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Final Score: Dallas 105 - Phoenix 98

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Dirk Nowitzki poured in 32 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as Dallas roared back to beat Phoenix, 105-98, at US Airways Center.

Josh Howard added 24 points and nine boards for the Mavericks, who outscored the Suns 27-9 in the fourth quarter to remain in the seventh spot of the Western Conference playoff standings, two games in front of Golden State and Denver.

Brandon Bass chipped in with 19 points off the bench for Dallas, while Jason Terry had 12.

Amare Stoudemire finished with 31 points for the Suns, who lost for the first time in eight games at home and fell a game behind Houston for the fifth spot in the West after the Rockets beat the LA Clippers Sunday.

Phoenix still clinched a playoff spot, however, after the Warriors and Nuggets both lost.

Boris Diaw netted 15 points for the Suns, while Shaquille O'Neal had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Steve Nash donated 14 points and dished out 10 assists.

The Suns took a comfortable 11-point edge into the fourth quarter but Dallas charged back.

O'Neal opened the final frame with a jumper but Dallas answered with a 16-0 run to jump in front. Howard hit a pair of free throws before Erick Dampier finished the burst with an emphatic slam to make it a 94-91 game with 4:08 left.

Stoudemire finally ended a nearly eight-minute scoreless streak for Phoenix by getting loose inside the lane for a slam of his own with 3:50 on the clock.

Nowitzki answered with a running jumper and a pair of free throws, however, to extend the Mavs' lead to five, 98-93, with 3:04 remaining.

The Suns managed to close the gap to four, 100-96, on a pair of Nash free throws with just under a minute left but Nowitzki responded with a circus shot at the other end.

"The good thing is with Phoenix, you can be up 14 or down 14 and you're always in the game. The play a fast-paced style and we play a fast-paced style, so you're never really out of the game," said Nowitzki.

The Mavericks then hit enough free throws in the waning seconds to secure things.

"Obviously the fourth quarter, we couldn't make a basket. Give them credit for good defense and us for bad offense," said Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni. "It resulted in about 13 straight misses and three turnovers, and I guess that's the whole game.

The Suns took a slim 28-26 lead after the opening 12 minutes and extended their lead to five points, 57-52, by intermission.

Phoenix looked like they were starting to pull away in the third quarter and took an 11-point advantage into the final frame, 89-78, when Raja Bell capped the scoring in the frame with a jumper.