Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (left) and Houston Rockets guard K.J. McDaniels vie for the ball in their NBA game in Dallas, Texas (USA), on Wednesday. The Mavericks won 88-86. (Photo: AP)
Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (left) and Houston Rockets guard K.J. McDaniels vie for the ball in their NBA game in Dallas, Texas (USA), on Wednesday. The Mavericks won 88-86. (Photo: AP)
J.J. Barea scored 27 points and Dirk Nowitzki delivered a key defensive stop on Wednesday as the Dallas Mavericks held off the Houston Rockets 88-86 in a crucial NBA Western Conference clash.
The Mavericks improved to 40-38 with their fifth straight victory and took a two-game lead over Southwest Division rivals Houston (38-40) going into the last four games of the regular season.
It was a vital victory, with the Mavericks and Rockets locked in a three-team battle with the Utah Jazz (39-39) for the final two playoff berths in the West.
The Rockets have the most work to do, having lost six of their last nine games to fall to ninth place.
Barea, already enjoying his first Western Conference player of the week honour — in the same week he celebrated the birth of a daughter — connected on 10 of 16 shots from the floor, including four of seven from three-point range. He also handed out eight assists.
Barea’s recent strong play has helped the Mavs overcome Nowtizki’s prolonged shooting slump.
But longtime Mavs superstar Nowitzki came up big on the defensive end when it mattered, stripping James Harden as the Rockets’ star drove to the basket in the final seconds with Dallas up by one point.
In Portland, the Trail Blazers punched their post-season ticket with a 120-115 victory over the playoff-bound Oklahoma City Thunder.
Al-Farouq Aminu scored 27 points, C.J. McCollum added 26 and Allen Crabbe came off the bench to chip in 16 points for the Trail Blazers, who improved to 43-37 and are in a virtual tie with Memphis for fifth place in the West.
The Thunder, already assured of the third seed in the West, opted to rest stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
The Indiana Pacers, in the hunt with Detroit and Chicago for one of the last two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, made the most of LeBron James’s absence to beat the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 123-109.
“Kyrie Irving scored 26 for the Cavaliers, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.
The Pacers remained in seventh place in the East, one half-game ahead of the Detroit Pistons, who beat the Magic 108-104 in Orlando.
Reggie Jackson scored 24 points for Detroit, who improved to 42-37 and can clinch a playoff berth with one more victory or a defeat for the Chicago Bulls, who are 2 1/2 games behind the Pistons for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
Jackson scored eight points in the final three minutes to help thwart a late Magic rally.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 18 points for the Pistons, who are eyeing their first playoff berth in seven seasons.
