DALLAS – Dirk Nowitzki finally leads the Dallas Mavericks in scoring again. He has more work to do if he wants to make the playoffs for a 13th straight season.
The 7-foot German passed O.J. Mayo even before getting a season-high 35 and hitting a last-second 3-pointer to complete a stirring rally against Chicago over the weekend.
The Mavericks started winning at a playoff pace once Nowitzki got settled in after missing the first 27 games following the first knee surgery of his career.
But their playoff odds still aren't good going into a critical game Tuesday night at the Los Angeles Lakers. Utah and the Lakers started Monday tied for the final playoff spot in the West, a game a half ahead of Dallas.
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