DALLAS ? With Michael Finley on the injured list, Dirk Nowitzki led the way for the Dallas Mavericks.

Nowitzki scored 27 points, and his three-point play with 6.9 seconds left gave the Mavericks a 95-94 victory over the Nuggets on Tuesday night, Denver's fifth straight loss.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


? Box score

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avery Johnson's layup with 19.7 seconds remaining had given Denver a 94-92 lead.

But Nowitzki spun into the lane, pump-faked, and shot a 12-foot turnaround jumper that rolled around the rim before falling in. He was fouled by Ryan Bowen and made the free throw to put Dallas ahead for good.