Nowitzki delivers game winner as Mavericks edge Celtics

Jan 12, 2012, 7:30 GMT

Los Angeles - German wunderkind Dirk Nowitzki scored 16 points, including a tie-breaking three-point play with 5.1 seconds left, letting the reigning NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks win their third in a row by edging the host Boston Celtics, 90-85, Wednesday night.

Rajon Rondo scored 24 points for Boston, while Kevin Garnett had 16 points with 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who have dropped two straight since winning four in a row.

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, including two free throws with seven tenths of a second left in overtime, after Andrew Bynum blocked Al Jefferson's potential go-ahead layup and the visiting LA Lakers edged the Utah Jazz 90-87 for their fourth straight win.

Paul Millshap had 29 points for Utah, which had its five-game winning streak stopped.

Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points, Amar'e Stoudemire had 20 points with 10 boards and the New York Knicks ran their winning streak to four, while snapping the visiting Philadelphia 76ers' six-game winning streak, 85-79.

Frenchman Tony Parker scored 28 points, and Richard Jefferson hit a big three-pointer with over a minute left in overtime, as the San Antonio Spurs improved to 7-0 at home after slipping past the Houston Rockets, 101-95.

Kevin Durant collected 29 points and 10 rebounds, Russell Westbrook scored 22 as the Oklahoma City Thunder extended its winning streak to five with a 95-85 victory over the host New Orleans Hornets.

Elsewhere: the LA Clippers handed the visiting Miami Heat its second consecutive overtime loss in as many nights, 94-89; the Indiana Pacers dropped the visiting Atlanta Hawks, 96-84; and the visiting Sacramento Kings topped the Toronto Raptors, 98-91.

Also, the Chicago Bulls buried the visiting Washington Wizards, 78-64; the Denver Nuggets clipped the visiting New Jersey Nets, 123-115; and the visiting Orlando Magic escaped the Portland Trail Blazers, 107-104.