Dirk Nowitzki scores 42 as Dallas beats Detroit, 88-84

Dirk Nowitzki had a season-high 42 points with 12 rebounds, carrying the Dallas Mavericks to an 88-84 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.

Jason Terry added 16 points and Caron Butler contributed 11 points and eight rebounds to help the Mavericks to their fifth straight win over the Pistons.

Tayshaun Prince scored a season-high 19 points and Rodney Stuckey also had 19 for the Pistons.

The Mavericks were lethargic for much of the night and trailed by as many as 12 in the third quarter. But they picked up the energy level down the stretch.

Nowitzki scored nine straight, capped by an 18-footer with 5:29 remaining for a 75-70 lead.

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Washington 116, Philadelphia 114 (OT) — Nick Young hit an open three-pointer with 7.6 seconds left in overtime as the Wizards capitalized on Jrue Holiday’s unwise foul in the final seconds of regulation. Young finished with 19 points, but his winning shot wouldn’t have been possible if Holiday hadn’t fouled John Wall about 40 feet from the basket with 3.5 seconds left in regulation and the 76ers leading by three. Wall threw up the ball and got a shooting foul out of it, then made all three free throws to tie the game at 106 and send it to the extra period.

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New Jersey 107, Atlanta 101 (OT) — Brook Lopez scored a season-high 32 points and the Nets snapped a three-game losing streak against the slumping Hawks. Devin Harris added 23 of his 27 points in the second half, Kris Humphries had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Anthony Morrow had five of his 13 points in overtime in New Jersey’s first home game in 10 days.

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Indiana 100, Cleveland 89 — Danny Granger scored 24 points as the Pacers built on their impressive victory over Miami. Granger got off to a slow start but scored 10 points in the second quarter as Indiana expanded an eight-point lead into a 62-37 margin at halftime. Ramon Sessions had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Cavaliers, who lost their third consecutive game.

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New York 110, Charlotte 107 — Toney Douglas scored 22 points, and the Knicks won their fourth straight game in the opener of a home-and-home series with the Bobcats. Amare Stoudemire added 17 for the Knicks, who won the final three games on their road trip and kept rolling right through most of this one. They blew nearly all of a 16-point lead before holding on for their longest winning streak since taking four straight last Dec. 4-11.