ESPN

If Dwight Howard is dead set on leaving the Magic's small (market) world ASAP, as reports suggest, and Orlando grants his wish, it's hard to find the happily-ever-after ending for the Dallas Mavericks.

PODCAST
Is the Dwight Howard to the Mavs dream alive? Dwight still wants out of Orlando and it could open the door for the Mavs to put a proposal together. Listen

That's the picture Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi painted Tuesday morning during an appearance on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning." If you thought D12 got what he wanted with Monday's news of coach Stan Van Gundy's firing and the franchise parting with general manager Otis Smith, it might come as a surprise then that Bianchi suggested that Howard could be traded before the June 28 draft.

Bianchi believes the Magic will first ask Howard for a long-term commitment. If the game's top (and seemingly profoundly confused) center says no thanks, then Bianchi thinks the Magic will act quickly to move him out to spare the club and its fan base another derailing, drama-filled season.

If Orlando again begins to solicit trade offers for its statuesque big man coming off back surgery just a month ago -- while also likely looking to unload the egregious Hedo Turkoglu contract (two years, $23.6 million) -- what's the Mavs' best offer?

Think the Magic jump at Brendan Haywood, Lamar Odom's partially guaranteed contract, Shawn Marion, Brandan Wright, Rodrigue Beaubois and whoever else the Mavs might want to throw in?

Not likely (and it's here where speculation can run wild that re-signing Tyson Chandler might have made the Mavs a more prominent player in a potential deal).

Howard has been adamant that he wants to play for the Brooklyn Nets. That's presumably because of his desire (or is it adidas' desire?) to play in a large market where his superstardom can really shine, and his arrival would almost certainly convince All-Star point guard and free-agent-to-be Deron Williams to sign long-term in the borough. If the Nets get a top-three pick in the draft lottery May 30, they'll keep their protected pick from the Gerald Wallace deadline deal, a golden nugget to toss into a package to Orlando.

The Nets, with restricted free-agent center Brook Lopez, and the Los Angeles Lakers, with center Andrew Bynum or power forward Pau Gasol as prime bait, are the top contenders to deal for Dwight now.

The Mavs simply are not.

Dallas' best hope would be that the Magic are desperate to trade Howard out of the Eastern Conference and can't work out a deal with the Lakers. The worst-case scenario, obviously, would be for Orlando to deal him to Brooklyn, effectively (presumably) taking the Mavs out of the running for D-Will and leaving Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki staring into an uneasy future.

Fifth in a 15-part series ranking the Mavericks' 2011-12 roster in importance of bringing back next season.

Every athlete should have it as good as Brendan Haywood. Eleven seasons into a serviceable, yet hardly spectacular career, the 7-footer out of North Carolina has already pocketed some $44 million in career earnings. At a time when some 32-year-old vets are wondering if they've got another payday coming, Haywood is locked into a generous deal afforded by owner Mark Cuban for three more seasons that will take his career earnings north of $72 million.

It's a good living if you can get it.

Yet, for that kind of dough the Dallas Mavericks might have expected more than 3.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 15.3 minutes -- with perhaps a hard foul thrown in along the way -- during four playoff losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The irony is that the Thunder were considered the favored first-round opponent over the massive front line of the Los Angeles Lakers that would pit Haywood on Andrew Bynum.

Haywood couldn't stay on the floor against OKC's Kendrick Perkins, who scored 13 points in Game 2 and averaged 7.7 rebounds in 27.3 minutes a game before leaving early in Game 4 with a hip injury. In those first three games, Haywood played a total of 36 minutes, shot 3-of-11 from the floor and had nine rebounds.

Go back to the series before that, yes, the NBA Finals. Haywood injured his hip in Game 2 and didn't play the rest of the way as Dallas secured the title in six games.

Haywood twisted an ankle and sprained a knee late this season and maybe those ailments had something to do with his ineffective play. Perkins even suggested prior to Game 4 that something must be bothering the Mavs' big man.

Since his arrival in February 2010 when Haywood started on a double-double roll, invoking praise by some as "best center in Mavs history," to OKC's first-round rough-up, his popularity among fans has hit an all-time low.

And now, thanks to the amnesty clause negotiated into the new collective bargaining agreement, Haywood's future in Dallas is certainly in doubt.

The Countdown rolls on at No. 11 ...

BRENDAN HAYWOOD
Pos: C
Ht/Wt: 7-0, 263
Experience: 11 years
Age: 32 (Nov. 27, 1979)
2011-12 stats: 5.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 21.2 mpg
Contract status: Signed through 2014-15
2011-12 salary: $7.6 million
2012-13 salary: $8.3 million

His story: In hindsight, the handsome, five-year contract (the sixth year is non-guaranteed) the Mavs handed Haywood following the 2009-10 season doesn't look so great. Of course, when Dallas did the deal it didn't know that a few weeks later Tyson Chandler would land in its lap via a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats. Haywood took Rick Carlisle's early offseason promise that he would take over as the starting center with Erick Dampier on his way out. Except Dampier's expiring contract turned into a resurgent Chandler, who came off a successful Team USA stint and instantly changed those starting plans. The Mavs will point to their defensive statistics this season as proof that Chandler wasn't missed as some would have thought. Others will point to athleticism, attitude, leadership and a stretch from March 2 through May 5 in which Haywood managed one double-digit scoring game and averaged 4.2 rebounds as proof that the Mavs took a significant dip at the center position.

His outlook: This is where things get interesting. If the Mavs are to sign Deron Williams in July, they will have to amnesty a player to help create the appropriate cap space to offer a max deal. There are two amnesty candidates, Shawn Marion and Haywood, but Marion figured to be the leading candidate if only because it is so difficult to find a 7-foot center to plug into the starting lineup. But, as the season wore on and as Haywood's floor time dwindled in the playoffs, plus with Marion having a fine season -- particularly as a defensive stopper -- speculation raged that Haywood has taken the amnesty lead. Haywood even said during an appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Ben & Skin Show that he would not be offended if the team does cut ties. And why should he? The Mavs will still owe him the $28 million remaining on his contract and he'll pad it a bit more from whichever team should get him next.

The Countdown
No. 15 Lamar Odom
No. 14 Brian Cardinal
No. 13 Yi Jianlian
No. 12 Dominique Jones
No. 11 Brendan Haywood
No. 10 Coming Monday

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is one of three NBA head coaches on the newly restructured competition committee announced by the league Wednesday.

Carlisle, the current president of the NBA Coaches Association, joins Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers and Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins. Also on the committee are team owners Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Joe Lacob (Golden State Warriors) and general managers Bryan Colangelo (Toronto Raptors), Mitch Kupchak (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin O’Connor (Utah Jazz) and Sam Presti (Oklahoma City Thunder).

Previously, the committee included the general manager from each of the 30 teams. That committee has been reconstituted as the new general managers committee. The league says it streamlined the competition committee because it wanted broader input on issues that could potentially improve the game.

One issue that could come up when the committee convenes for the first time during the NBA Finals is basket interference situations in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime. Mavs owner Mark Cuban requested that the league immediately make such instances eligible for replay review following a late-season loss at the Los Angeles Lakers in which Cuban and Carlisle believe Lakers forward Matt Barnes touched the ball in the cylinder but was not called for offensive goaltending.

The play counted as a 3-point basket for Pau Gasol and could have changed the course of the overtime finish.

Contract disputes are about money. The person seeking the contract always wants more than the person handing out the contract wants to give.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle might not yet describe this lingering contract situation as a dispute, but the bottom line is that Carlisle has yet to ink a new deal. Neither side is talking about it, so it can only be assumed that money is a central issue.

Carlisle earned $4.5 million in the fourth and final year of his contract this past season. That ranked him seventh at the start of the season, according to Forbes, among the league's highest-paid coaches. Three of the top six on the list didn't make it out of the season. Mike D'Antonio ($6 million, tied with San Antonio's Gregg Popovich for second) resigned from the New York Knicks, Nate McMillan ($5.5 million, fourth) was fired by the Portland Trail Blazers and Flip Saunders ($4.8 million, sixth) was fired by the Washington Wizards.

According to Forbes, Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers is the highest-paid coach in the NBA, earning $7 million this season. He's in his 13th season as a head coach and eighth with the Celtics, who hold a 1-0 lead on the Philadelphia 76ers in the East semifinals. Rivers and the Celtics won the 2008 championship and returned to the Finals in 2010, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

Is Carlisle looking for Rivers-type money? Or perhaps the $6 million that Popovich, a four-time championship coach, is pocketing this season? The NBA's Coach of the Year has the Spurs in the West semifinals on the heels of a first-round sweep.

In Carlisle's third season in Dallas, he molded a group of title-less veterans into unexpected champions, providing Cuban and the franchise with its first title. While the Miami Heat, the team the Mavs dispatched in the NBA Finals in six games, rewarded coach Erik Spoelstra with an extension in December prior to the start of the season, Carlisle's reward never came.

Cuban dismantled the title team and the season was a struggle from start to finish. Dallas ended it 36-30 in the regular season and then was swept out of the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder under coach Scott Brooks, who is also coming to the end of his contract and will command a bigger payday.

Cuban claims it's simply not his business style to grant extensions (the 2006 extension he gave Avery Johnson backfired). But now that the season is over and still no deal exists, it figures that either the two sides are negotiating a workable salary or that Carlisle, who would be a hot commodity as a free agent, is keeping his options open.

After all, the Mavs' future, in terms of its roster as Dirk Nowitzki turns 34 in June, is as unsettled as ever in Cuban's dozen years as owner.

First in a 15-part series ranking the Mavericks' 2011-12 roster in importance of bringing back next season.

The offseason certainly arrived much sooner than anyone could have predicted, just like Lamar Odom's premature exit from the Dallas Mavericks.

The 6-foot-10 forward kicks off our offseason blog series that ranks the 2011-12 Mavericks roster in order of importance for the front office to bring back. Four of last season's six free agents found new homes with the exception of Peja Stojakovic, who called it a career after winning his first championship, and Brian Cardinal, who re-signed but made virtually no impact on the season.

Eleven months ago, the title team proved difficult to rank in importance and I started the Countdown with DeShawn Stevenson as the least important. It drew quite a few raised eyebrows from those wondering how I could possibly consider the defensive bulldog and surprisingly valuable 3-point shooter the least important member of the title team to bring back.

In retrospect, the choice probably violated the spirit of this series. I chose Stevenson not because I didn't think he was an asset and worthy of returning for a chance to repeat, but because the Mavs traded for shooting guard Rudy Fernandez, a move that, to me, signaled that Stevenson wouldn't be back. Who would have figured that neither Stevenson nor Fernandez would start the season with the Mavs?

This time around the lead-off man in these rankings is a no-brainer. Odom's career-worst season has to go down as the most disappointing season in the league and one of the more frustrating ones for a franchise in recent memory.

With that, on with the series:

LAMAR ODOM
Pos: SF/PF
Ht/Wt: 6-10, 230
Experience: 13 years
Age: 32 (Nov. 6, 1979)
2011-12 stats: 6.6 ppg (35.2 FG%), 4.2 rpg
Contract status: Signed through 2012-2013
2011-12 salary: $8.9 million
2012-13 salary: $8.2 million ($2.4 million guaranteed)

His story: There's a certain reality TV show on a certain entertainment channel starring a certain Kardashian sister and her basketball-playing husband that can provide the background of what went wrong in Odom's four short months with the Mavs. What didn't go wrong? Dallas thought it was getting a versatile forward who would help ease the pain of losing Tyson Chandler by supplying his unique skills that had helped the Lakers win back-to-back titles. Owner Mark Cuban says he'd make the trade all over again that brought the emotionally bogged-down Odom to Dallas for a draft pick and a trade exception. And hey, when the stunning trade went down Dec. 11, most thought the Mavs had just pulled off a coup and wondered why in the world the Lakers would seemingly just hand over last season's Sixth Man of the Year to the team that swept them out of the playoffs. Now we know.

His outlook: Odom is actually under consideration for a spot on Team USA for the London Games because of the rash of injuries that have taken out star players like Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard. Cuban actually said he'd love to see it, but only because he has such disdain for Olympic basketball, so he figures the two were meant to be together. Where Odom lands next season will be a far more intriguing story to follow. For starters, Dallas will try everything it can to dump him off on a team with loads of salary cap space such as Toronto or Sacramento and throw in $3 million to offset the $2.4 million guaranteed on Odom's deal next season. If the Mavs can't dump him in a trade, they'll waive him and be responsible for the $2.4 million, which will eat into their cap space this summer. Such a result will not please Cuban. No matter what, Odom will be long gone from this organization. A return to the Lakers is not likely since they can't add him to the roster for a full year after the date he was traded, Dec. 11. Could he land with the Miami Heat, one of his former teams that obviously will be a contender for years to come? Well, if he wants to sign for a fraction of his actual 2012-13 salary, then it's possible. Of course, no team might risk much more than a couple million anyway. How about the team with which he started his career, the Los Angeles Clippers? Possible. Caron Butler is signed for two more years at small forward, but Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans are free agents.

The Countdown
No. 15 Lamar Odom
No. 14 Coming Tuesday

If the Dallas Mavericks face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, they won't see forward Metta World Peace until a potential Game 7.

The NBA on Tuesday night punished World Peace with a seven-game suspension for his vicious elbow to the head of Oklahoma City Thunder sixth man James Harden in Sunday's game. Harden sustained a concussion and has not been cleared to play. He will miss tonight's game at Sacramento. The Thunder finish the regular season at home Wednesday against Denver, the team the Mavs are jockeying with for the sixth and seventh seed.

The Lakers have one regular season game remaining Thursday night. The next six games of the suspension will be served during the playoffs. In the Mavs' 112-108 overtime loss at L.A. on April 15, World Peace played a key role with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.

The Mavs could also face the Thunder, locked into the No. 2 seed, in a first-round series. On Tuesday, OKC coach Scott Brooks said Harden will be re-examined before Wednesday's game. He did not say if he would play Harden if he is cleared by doctors or keep him out as a precaution with the playoffs starting this weekend.

Players always say they don't care who they face to open the playoffs. Don't believe it.

Brandan Wright, for one, knows which one of the three options still open he wants no part of when he makes his postseason debut this weekend, and for good reason.

The slender, 6-foot-10 forward-turned-center in this successful maiden season with the Mavs has no interest in a first-round pairing with the Los Angeles Lakers. The former lottery pick doesn't fear the purple-and-gold. He just wants to play.

Coach Rick Carlisle has made it clear that there's little room on the floor for the 210-pounder -- dubbed by some the Human Exclamation Point for his skinny frame and ridiculous bounce -- when L.A.'s 7-foot, 285-pound Andrew Bynum is the giant he must guard.

Unless...

"I wish we allowed steroids because he’d be the perfect case," Mavs owner Mark Cuban joked. "That’s not going to happen."

No, it's not. The Mavs have benefited from Wright's energy, quickness, soft hands and ability to finish at the rim (he's shooting 62.4 percent), so losing minutes to circumstance would be unfortunate. Starting center Brendan Haywood will be forced into large minutes against the Lakers, like the 38 he logged in the most recent meeting. In the five games since, Haywood has played between 14 and 21.

Wright got nine minutes in that April 15 overtime loss, mostly when Bynum took a breather. However, Wright's final minute of action in the fourth quarter with Bynum in illustrated the mayhem that matchup can cause. He slapped at Bynum for an and-1 and then got dunked on from behind by a monster Bynum putback.

"I believe he has to get on the floor because he poses a different threat against a team like the Lakers," said guard and alley-oop partner Jason Terry. "First of all, he’s going to outrun their bigs and he’s going to use his athletic ability. So he’s a factor, he’s a factor."

Not surprisingly, Wright, only 24 and healthy really for the first time in his career, concurs.

"I agree 100 percent with Jet," Wright said. "I feel like I can be a factor on the court no matter who we play. In a couple days we’ll be finding out who we play and I’m going to be doing the best I can no matter who we do play."

If the Mavs move back into the No. 6 seed at season's end Thursday night, the Lakers will be the matchup at No. 3, assuming they hold off the Clippers. At No. 7, Dallas will face No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder. The San Antonio Spurs locked up the top seed with Monday night's win.

How has Wright fared in four games against the Lakers? One DNP-CD, 4.3 points, 2.0 rebounds in 12.0 minutes (17 minutes in one game with Haywood out) and 50 percent shooting, well below his season average.

In four games against the Thunder, Wright played in one. He rode the bench on Dec. 29 and Jan. 2 and missed the finale in March with a concussion. The one game he did play on Feb. 1 served as his launching pad for rotation minutes the rest of the season and as an attention-grabber for the Thunder. With Haywood out, Wright played 25 minutes and posted 12 points and three blocks, but only a lone rebound, a glaring area of inconsistency in his game.

"His rebounding is getting better, his rebounding in traffic is getting a lot better," Cuban said. "If he was bigger where he could hold his position, his post-up moves are just phenomenal. Around the basket he's an incredible finisher."

Wright remains a developing player. His 48 games this season are nine more than his previous career high in 2008-09 with the Golden State Warriors, the team that drafted him in the lottery five years ago. They tired of his injuries and traded Wright to New Jersey last season.

"I feel like I’m still a young player, still got a lot of years left in this league to do a lot of good things," Wright said. "That’s the way I look at it. Maybe the first couple of years I have to prove myself that I am a lottery pick, but after that just go out there and play the game."

That's hard to do though if you can't get on the court with any consistency, and that's the threat the Lakers pose.

"Rick is a smart coach. He’ll use him where it makes sense to use him, right?" Cuban said. "We have a history of playing to our strengths and where matchups work, we take advantage of them. He’s not going to be a good matchup against Bynum, but there’s areas for him. If he’s making hard cuts and hard rolls to the basket, then it might be that we have the advantage because he’s so quick."

The advantage just might be in not facing the Lakers.

The Dallas Mavericks' title defense is on.

By virtue of the Houston Rockets dropping their sixth straight game Thursday night to the New Orleans Hornets, the Mavs (35-28) clinched a playoff spot for the 12th consecutive season.

They can take it easy Friday night if they so choose when the Golden State Warriors visit the American Airlines Center in the final home game of the season. Currently occupying the sixth seed, one-half game ahead of the Denver Nuggets, Dallas plays at the Chicago Bulls on Saturday and then wraps up the 66-game, lockout-shortened season Thursday night at Atlanta.

As of today, the Mavs are in position to open the playoffs in Los Angeles against the third-seeded Lakers. However, the Los Angeles Clippers remain in play for the third seed. Dallas could also finish with the seventh seed and open the playoffs at either the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs.

The Mavs will be the first defending champion since the 2007 Heat to begin their title defense on the road. Miami is the last defending champ to lose in the first round of the playoffs.

The Mavericks clinched the franchise's record 12th consecutive playoff berth with Houston's loss to New Orleans on Thursday night.

THE GOOD: Los Angeles Clippers (currently No. 4)

How they have played: The Mavs are 1-2 against the Clips, who won the first matchup at home, 91-89, without Chris Paul. But Dirk Nowitzki shot horribly, Mo Williams went off for 26 points and Chauncey Billups (out for the season) hit a game-winning buzzer-beater. The Mavs took the second game at home, 96-92, with both teams healthy with the exception of Billups. Dirk didn't shoot well again, but went 11-of-15 from the line. The third game might have been the Mavs' most disappointing performance of the year. They failed to show up, shot 39 percent and were embarrassed on the boards in a 94-75 home loss.

How Dirk has played: Nowitzki shot just 38 percent in the three games, but he's getting to the foul line a lot. Blake Griffin's athleticism always creates a tough matchup and defensive specialist Kenyon Martin adds an edge the Mavs are quite familiar with from his Denver days. The numbers don't tell the whole story though. Only Nowitzki, Brendan Haywood and Shawn Marion started all three games against the Clips.

How the Mavs will fare: Most agree this is probably their most favorable matchup, but nothing is a lock for the defending champions. If Dallas wants to move into the second round, they'll have to be on their toes when it comes to transition defense and find a way to get others beside Nowitzki involved in the offense.

THE BAD: Los Angeles Lakers (currently No. 3)

How they have played: The Mavs are 0-4 against the Lakers, but three of those could have gone either way. Shawn Marion is as good as anyone in the league checking Kobe Bryant, but the Pau Gasol-Andrew Bynum connection has averaging 36.8 points a game Injuries skewed games for both teams. Bryant's best game, a 30-point performance in the 109-93 win in Dallas, came with Marion sitting out.

How Dirk has played: He's averaging a double-double with 24 points and 10.3 rebounds, but shooting just 30 percent from beyond the arc.

How the Mavs fare: This matchup heavily rides on the health of Kobe. Nothing will keep him out of the playoffs, and he is expected to return on Friday. But if his sore left shin continues be a problem, the Mavs might catch a break. If he comes back healthy and refreshed after averaging a whopping 38.5 minutes a game, don't count on much rust from the league's leading scorer. Even if he does struggle with his shot, Gasol and Bynum have played lights-out against Dallas.

THE UGLY: Oklahoma City Thunder (currently No. 2)

How they have played: The Mavs are 1-3 against the Thunder and the ugly fact that the youthful Thunder found ways to pull games out late is concerning considering the Mavs prided themselves on such heroics during their championship run, and especially so against OKC in the West Finals. Kevin Durant stole the first meeting with a 3-point buzzer-beater at OKC in third game of the season. The Mavs looked great in one of their best all-around wins of the season, 100-87, soon after in the second game at home. The Thunder returned to Dallas a month later and returned the favor. But the Mavs were severely shorthanded without Jason Kidd, Brendan Haywood and Lamar Odom. Durant and Russell Westbrook struggled in the season finale, but the Thunder defense shut down the Mavs in the final minutes to win at OKC.

How Dirk played: Nowitzki was solid if not spectacular against the Mavs' Red River rival. He shot 44 percent and averaged 22.5 points per game. We haven't seen him be "championship Dirk" consistently this season, but the German torched the Thunder for 32.2 points per game in last year's playoff series.

How they fare: The Thunder have struggled late in the season, and losing the top seed to San Antonio wouldn't be any help to their momentum. The Mavs have held Westbrook and Durant below their season averages in scoring. The problem is that no one but Dirk can score consistently against the Thunder.

THE UGLY II: San Antonio Spurs (currently No. 1)

How they have played: It's hard to imagine the Mavs are 2-2 against San Antonio because Dirk has not played well in three of the four games. The Spurs embarrassed Dallas 93-71 in the first game without Manu Ginobli and with a barrage of 3-pointers, which became a theme against Dallas. In the final game of the series, a shorthanded Spurs squad did it again to the Mavs by 17 points, playing without Tony Parker. The Mavs coughed up a huge lead in the second game at home and won in OT after Danny Green's buzzer-beater was reversed by replay and the game went to an extra five minutes.

How Dirk played: In the third game of the series, a 106-99 win, he had a team-high 27 points. In the other three games, he scored 10.6 points per game on an abysmal 13-of-46 shooting.

How they fare: The Spurs have successfully mixed young, athletic newcomers with the Big Three and have arguably been the most consistent team in the NBA. Jason Terry has been great against the Spurs this season, but they'll need Dirk to find his rhythm to get past this potential first-round foe.

We take a look at the games that impact the West playoff picture each morning for the rest of the regular season.

Mavs' spot in the standings: The Mavs are back in the sixth seed, a half game ahead of the Nuggets and in possession of the tiebreaker. Dallas is two games ahead of the Jazz and two and a half games ahead of the Suns and Rockets.

WEDNESDAY'S GAMES
Mavs 117, Rockets 110: Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter of the Mavs’ critical comeback win.

Clippers 104, Nuggets 98: Chris Paul had 21 points and eight assists as the Clippers won their fifth straight to pull within a half game of the Lakers for the third seed.

Grizzlies 103, Hornets 91: Rudy Gay scored 26 points as the Grizzlies clinched their second consecutive playoff berth.

Lakers 99, Warriors 87: Andrew Bynum had 31 points and Pau Gasol had a 22-11-11 triple-double.

Spurs 127, Kings 102: The first-place Spurs rolled to another rout while Tim Duncan rested.

Jazz 112, Trail Blazers 91: Ex-Maverick Devin Harris hit a career-high six 3-pointers during a 27-point performance to help keep Utah’s playoff hopes alive.

Thunder 109, Suns 97: Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner James Harden scored a career-high 40 points for Oklahoma City.

TODAY’S GAMES
Rockets at Hornets
Clippers at Suns

If the playoffs started today: Mavs vs. Lakers

We take a look at the games that impact the West playoff picture each morning for the rest of the regular season.

Mavs' spot in the standings: Nothing changed for the Mavs, who are in seventh place, a half game behind the Nuggets. The Rockets and Suns are a game and a half behind the Mavs, and Utah is two games behind Dallas.

TUESDAY'S GAMES

Grizzlies 91, Timberwolves 84: Rudy Gay had 28 points as the Grizzlies handed the Timberwolves their 11th consecutive loss.

Spurs 112, Lakers 91: Tony Parker had 29 points and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes as the first-place Spurs got revenge for a recent rout by the Lakers. It was the Spurs’ 18th win in their last 21 games.

TODAY’S GAMES
Hornets at Grizzlies
Rockets at Mavericks
Thunder at Suns
Jazz at Trail Blazers
Spurs at Kings
Lakers at Warriors

If the playoffs started today: Mavs vs. Thunder

LOS ANGELES -- Jason Terry said the Mavericks were playing for a second overtime all the way when he drove the lane, but got caught underneath the basket and his game-winning attempt bounced away.

"Just misread the whole play," Terry said. "You can't do that. I got caught under the basket."

Terry took the inbounds pass from Jason Kidd at the top of the key. A pick got him by Lakers guard Ramon Sessions, but Matt Barnes came with help defense and forced Terry deeper than he wanted to go. Barnes swiped at the ball and Terry's attempt didn't get above the bottom of the backboard.

Terry said there was no foul on the play.

"There was some misfortune there not going strong enough to the basket," Terry said. "Barnes did an excellent job of getting out of the way. I thought he was going to try to take a charge or go for a hard foul and he did neither. Give him credit and I'll take the blame for that one."

Trailing 110-108, the Mavs could have set up a 3-point shot to go for the win.

"It was a pick and roll with Dirk and Terry and we need to make play," coach Rick Carlisle said. "So he drove and I haven’t seen the replay of it, but it didn’t work out, so that’s disappointing."

LOS ANGELES -- Dirk Nowitzki surpassed 24,000 career points Sunday, but it was hardly a performance he'll want to remember. However, it is one that has been all-too familiar of late.

Nowitzki, remarkably, scored a game-high 24 points, but needed 28 shots to get there. He got to the free throw line just two times, once on a defensive 3-second call and then he earned his only trip for a pair in the final minute of overtime. His 9-of-28 line from the floor represented his most-field goal attempts of the season and one of his worst percentages.

"I’ve just got to make some shots," Nowitzki said following the disappointing, 112-108 overtime loss to the Kobe-less Los Angeles Lakers. "Tonight I was more of a volume shooter and that’s not how I want to play. I want to be an efficient scorer, so I got some work to do. The good thing is before the playoffs we only have one game and we have four days off where I can work on my game and hopefully be right when the playoffs start."

If it sounds like Nowitzki isn't thrilled with some aspects of his shooting, whether it be his mechanics or needing to create more space for better looks, it's because he isn't.

Over the last five games, Nowitzki is an un-Nowitzki-like 36-of-95 (38.3 percent) from the floor. Coming off an 8-of-14 shooting night at Portland on Friday night (making him 28-of-81 in the other four games), Nowitzki was just 2-of-11 in the first half against Los Angeles. And his one-legged leaner at the end of regular wasn't close.

"My fourth shot was an airball out of the corner where I was wide open," Nowitzki said. "Just had a rough night, shake it off, got a big one tomorrow, four games in five nights and Utah is a tough place to play, so we’ve got to be ready."

LOS ANGELES -- How it happened: Who needs Kobe Bryant for Showtime in L.A.?

The Kobe-less Los Angeles Lakers persevered without the league's leading scorer and with an under-the-weather Andrew Bynum to win an overtime shootout in part because Pau Gasol hit consecutive 3-pointers in the extra frame (the first of which the Dallas Mavericks protested to no avail that Matt Barnes interfered with at the rim). Gasol had made just five the entire season.

But, the bigger picture saw Dirk Nowitzki struggle from the floor (9-of-28) and fail to get to the free-throw line (3-of-3, one on a defensive 3-second call and two in the final minute of OT) despite leading the team with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Dallas wasted significant games from Delonte West (16 of 20 points in the first half), Jason Kidd (13 points, 5-of-7 FGs) and Jason Terry (21 points, 11 in fourth quarter and OT, 5-6 on 3s).

Terry's drive to the cup in the final 10 seconds of overtime to tie didn't draw a foul call and his shot from nearly under the backboard never had a chance. The Mavs could have gone for the 3 and the win, but Kidd inbounded to Terry, who took Ramon Sessions inside, but couldn't get it to go.

If the Lakers and Mavericks meet in the first round of the playoffs, which Sunday's win by L.A. makes all the more likely, Dallas better figure out a way to put a leash on the big man Bynum and slow down Sessions, who has had two massive games against the Mavs since his trade to L.A.

An upper-respiratory infection, along with the Mavs' defense couldn't hold Bynum down after a slow start. It was Bynum's and-1, followed by a monster dunk with 5:25 left that ended a 10-1 Dallas run and quickly turned momentum to the Lakers' side.

Bynum finished with 23 points (just 9-of-24 FGs) and 16 rebounds. Sessions put in seven of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including five consecutive points.

The Lakers dominated the boards with 15 offensive rebounds for an 18-9 advantage in second-chance points. Metta World Peace came up big to start the third quarter and finished with 18 points while splitting his six boards among offensive and defensive.

Considering the Lakers were playing without Bryant, Bynum was sick, Kidd was coming off Friday's rest and Dallas had yet to beat L.A. this season, the Mavs needed this one. Now they head to awaiting Utah with weary legs.

Kidd logged 39 minutes, Nowitzki played 43 and Terry played 37.

What it means: The loss means the Mavs go 0-for-4 against the Lakers this season. They helped L.A. keep its grip on the No. 3 seed, increasing the likelihood of a Lakers-Mavs first-round series that would start at Staples Center in two weeks.

Bold play of the game: Gasol's consecutive 3s were stunning and ultimately the difference in the game, but with 5:24 to go in the game, Bynum got the crowd revved up and the momentum swinging in the Lakers' favor. After Metta World Peace left a 3-pointer hanging high over the front of the rim, Bynum plucked it out of the air and threw it down with authority to bring the Lakers to within 89-88.

Stat of the game: The Mavs' run of 18 consecutive wins when scoring more than 100 points came to an end. The last time Dallas lost when it scored at least 100 was the third game of the season at Oklahoma City.

Follow along with our experts as they tweet and chat throughout tonight's Mavs-Lakers game at Staples Center.