Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter, including a high-arching shot with 1:05 left that put the Dallas Mavericks ahead for good on their way to a 119-117 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, extending the second-round series and providing it with a lot more excitement.
Carmelo Anthony scored a career playoff-best 41 points and hit a 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left from nearly the exact spot as his winning basket in the previous game. But this time, it left Denver a point shy of a tie.
Dallas' Jason Terry made a free throw with 1.1 seconds left, then missed another -- perhaps intentionally -- because Anthony got the rebound but couldn't even get off a desperation heave.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
