3-pointers in the final period. Danny Granger had 27 points, and Jeff Foster had a season-high 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Pacers.
Michael Redd led Milwaukee with 24 points and Charlie Villanueva added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks.
The Pacers trail the Atlanta Hawks by three games for the eighth playoff spot in the East with five games to play. Indiana hosts Atlanta on Tuesday.
Grizzlies 113, Timberwolves 101
At Minneapolis, Mike Miller scored 34 points and hit a season-high eight 3-pointers to help Memphis hand Minnesota its fourth straight loss.
Rudy Gay added 23 points and Hakim Warrick had 20 for the Grizzlies.
The teams traded the lead heading into the final minutes of the fourth quarter until Memphis sparked an 21-6 run by converting two consecutive three-point plays.
Ryan Gomes led Minnesota with 19 points and Al Jefferson had 18.
Knicks 100, Magic 90
At New York, rookie Wilson Chandler scored a season-high 23 points, Zach Randolph added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and New York snapped a five-game losing streak.
Hedo Turkoglu scored 22 points for Orlando, which will have the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. After winning at Cleveland on Saturday, the Magic seemed to run out of gas late in this one after trailing by two with 8 1/2 minutes left.
Lakers 114, Kings 92
At Sacramento, California, Kobe Bryant scored 29 points, Vladimir Radmanovic matched his season high with 21 and the Lakers downed Sacramento to stay on track for the Pacific Division title.
Radmanovic hit five 3-pointers and tied his career high with 14 rebounds, while Pau Gasol added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who won their fourth straight. They snapped their longtime rivals’ four-game winning streak with an outstanding second half, including a 23-9 run in the third quarter led by three of Bryant’s four 3-pointers.
Kevin Martin scored 22 points for the Kings, who simply seemed exhausted after winning at Denver one night earlier.
Rockets 105, Clippers 79
At Los Angeles, rookie reserve Aaron Brooks scored 18 points, five teammates reached double figures, and Houston beat the Los Angeles clippers to clinch a playoff berth.
Rookie Luis Scola scored 16 points, Luther Head added 15, Tracy McGrady had 13 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, Bobby Jackson had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Shane Battier scored 11 for the Rockets, who shot 48.1 percent and outrebounded the Clippers 51-33.
Josh Powell had a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers (23-54), who have lost 21 of their last 25 games.
SuperSonics 151, Nuggets 147, 2OT
At Seattle, Kevin Durant scored a season-high 37 points and fellow rookie Jeff Green had a season-high 35 as Seattle damaged Denver’s playoff hopes.
Green, whose previous high was 23 points, scored 24 in the second half and overtime. His five quick points to start the second overtime gave the draft lottery-bound Sonics (18-59) the winning cushion.
Carmelo Anthony, who scored 47 points Saturday in a loss to Sacramento, led the Nuggets with 38 points. Allen Iverson added 26 points and Kenyon Martin had 22. The loss kept the Nuggets in a tie with Golden State for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
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