National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE
| RECAP
Dallas 117, Houston 110
When: 8:30 PM ET, Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Officials: #77 Karl Lane, #41 Ken Mauer, #59 Gary Zielinski
Attendance: 20508
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Officials: #77 Karl Lane, #41 Ken Mauer, #59 Gary Zielinski
Attendance: 20508
MAVERICKS 117, ROCKETS 110: Dirk Nowitzki had a game-high 35 points and Vince Carter dropped 23 points off the bench to help host Dallas snap a two-game losing skid.
After scoring just four points in the first half, Nowitzki exploded for 31 points in the final 24 minutes to help the Mavericks inch closer to clinching a playoff berth in the Western Conference.
Nowitzki used 20 fourth-quarter points to lead a 14-2 Mavericks run midway through the fourth quarter to take a 102-94 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Goran Dragic had a double-double for Houston with 20 points and 10 assists. The Rockets have dropped five straight and fell into a tie for ninth in the West with Utah.
The Rockets play the second half of their back-to-back in New Orleans on Thursday
GAME NOTEBOOK: Dallas guard Delonte West was fined $25,000 Wednesday by the NBA for poking Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward in the ear Monday. … Rockets center Marcus Camby returned from a lower back injury to score 11 points and haul in 17 rebounds. … The Mavericks have won seven straight regular-season games over Houston.
Top Game Performances
| Houston | Dallas | |
| Goran Dragic 20 | Scoring | Dirk Nowitzki 35 |
| Goran Dragic 10 | Assists | Jason Kidd 8 |
| Marcus Camby 17 | Rebounds | Shawn Marion 6 |
| Luis Scola 6 | Free Throws Made | Dirk Nowitzki 12 |
| Goran Dragic 2 | Steals | Shawn Marion 2 |
| Patrick Patterson 1 | Blocks | Brandan Wright 1 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
| Houston | 110 | 50.0 | 12-28 | 12-15 | 23 | 41 | 1 | 7 | 12 |
| Dallas | 117 | 51.9 | 11-26 | 24-26 | 21 | 39 | 1 | 6 | 12 |
Upcoming Games
- Dallas will play their next game at home against Golden State. The Mavericks have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
- Houston will play their next game on the road against New Orleans. The Rockets have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.