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Raptors-Mavericks Preview
By MATT BEARDMORE, STATS Writer
Posted Feb 28 2009 4:40PM

Fighting for a playoff spot in the crowded Western Conference, Dallas looks to close its three-game homestand with another victory. Facing a struggling Toronto Raptors team that hasn't won in Dallas in nine seasons could be the matchup the Mavericks are looking for.

Dallas goes for its fifth straight win at American Airlines Center on Sunday night while Toronto looks for just its second victory on the road since January.

The Mavericks (35-23) won their second in a row Friday, defeating Oklahoma City 110-108 in overtime. Dallas trailed 85-73 with 6:20 remaining, but Dirk Nowitzki scored 12 of the Mavericks' final 20 points in regulation and added five more in the extra five minutes to finish with 41.

Nowitzki's fourth 40-plus point game this season helped the Mavericks improve to 21-4 at home since dropping their first four there in 2008-09.

"It was definitely a lucky win," said Nowitzki, who had 40 points in his previous three games. "It doesn't happen very often when you're down that much that late and come back."

The Mavericks were down 33-21 to the Raptors (23-37) in the teams' first meeting this season Dec. 17 but rallied for a 96-86 win in Toronto. Nowitzki had 27 points and 10 rebounds while Jason Terry added 27 points, seven boards and eight assists.

Terry has missed the last eight games following surgery to repair a fracture in his left hand. There is no set date for his return.

Jason Kidd scored all 10 of his points in overtime Friday after missing all five shot attempts in regulation. He added 13 assists as Dallas won for the fourth time in six games following the All-Star break.

"It showed we can put it together pretty quickly when we have to," Kidd said. "That's a lesson learned. We've got to win these games."

Toronto finds itself near the East basement with nine losses in its last 13 games. Friday's 133-113 defeat at Phoenix was the Raptors' second straight on the road and fifth in six tries away from the Air Canada Centre.

Winning in Dallas has been even more challenging for the Raptors, who have dropped eight straight there since a 109-104 victory Dec. 30, 1999.

On Friday, the Raptors nearly won their first game in Phoenix in five seasons but were outscored by 16 in the final 12 minutes.

"We were right there, man. I don't know what happened," Shawn Marion said after scoring a season-high 27 points with 11 rebounds. "We just hit the tank or something, and everything just sort of went the other way. It's frustrating because I think the fight in us just went out the window."

Marion is averaging 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds since being acquired from Miami on Feb. 13. He has posted nine double-doubles in his last 10 games in Dallas, most recently a 23-point, 10-rebound effort while playing for the Suns on Dec. 19, 2007.

Chris Bosh recorded his 27th double-double of the season Friday with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He had 12 points and nine boards in the Raptors' loss to Dallas in December.