Dirk Nowitzki started the fourth quarter Tuesday night with 11 points and ended up with 40. He began the fourth Wednesday with 10 and finished with 12. Not coincidentally, the Mavericks won the former (Jazz) and dropped the latter (Hornets). The absence of Nowitzki's production and presence -- he fouled out late in the fourth -- was too much for Dallas to overcome in New Orleans. Nowitzki scored a club-record 29 points in the fourth against Utah, sensing the Mavs needed his Herculean effort to stage an improbable comeback. That's what franchise players do.
"My mentality in the fourth was to go out there and make things happen," Nowitzki said. "We just needed a little spark and they kept feeding me the ball. I got every play down the stretch and I was able to deliver."
He tried to do the same against the Hornets, but missed 11 of 15 shots. The Mavericks were still in position to win, but missed three crucial free throws in the closing seconds and lost in overtime.
Nowitzki looks to get back on track Saturday against Toronto.
HORNETS 114, MAVERICKS 107 (OT): Jason Terry had 35 points and Dallas had control of the game going into the final seconds, but three missed free throws allowed New Orleans to rally back Wednesday night. The Mavs (3-2) dropped their first on the road this season in three tries.
Terry's season-high effort was complemented by Erick Dampier's 16 points and 14 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki, coming off a 40-point showing, scored just 12 and fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Peja Stojakovic nailed game-tying three-pointer with 6.7 seconds left for his only shot of the game. Chris Paul scored 39, including six in overtime, to help snap Dallas' three-game winning streak.
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