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For the 12th consecutive season -- and 12th time in his 14-year career -- Dirk Nowitzki has been selected to the All-NBA team. Nowitzki, who statistically did not have a season up to his standards, was still impressive enough to garner a spot on the third team.

It's his third career selection to the All-NBA third team and first since the 2003-04 season. The Dallas Mavericks' all-time scoring leader was a first- or second-team All-NBA selection in each of the past seven seasons.

"It is an honor to make the All-NBA team again,” Nowitzki said in a statement released by the team. "To be named among the best players in this league is always still very humbling for me. I also appreciate the opportunity to represent my teammates and the Mavericks organization on this list."

LeBron James and Kevin Durant were named to the first team at forward, with Kevin Love and Blake Griffin receiving second-team recognition. Carmelo Anthony joined Nowitzki on the third team. Former Mavs center and current New York Knicks star Tyson Chandler was also named to the third team. (complete list is below).

Nowitzki was the NBA’s eighth-leading scorer (21.6 ppg) during the regular season. He and Kobe Bryant are the only two NBA players to be named to an All-NBA team each of the past 12 seasons. Nowitzki remains the only Mavs player in franchise history to be named All-NBA first team (four times: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2008-09).

This season, Nowitzki moved into the top 20 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Robert Parish and Charles Barkley for 19^th place. He also ranks third in scoring among active players behind Bryant and Kevin Garnett.

In four postseason games against Oklahoma City , Nowitzki averaged 26.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists in 38.5 minutes.

J.J. Barea played a massive role as a young point guard in bringing the Dallas Mavericks their first championship in 31 years. As one of the senior-most veterans on a spiraling Minnesota Timberwolves team, Barea on Sunday night had all he could handle of losing.

After a 93-88 home loss to the rookie-laden Golden State Warriors, the Wolves' 12th loss in 13 games in this once promising season, the 5-foot-10 Barea, who played his tail off for the full 48 minutes, went off.

"We've got problems here," Barea told reporters. "We just got a lot of guys that don't care. When a basketball team got a bunch of players that don't care, it's tough to win games. It's going to happen until we get players in that care: care about winning, care about the team, care about the fans."

Barea, the only healthy point guard left on the team that was also without Kevin Love (concussion), had 14 points and 12 assists. He didn't shoot great, just 5-of-18 from the floor and 2-of-9 from 3-point range, but effort is never an issue with the hard-driving Barea, now in his sixth NBA season. According to reports, Barea's tongue-lashing went down in front of his locker and within earshot of teammates.

"They just come in here after the game like nothing happened," Barea said. "That's what happens to a losing team. ... There's a bunch of us, too, that care and play hard. "But there's a bunch that don't care, and we just got to change that. I've been noticing it. But today you can really notice it. It was a brutal second half. Nobody fighting, nobody getting mad at nobody. After a game like that you got to have problems. You got to argue with your teammates. But nobody cares so we've got to change that."

The Wolves have one game left and it will help decide Barea's former team's first-round playoff opponent. Minnesota plays host to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night as the Mavs will be wrapping up their season at the Atlanta Hawks. The Mavs and Nuggets are battling for the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds.

The results of those two games will decide the playoff pairings.

Is Dirk Nowitzki excited for the All-Star Game or what?!

“Uh,” Nowitzki said before a pregnant pause, “yeah.”

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Can’t beat that kind of enthusiasm, huh?

Nowitzki appreciates the West coaches respecting him enough to vote for him to be invited to his 11th consecutive All-Star Game, although he continues to acknowledge that there were more deserving candidates at the time the reserves were selected. Nowitzki also admits that he wouldn’t have minded getting the long weekend off.

“I mean, it’s tough, especially since we have nine games in 12 days coming up,” Nowitzki said. “But I think the good thing is we’ve got a lot of young guys on the team -- [LaMarcus] Aldridge first time, [Kevin] Love second time, Blake [Griffin] first time. Those guys are out there on the floor to play. I think I’m going to play spot minutes. I’m going to make the best of it and have a fun weekend down there.”

Yes, Nowitzki is pretty much lobbying to sit on the pine. He has averaged about 19 minutes in his previous 10 All-Star appearances and would be just fine if that total is cut in half.

“For sure,” Nowitzki said.

Jason Terry won't need to get another tattoo.

The Mavericks shooting guard said he'd get one that would say he'd win the 3-point contest during All-Star weekend if selected, just as he forecasted Dallas' championship last year when he got a Larry O'Brien trophy inked on his biceps in the preseason.

The list of six competitors for the Feb. 25 event in Orlando was released today and Terry, who leads the Mavs in 3-pointers made, was not on it. Defending champ James Jones of the Miami Heat will go against teammate Mario Chalmers, Kevin Love of the Timberwolves, Joe Johnson of the Hawks, Ryan Anderson of the hometown Magic and Anthony Morrow of the Nets.

Terry has participated in two All-Star 3-point contests and was knocked out in the first round of both in 2006 and 2007. He's unsuccessfully lobbied a couple of times in recent years to get another shot

The 34-year-old veteran sharpshooter has shot the 3-ball at a respectable 37.6 percent (59-of-157) this season. Vince Carter is the Mavs' top 3-pointer shooter percentage-wise, knocking down 46.1 percent (35-of-76).

How it happened: Dirk Nowitzki's efficient dominance and Jason Kidd’s steady hand -- two ingredients so key to the Mavs' championship run that had been missing much of this season -- were too much for the talented young Timberwolves to overcome.

Nowitzki kept his recent groove going with 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting. The 11-time All-Star has averaged 28 points on 61.4 percent shooting in the past four games.

Kidd made a triumphant return after missing six games due to a strained right calf with an eight-point, 10-assist, five-rebound, two-steal performance. It wasn’t perfect, as evidenced by Kidd’s eight turnovers, but he played a critical role in putting the game away.

The Timberwolves, who got a 32-point, 12-rebound performance from All-Star power forward Kevin Love, closed the third quarter with a 17-5 run while Kidd rested. Minnesota had trimmed the Mavs’ lead from 17 to three when Kidd got off the bench early in the fourth quarter.

On the next possession, Kidd made his first field goal of the game, knocking down a 3-pointer. That sparked an 11-2 run for the Mavs, crushing Minnesota’s comeback hopes.

What it means: The Mavs avoided being swept by the Timberwolves, a team that had lost 18 of 19 to Dallas entering the season, and pulled even with the Rockets for fourth place in the Western Conference at 16-11. The Mavs bounced back from a three-game losing streak by winning both games on this road trip.

Play of the game: Nowitzki pump-faked at the top of the 3-point arc, put the ball on the floor past a leaping Love and pulled up after a dribble, deciding at the last split-second to throw an alley-oop to Brandan Wright. The result was an uncontested two-hand finish for Wright, who flashed down the baseline and soared high above the rim.

Stat of the night: Nowitzki knocked down a season-high four of seven 3-point attempts. He had been 12-of-57 behind the arc this season.

After stringing together a few wins after the Dallas Mavericks stumbled to a 1-4 start following an embarrassing 15-love skunking to end their New Year's Day loss at Minnesota, Jason Terry had this to say:

"The loss to Minnesota was our wake-up call. Any time you lose to that ballclub it's not a good thing, not when you're a championship team."

And who could really blame him? That Minnesota win halted a nine-game losing streak to the Mavs, who had won 18 of the previous 19 meetings.

And then three weeks later those Wolves did it again, only in Dallas, thumping the Mavs by 15 points to spoil their championship ring celebration. A three-game win streak followed for the Mavs, but there were no proclamations about how losing to a perennial doormat served as another wake-up call.

Well, here we go again with a third and final meeting of the regular season between these two clubs, and Dallas is fully aware that these Wolves are young and hungry and pretty darn good. In fact, this one in Minnesota -- 13-10 since an 0-3 start -- is a pretty important one for both squads.

Dallas just snapped a three-game skid at Denver and must play Portland on Saturday and the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday and Denver again on Wednesday. Minnesota is at .500 for a second time and would close to within one game of Dallas in the standings as it fights to remain a legitimate playoff contender heading to the halfway point of the season.

It should be fun.

Records: Mavs (15-11); Timberwolves (13-13)

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Target Center

TV: FSSW

Radio: ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: J.J. Barea wasn't healthy with a bum hamstring the first time the Mavs played up north on New Year's Day, but he have it a go and scored eight points in 17 minutes. The hamstring (and ankle issues) kept Barea out of the Jan. 25 game at Dallas when he picked up his championship ring and then took a seat on the bench in a suit. Now, the diminutive guard is raring to go against his old mates in an important game for both teams. He's been back for five games and is coming off his best game of the season Wednesday night at Memphis with 17 points -- 6-of-8 from the free throw line -- and six assists in 23 minutes. Barea will be looking to remind his former team how to break down a defense.

Key matchup: Nikola Pekovic vs. Brendan Haywood/Ian Mahinmi/Brandan Wright
Surprised? Yeah, well Pekovic has been just that of late. Consider that in the first matchup on Jan. 1, he didn't get off the bench. In the second meeting, he had 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line, plus six rebounds. In his last five games, the 6-foot-11, 290-pounder from Montenegro has scored in double figures in each, has two 20-plus scoring games and three double-doubles while averaging 16.8 points and 10.2 rebounds. In a nutshell, the three-headed monster Rick Carlisle talked about at the center position has to enforce the middle and can't let Pekovic join the double-double lineup with All-Star Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

Injuries: Mavs -- G Jason Kidd (right calf strain) is questionable. Timberwolves -- C Darko Milicic (sprained right ankle) is questionable.

Up next: Portland Trail Blazers at Mavs, 7:30 p.m., Saturday

Dirk Nowitzki said his sluggish start wasn’t deserving of an 11^th consecutive All-Star selection. Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and the majority of his Western Conference counterparts disagreed with the reigning Finals MVP.

Despite posting some of his lowest numbers since his rookie season while being hobbled by a sore right knee, Nowitzki was announced Thursday as one of seven reserves for the West squad and will be the lone representative for the defending champs.

The Mavs avoided the distinction of becoming the first reigning champion in NBA history not to be represented in the mid-season showcase. The first All-Star game was played in 1951 and no team without an All-Star selection has ever gone on to win the championship.

Head coaches picked seven reserves from their respective conferences. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love and Portland Trailblazers forward and Dallas native LaMarcus Aldridge were selected as expected. Nowitzki nipped All-Star hopefuls Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay and Paul Millsap.

They’ll join Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant and power dunker Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers. They won the fan vote and will start the Feb. 26 game in Orlando, likely the first of a long All-Star run as a starting tandem.

Read the full story here.

The Dallas Mavericks seem to thrive when the odds are stacked against them so maybe if Dirk Nowitzki is not selected as an All-Star reserve they can use it as motivation.

Because if the Western Conference coaches leave him off the team and end his run of All-Star appearances at 10 in a row, the Mavs will make NBA history. Never before has the reigning NBA champion not been represented on the All-Star team*. Nor has there ever been a champion crowned that did not have at least one player make the All-Star team that season, ESPN Research confirmed (and that includes the ABA on both counts).

The first NBA All-Star game was played in 1951. The seven reserves for the 2012 Western and Eastern conference squads will be announced Thursday night. The All-Star Game is Feb. 26 in Orlando.

"That would be crazy," Mavs guard Jason Terry said. "Dirk has to be there. I think he will be. If he’s not, I know he needs the rest, too. I’d love to see him in the game just because he’s earned it. Some guys are grandfathered in. You’ve seen that throughout the history of the NBA. Guys like Tim Duncan, primarily his stats aren’t always what they were, but just because he’s a perennial All-Star; Shaq, same thing."

Duncan's run of 13 consecutive All-Star games is likely to come to an end. Same for Kevin Garnett's run of 14 in a row. Nowitzki's sluggish start has put his streak in jeopardy, too. He's had a two-game bounce-back, scoring 54 points on 21-of-32 shooting entering tonight's game at Denver.

The reigning NBA Finals MVP is already in a rare All-Star category. He and Boston Celtics sharpshooter Ray Allen are the only players that have made at least 10 All-Star games and have never been voted in as a starter by the fans.

This season was Nowitzki's best opportunity with longtime fan-favorite Carmelo Anthony residing in the East. But, second-year dunk enforcer Blake Griffin quickly filled the void and will start alongside Kevin Durant. Get used to that All-Star forward duo. Griffin is 22 and Durant is 23.

And now Nowitzki's run as a reserve is in jeopardy. His sagging numbers are starting to climb back up. He's averaging 17.2 points with a field-goal percentage back above 45 and a 3-point percentage that's finally back north of 20 percent. Remarkably, Nowitzki's PER -- Player Efficiency Rating, a measure of per-minute production -- is 18.8, above the league average of 15.0, although still well below Nowitzki's career standards.

The West is loaded at forward with Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge and Minnesota's Kevin Love expected to be locks as reserves. Other candidates include the Lakers' Pau Gasol, Memphis' Rudy Gay and Utah's Paul Millsap. Denver's Danilo Gallinari was in the running until he sustained a bad ankle sprain Monday that threatens to keep him out a month.

If the West coaches listen to Nowitzki, who missed four games in January to strengthen a bothersome right knee and work on his overall conditioning, they'll give him the weekend off for the first time since 2001. Earlier this week, Nowitzki said he doesn't deserve an All-Star spot.

"Averaging whatever, 15, 16 points, I don't think you should be an All-Star," Nowitzki said. "But we'll just have to wait and see. I think there is a lot of great young talent in this league that deserves to go."

*Footnote: Had the first lockout in 1998-99 not wiped out the 1999 All-Star Game, the Chicago Bulls might have become the first reigning champion not to be represented on the All-Star team. That season was the first without Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen following the dismantling of the three-time champs. The Bulls' top three players that season were Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper and Brent Barry, none of whom ever made an All-Star team.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward and Dallas Mavericks tormentor Kevin Love was suspended for two games today by the league office for stepping on Rockets forward Luis Scola as he lay on the floor during Saturday's Wolves win.

That takes Love, averaging 25.0 points and 13.7 rebounds, out of action for a back-to-back set Tuesday and Wednesday against the Kings and Grizzlies.

That puts Love back in action on Friday night when the Mavs return to the Target Center for the first time since absorbing a 15-0 run to end their 99-82 loss on New Year's Day.

Worse for the Mavs is Love will have had plenty of time to rest.

Love has put up strong numbers against Dallas, averaging 28.0 points and 14.0 rebounds. The Mavs haven't figured out how to defend him inside or outside. Love has hit 9-of-12 from beyond the arc and is shooting 56.3 percent overall in the two games, both Minnesota victories by a combined 32 points.

Worse, Love will have had plenty of time to rest.

The Dallas Mavericks came limping home from Cleveland with a three-game losing skid, their first since opening the season with three straight losses. With a rare three-game break to rest their weary bones, the Dallas Mavericks look forward to a rare three-game week starting Wednesday with a track meet at the Denver Nuggets.

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If Dallas hopes to end its losing ways, it's going to have to find a way to put an end to its third-quarter misery. The Mavs have led at the half in each of the last three games only to cough up their first-half hard work with putrid third quarters. They have more turnovers (17) than field goals (14) in their last three third quarters combined with their Cleveland showing seemingly being of rock-bottom variety.

The Cavs trailed 40-25 in the second quarter and by eight at halftime but outscored Dallas 27-13 in the third as the Mavs had seven turnovers and six field goals.

"We’re doing some good things, but we have to do a better job of sustaining and that’s on both ends of the court," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We have a couple practice days. We have to put them to good use and we have to get better."

As Dirk Nowitzki goes for a third hot shooting game in a row (and how strange that he finally turns the corner and Dallas can't score more than 88 points in the two losses), the Mavs' three-pack of games is far from easy. They're 0-3 against Denver and Friday's opponent Minnesota with a first meeting Saturday against Portland since the memorable first-round 2011 playoff series.

Here's a quick glance at this week's games against three teams that are a combined 41-31:

Wednesday: at Denver Nuggets (15-9), 8 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch:The last time these two clubs met it wasn't pretty. The Nuggets stormed Dallas the day after the Miami massacre on Christmas and had a 30-point lead in the third quarter. The Mavs are hopeful that point guard Jason Kidd, who has missed five games with a strained left calf -- and Dallas is 2-3 in that stretch -- will return for this one, but it would be a difficult spot for him against the hustling, up-tempo Nuggets and in the thin air of the Mile High City. The Nuggets, led by All-Star hopeful point guard Ty Lawson, forward Danilo Gallinari, the top prize in the successful Carmelo Anthony trade, center Nene and a deep roster of runners, lead the league in scoring at 104.6 points a game, more than 10 points more than Mavs, and are second in field-goal percentage at 48.0 percent from the floor. If Dallas has an advantage it's that it is coming off three days rest and is desperate for a win, while the Nuggets will be on game No. 5 of 6 in eight nights, a stretch that started with a back-to-back-to-back.

Friday: at Minnesota Timberwolves (12-12), 7 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: Maybe the third time is the charm. The last two times these teams have met, once up north and once down south, Minnesota's dynamite double-double duo of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, well, double-doubled the Mavs into submission. The Timberwolves have won both games, taking the first in Minnesota by scoring the final 15 points of their New Year's Day matchup for a 99-82 win and then bludgeoning the Mavs in Dallas, 105-90, on Jan. 25. Love is averaging 28.0 points in the two games. He's shooting 56.3 percent from the field and 75 percent from 3-point range -- and that's not just 3-of-4, but rather 9-of-12. As for the glass, Love is averaging 14.0 boards. Rubio, the thrilling, 6-foot-4 Spanish point guard, has two-game totals of 31 points, 19 assists and 10 rebounds. Unfortunately for Dallas, Minnesota will have had the previous night off after coming off a back-to-back.

Saturday: vs. Portland Trail Blazers (14-10), 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: Dallas native LaMarcus Aldridge (23.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg) will be coming home as a first-time All-Star -- at least it seems highly improbable that he will not have been selected a Western Conference reserve two nights earlier. He and his Blazers teammates will also be out for a measure of revenge after losing the final two games of their six-game, first-round series with Dallas after tying the series with the miracle Game 4 comeback. Plenty of analysts are high on this team, which has six players averaging in double figures and ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 98.1 points a game. They're doing the job defensively, too, giving up just 91.7. Despite the differential, Portland is only four games over .500 because it has been terrible on the road at 3-9. The Blazers play at struggling New Orleans the night before, which doesn't necessarily mean they'll come dragging into Dallas.

Dirk Nowitzki never had a chance to make the All-Star game as a starter. Fans quickly decided that Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant and rising force Blake Griffin would represent the Western Conference squad as the starting forwards.

Nowitzki had maintained a grip on third place until this final week. Perhaps his surprisingly sluggish start to the season is why, or maybe Spanish voters stuffed the ballot box. Whichever, Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers surpassed Nowitzki for third by a mere 1,918 votes.

Remarkably, both 7-footers beat out fifth-place vote-getter Kevin Love, whose 25-point, 14-rebound average makes him a lock to make the team as a reserve.

Coaches vote for seven reserves in their respective conferences. It will be interesting to see if either Gasol or Nowitzki makes the team. If Nowitzki is left off, a real possibility considering the season he's having and a lively crop of forwards to choose from, it would end his 10-year All-Star run. Reserves will be announced next Thursday night.

Lamar Odom finished eighth among forwards and Jason Kidd finished ninth among guards. Shawn Marion and Jason Terry did not place in the top 10 at their respective positions.

Here's the final voting. The top two vote-getters at guard and forward and the top vote-getter at center will start the All-Star Game in Orlando on Feb. 26.

Western Conference

Forwards: Kevin Durant (OKC) 1,345,566; Blake Griffin (LAC) 876,451; Pau Gasol (LAL) 470,353; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 468,435; Kevin Love (Min) 373,880; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 279,500; Tim Duncan (SA) 185,069; Lamar Odom (Dal) 142,830; Danilo Gallinari (Den) 110,245; Rudy Gay (Mem) 95,228.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,555,479; Chris Paul (LAC) 1,138,743; Ricky Rubio (Min) 397,456; Steve Nash (Pho) 276,268; Russell Westbrook (OKC) 262,186; Kyle Lowry (Hou) 185,584; Monta Ellis (GS) 156,603; Chauncey Billups (LAC) 120,961; Jason Kidd (Dal) 114,924; Manu Ginobili (SA) 111,273.

Centers: Andrew Bynum (LAL) 1,051,945; DeAndre Jordan (LAC) 322,056; Marc Gasol (Mem) 285,525; Nenê (Den) 207,102; Marcin Gortat (Pho) 136,168; Kendrick Perkins (OKC) 99,811.

Eastern Conference

Forwards: LeBron James (Mia) 1,360,680; Carmelo Anthony (NYK) 1,041,290; Amar'e Stoudemire (NYK) 383,734; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 367,914; Chris Bosh (Mia) 324,605; Luol Deng (Chi) 276,205; Paul Pierce (Bos) 215,020; Carlos Boozer (Chi) 175,828; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 152,362; Josh Smith (Atl) 119,638.

Guards: Derrick Rose (Chi) 1,514,723; Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,334,223; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 547,110; Ray Allen (Bos) 382,147; Deron Williams (NJN) 208,697; Jose Calderon (Tor) 132,167; Richard Hamilton (Chi) 111,368; John Wall (Was) 96,606; Kyrie Irving (Cle) 96,346; Joe Johnson (Atl) 66,145.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 1,600,390; Joakim Noah (Chi) 236,497; Tyson Chandler (NYK) 163,077; Joel Anthony (Mia) 101,307; JaVale McGee (Was) 63,765; Al Horford (Atl) 50,396.

About this time a year ago, my esteemed colleague Tim MacMahon, contended that Dirk Nowitzki didn't need to be anywhere near the All-Star Game. He argued this because Nowitzki was coming off a right knee sprain that sidelined him for nine games in January, a time in which the team practically went belly-up, and if a championship run was going to be had, the Mavs had to have Nowitzki at full strength.

Nowitzki, who was playing at an MVP level prior to the injury, could simply use the weekend off to rest, MacMahon essentially wrote. And Nowitzki, essentially, ignored the plea. The Western Conference coaches selected him to a 10th consecutive All-Star squad and Nowitzki proudly represented the West. And then he ran roughshod over the league to capture his first championship.

A year later, the tone has changed. It's no longer a question of should he play because of his current knee/conditioning issue, but is his season even worthy of selection among the West's loaded field of forwards?

The suspense of Nowitzki being voted a starter by the fans for the first time in his career never materialized. Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin quickly filled the void left by Carmelo Anthony's defection to the Eastern Conference. Starters will be announced Thursday night and the all-Oklahoma City duo of Thunder superstar Kevin Durant and Griffin, an OKC native, have those spots sewn up.

The issue facing West coaches in selecting the seven reserves is what to do with Dirk? The reigning NBA Finals MVP and an All-Star mainstay would typically be a no-brainer selection based on history, even if his numbers aren't quite up to typical standards.

However, Nowitzki has had a most unusual season that now includes a mid-season, week-long hiatus and behind-the-scenes personal training camp, plus the lowest marks since his rookie season in scoring average (16.7), rebounds (5.8) and shooting percentage, both overall (44.8) and behind the arc (20.0).

Last year's All-Star team included Nowitzki, Tim Duncan and Griffin selected as reserve forwards with Kevin Love officially handed the forward-center tag and Pau Gasol granted a spot at center (Yao Ming was voted the starter, but was injured and later retired).

We know this: coaches are not going to leave Portland Trail Blazers forward and Dallas native LaMarcus Aldridge off the team after last season's snub. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle has said he voted for Aldridge and had no idea how he didn't make the team. Aldridge is averaging 22.6 points and 8.8 rebounds and he will be wearing an All-Star uniform for the first time in Orlando on Feb. 26.

Love, the Minnesota Timberwolves' double-double machine, is averaging 25.5 points and 13.5 rebounds and is another lock.

Memphis' Rudy Gay (17.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg), Utah's Paul Millsap (17.1, 9.4) and Gasol (16.6, 9.5) are all candidates. And what about Danilo Gallinari (17.9, 5.3) with Denver? The Nuggets have the second-best record in the West at the moment and might not possess an All-Star.

Of course, if Nowitzki doesn't get in, the defending champs will almost assuredly not be represented at the NBA's showcase event, and that seems highly unlikely. If he does get in, it could come at the expense of a more deserving younger player.

The number of players selected at guard (for instance, Deron Williams is now in the East and Manu Ginobili is injured) and center (which will include Andrew Bynum as a starter and perhaps Marc Gasol as a reserve) will also play a role.

Not everyone can get in. There's always snubs. Perennial All-Stars tend to get the nod and particularly ones that are also the reigning Finals MVP. But, in this most unusual, lockout-delayed season, Nowitzki has followed suit with a most unusual and unexpected one.

Will it cost him an 11th consecutive All-Star selection? If it does, don't expect Nowitzki or owner Mark Cuban to protest too loudly. For them, the ring is the only thing.

Reserves will be announced on Feb. 9.

DALLAS -- Wanna find a bright spot after the Mavs got their butts kicked at home by a team with a losing record? Look no further than Brandan Wright.

Wright, the lottery pick-turned-Mavs reclamation project, had his second consecutive impressive performance in limited playing time.

The long-limbed, high-leaping Wright was a major reason the Mavs built a 14-point lead in the first half. He finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting -- included an underhanded alley-oop from Jason Terry that will get a lot of SportsCenter run -- with two rebounds and two blocked shots in 12:37. That comes on the heels of a five-point, three-rebound performance in 8:35 in Monday’s win over the Suns.

“He’s playing well in certain situations with certain groups of players,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve got to keep looking at him. He brings energy, he’s a different kind of athlete and he’s doing positive things.”

A few other notes from a 15-point loss that Shawn Marion called “[expletive] embarrassing”:

1. Celebration stinkers: The banner-raising ceremony was followed by the Miami Heat running the Mavs out of the American Airlines Center in the season opener. The ring ceremony, which featured brief, touching tributes to each player from Carlisle, was spoiled by the Timberwolves. “I think we’re all happy that we don’t have any more ceremonies for our championship,” Jason Kidd quipped.

2. Lopsided at the line: Timberwolves star Kevin Love attempted as many free throws (10) as the Mavericks. Minnesota enjoyed a 33-10 advantage on free throws attempted. Carlisle wondered aloud if Lamar Odom might have been fouled on some of his drives to the basket, but the coach certainly didn’t blame the officiating for the disparity. “The bottom line: Minnesota was more aggressive,” Carlisle said. “The more aggressive team is going to win most NBA games.”

3. Yi yo-yo: Forward/center Yi Jianlian, another lottery pick-turned-Mavs reclamation project, showed flashes of his intriguing potential by scoring six points on 3-of-5 shooting in six minutes before halftime. The second half offered a hint about why the 7-footer is playing for his fourth team in five NBA season. He missed five of six shots in the second half, all but one of which were midrange jumpers.

DALLAS -- In about 12 hours Dirk Nowitzki will address the media with something of his own state of the union. The Dallas Mavericks can only hope their chief is ready to put down the TV mic and get back to his real job.

Until he does, and until he puts his knee and conditioning issues to rest, the Mavs, the oldest team in the league, are in for a rough road. The up-and-humming Minnesota Timberwolves extinguished the good feeling of two straight wins without Dirk over the sad-sack New Orleans Hornets, who nearly stole the Mavs' 83-81 victory, and the terribly thin Phoenix Suns.

Coach Rick Carlisle declined to address Dirk's progress after he missed his third game during this week of off-court work designed to get the 7-footer's right knee back on track and his conditioning -- and determination -- back to NBA standards.

As Minnesota's 105-90 win Wednesday night showed, good teams -- and don't take its 8-10 record at face value -- are quite capable of taking it to these shorthanded Mavs -- now 11-8 and tied for eighth in the West -- who continue to be without key reserve Vince Carter as well. And don't look now, but the Utah Jazz will be seeking payback Friday night. That impressive, hard-nosed win in Salt Lake City last Thursday was the last game with Dirk.

"We've been winning the last couple games on teamwork, energy, guts and will, and we have skilled guys on the rest of our roster other than Dirk," Carlisle said. "We didn't do that tonight, we were inconsistent. We never got anything really consistent going after we had gotten the 14-point lead. Give them credit for continuing to attack and being aggressive and staying with it, but we failed to answer that run at the end of the first half and it didn't get better from there."

For 23 minutes of the first half, Dallas was sailing along and the sellout crowd that watched the team finally slip on their championship rings was clapping along as Carlisle aligned the bench in more creative groups of five. He ended the first quarter and started the second with Rodrigue Beaubois, Jason Terry, Brian Cardinal, Brandan Wright and Yi Jianlian. A few minutes later Ian Mahinmi subbed in for Yi. This group has gotten some decent run the last two games.

And give it credit as it took the Wolves by surprise for a 46-32 lead, turning turnovers into easy buckets and some high-flying ones, too, courtesy of Terry-to-Wright. But things went south from there and Minnesota went into halftime down just two, and then Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love -- and a nice young team around them -- double-doubled the Mavs to death. A 21-4 run spanning the last minute of the second quarter and first five of the third put the Wolves ahead by seven and then an 8-2 run to end the third and an 8-1 run to start the fourth did the final damage.

But what can really be expected against quality teams with Dirk and Carter sitting out and Lamar Odom -- well, not even Carlisle seems sure of where Mr. Odom is at these days.

"We just got to take it one game at a time. That’s part of the NBA," said Shawn Marion, who deemed the 15-point loss, embarrassing. "Ain’t noithing going to be picture-perfect. This is my 13th season, so I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. At the same time, it’s about staying focused and we’ve just go to go, gradually help each other and stay on the same course. That’s all that matters."

Dirk returning recharged is really all that matters. This is a one superstar team that needs him to be super to have a chance. The prevailing wisdom for this season is just make the playoffs. The owner has said as much, and the veteran starting point guard said it again after Wednesday's loss. The Western Conference is not great, but it is loaded with good teams -- nine of which already have double-digit wins.

With the season whipping ahead toward one-third of the way through, health is what's most important. Without it, even an afterthought of a playoff spot could be in jeopardy.

"The team is always going to be looked upon as a team," Jason Kidd said. "We’re not individuals in the sense of you’ve got to win and and lose as a team. We looked at it like that last year; we didn’t care who put the ball in the basket. Right now it’s just a matter of getting your body right and being ready once the real season starts."

In about 12 hours we should get a better idea on the actual state of the union.

How it happened: Power forward matchups don’t get much more lopsided.

Minnesota’s Kevin Love, fresh off signing a four-year, $62 million contract extension, was awesome. Dallas’ Lamar Odom, who seems to just be waiting until the Mavs buy out the last season of his contract, was awful.

Love lit up the Mavs for 31 points and 10 rebounds. He made 9-of-16 shots from the floor, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, none bigger than one that capped an 8-0 run in the final minute of the first half.

Odom, making his third consecutive start in place of Dirk Nowitzki, was benched midway through the third quarter. He managed to jack up 14 shots in 16 minutes, making only two.

Dallas led by as many as 14 points in the first half despite Odom. But the Wolves seized momentum with the spurt at the end of the half, which was highlighted by a spectacular drive-and-kick by rookie phenom Ricky Rubio (17 points, 12 assists) to Love. The run continued in the third quarter, when the Wolves claimed the lead by coming out of the break with a 13-4 spurt.

Minnesota pulled away in the fourth quarter, spoiling a night that will be remembered for an emotional championship ring ceremony.

What it means: It isn’t alarming that the Mavs lost a game without Dirk Nowitzki to an upstart Minnesota squad. But Odom’s miserable performance is a major issue. The Mavs need him to be an impact player and he’s given no indications that it’s likely to happen.

Play of the game: What looked like a botched fast break turned into a thing of beauty. The Mavs had trouble getting a grip on the ball until Jason Terry scooped it off the floor just outside the 3-point line and tossed an underhanded lob to Brandan Wright in the general vicinity of the rim. Wright soared to slam it with two hands. “Shut it down!” Nowitzki screamed, serving as a guest on the Mavs’ TV broadcast. “Let’s go home!”

Stat of the night: The Mavs’ franchise-record streak of holding foes under 100 points is over. The Timberwolves were the only Dallas opponent to score more than 93 points during the streak, putting up 99 in a New Year’s Day win over the Mavs. The Mavs were 11-4 during the streak.