"It was a big win, but at home they are an unbelievable team," Nowitzki said. "We played for one more chance."

The Nuggets are attempting to get to the conference finals for the first time since 1985.

"I think you'll see a very committed and angry team on Wednesday," Nuggets coach George Karl said.

Nowitzki was sensational throughout but especially in the fourth period, when he scored 19 points, including two clutch free throws with 8.3 seconds left to give the Mavericks a 118-114 lead.

"I've seen (Larry) Bird hit shots like that," said Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who played with Bird in Boston. "The great ones somehow find the will to do it, and (Nowitzki) is one of the great ones."

Denver's Carmelo Anthony scored a career playoff-high 41 points, including a 3-pointer to cut Dallas's lead to 118-117 with 3.1 seconds left. The Mavericks' Jason Terry made one free throw with 1.1 seconds left, missed the second, and Anthony threw up a wild, court-

length heave at the buzzer.

The Mavericks took their first lead since 6-5 when Nowitzki hit a 12-foot fadeaway for a 114-112 advantage with 56 seconds left. Josh Howard's two free throws after a loose-ball foul by Anthony with 31.4 seconds left made it 116-112.

Once again, Anthony was outstanding, and had it not been for Nowitzki, would have stolen the show. Anthony ran the court like Mine That Bird, breaking free for numerous easy transition baskets. Anthony stripped the ball from Nowitzki on a key possession in the fourth period. Anthony confidently sank jumpers. And his aggressiveness led to some vicious fouls in the lane in a heated contest that included seven technical fouls. He finished with 11 rebounds and five steals, also team highs.

"Offensively, he was very balanced," Karl said of Melo. "He's a big-time scorer that they have trouble matching up with."

The game, like the series, was chippy from the start. With 11:15 left in the second, Anthony got his left arm tangled up with Antoine Wright under the basket, and Melo pushed Wright with his right hand when he got free, earning a technical.

Meanwhile, during the timeout, Kenyon Martin's mother, Lydia Moore, got into a shouting match with Mavericks fans, and her son came toward the scorer's table and began screaming at the fans in defense of his mom. Later in the game, fans hurled insults at Martin's girlfriend, rap star Trina, who was seated behind the Denver bench.

It only got worse from there as fans got into a fourth-quarter shouting match with Anthony's girlfriend, LaLa Vazquez, and she became irate, throwing her arms in the air and ultimately leaving her seat in disgust.

"It's disrespectful," Anthony said of the fans. "A fan is supposed to cheer for his team."

Asked if the game was hostile, Karl said: "I would probably use an uglier word than hostile. I don't think (the fans) were very classy."

In the first half, the Nuggets played as if they had their broom out, shooting 52.5 percent from the field, including 8-for-14 from Anthony, in building a 10-point lead. Anthony led all scorers at halftime with 18 points, and Chauncey Billups had 12 with four assists.

"We knew we were going to get their best effort tonight, with the motivation of playing on their home court, and they were going to fight and do everything they could to extend their season," Billups said. "I'm happy with the effort we gave. If we had a couple bounces go a different couple ways, we're having a different conversation."

Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com ------------- Highlights

Arc madness. The Nuggets started out scorching, making 5-of-6 3-point attempts in the first quarter. They took a 34-23 lead into the second quarter.

Smith smokin'. Nuggets guard J.R. Smith scored 19 points in 28 minutes off the bench.

Lowlights

Bird's flu. The Nuggets were without key reserve Chris Andersen, because the Birdman had a stomach flu. He had been averaging 22 minutes in the playoffs.

Zip and out. Mavericks starting center Erick Dampier was scoreless in 23 minutes before fouling out.

Benjamin Hochman,

The Denver Post