(Sports Network) - Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 46 points, and the surging Dallas Mavericks held off the Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-99.

Jason Terry added 28 points as the only other player in double figures for the Mavericks, who won for the 11th time in their last 13 games. Terry and Nowitzki combined to go 30-for-51 from the field.

"Well you look at the scoring and you only have two guys in double figures, you know that's not how you really want it," said Nowitzki. "You want a balanced attack and you want everybody scoring in double figures - five, six guys would be optimal. But we got the win, and we got the job done."

Jeff Green scored 25, and Kevin Durant totaled 22 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder, who lost their sixth in a row and fell to 2-22 on the season. Russell Westbrook ended with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Desmond Mason tallied 12 points.

"We've been playing like this for a while, we just didn't get that break at the end," said Green. "But, we shared the ball today and it is not the first game that we have done that. This game came to the stretch and we could have gotten one more stop we needed."

Dallas trailed most of the contest and was behind 91-89 following Westbrook's layup with 5 1/2 minutes remaining.

The Mavericks then went on a 10-2 spurt, taking the lead for good at 95-93 on a Terry jumper. Nowitzki followed with a three-pointer with just under three minutes left, and Devean George capped the spurt with a free throw.

Oklahoma City, though, made it interesting on buckets from Green and Westbrook, the second coming on a goaltending call from Brandon Bass with 1:29 remaining.

Nowitzki then missed a jumper, giving the Thunder a chance to tie or go in front, but Green threw the ball away, and Nowitzki made a pair of foul shots with 17.4 seconds left for a 101-97 margin.

Jason Kidd came up with a steal on the next possession and sank two from the charity stripe.

The Thunder led by as many as nine in the first quarter and carried a 28-23 edge going to the second. It was 54-50 at the half, but Dallas was within 80-79 going to the fourth.

Game Notes

The Thunder/Sonics have lost 13 of their last 15 at Dallas...Oklahoma City held a 48-38 rebounding advantage.











Copyright 2008 The Sports Network
All rights reserved

 Email To Friend           Digg It!