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Mavs, Nuggets battle for playoff positioning

Thu 27th, March 2008

(Sports Network) - Two teams battling to qualify for the Western Conference playoffs meet tonight, as the streaking Denver Nuggets welcome the Dallas Mavericks to the Pepsi Center.

Dallas is No. 7 in the West standings, while Denver is a half game behind the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors for the final playoff berth. The Nuggets are also just two games behind the Mavericks.

The Mavericks open a critical three-game road trip tonight. On Tuesday, Josh Howard scored 32 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had four steals as Dallas countered the loss of Dirk Nowitzki with a 103-90 pounding of the Los Angeles Clippers at American Airlines Center.

Erick Dampier poured in 19 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for Dallas, which snapped a three-game skid while playing its first game without Nowitzki, who suffered a high ankle sprain and a mildly sprained knee during Sunday's 88-81 loss against the Spurs. The All-Star forward, who is sidelined indefinitely, leads the team in scoring (23.6 ppg) and rebounds (8.8 rpg) this season.

Jerry Stackhouse added 20 points and Jason Kidd collected 10 points and eight assists in the win over the Clippers.

The Mavericks are 15-19 on the road this season. They will visit Golden State on Sunday at ORACLE Arena and the Clippers on Monday at the Staples Center in the finale of the swing.

Denver begins a two-game homestand on Thursday. The Nuggets are 28-7 at home this season and will host the Warriors on Saturday at the Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets have won three in a row and return home after going 3-2 on a five- game road trip. Allen Iverson scored 26 points to go along with seven assists and Carmelo Anthony added 23 points with nine rebounds and five assists, as Denver downed the Memphis Grizzlies, 120-106, at FedExForum.

J.R. Smith finished with a team-best 27 points, while Kenyon Martin notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds for Denver, which has won six of its last eight games overall.

On the injury front for Denver, forward Nene (testicular tumor surgery) is probable for the Nuggets. Nene last played on January 7, and is averaging 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 12 games this season.

The teams have split a pair of meetings this season. Dallas has lost two of its last three at Denver.

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