Dirk Nowitzki

Good morning -- Dirk Nowitzki -- At least you got to raise one trophy this year.

Heat vs. Mavericks Shandel Richardson Sun Sentinel Even after Sunday's meltdown, the Heat still have to be considered the favorite to win the NBA title. They eventually will solve the riddle that is the Bulls and take care of business in the Eastern Conference finals. There won't be too many nights in which LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are held under 20 points. In the West, the Mavericks are playing as well as any team in the league. These aren't the Mavs of the past, all scoring and nothing else.

NBA Detroit@Dallas 9 p.m., ESPN The Pistons (first in the Central Division) just saw their 11-game winning streak end with a loss to Boston. The Mavericks (second in the Southwest) are on a four-game winning streak. For Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki has rallied after a slow start. The Pistons have been getting balanced scoring and have played tight defense, holding the opposition to under 90 points a game.

All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki notified the Mavericks he is opting out of the final season and $21.5 million on his existing contract. Mavericks President Donnie Nelson already has booked a flight that will have him in Germany on Thursday, when free agency begins, to show Nowitzki how sincere the club is about keeping its all-time leading scorer and rebounder. The Mavs had been discussing an extension, but it would've been for three years. He can get four as a free agent. •Sources close to the situation told ESPN.

All-NBA team (First-place votes in parentheses) First team F - Tim Duncan, San Antonio (95) 553 F - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas (75) 510 C - Shaquille O'Neal, Miami (122) 616 G - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia (69) 498 G - Steve Nash, Phoenix (118) 606 Second team F - LeBron James, Cleveland (45) 421 F - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota (34) 408 C - Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix (9) 367 G - Dwyane Wade, Miami (35) 417 G - Ray Allen, Seattle (1) 177 Third team F - Tracy McGrady, Houston (15) 264 F - Shawn Marion, Phoenix 134 C - Ben Wallace, Detroit 105 G - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers (1)

Ponder this, before you ponder all the other things about the Golden State-Dallas series that just ended, especially Thursday's Game 6: If you were told before the game that one player would score 33 points, hit seven three-pointers and lead his team to a 25-point victory, and another player would shoot 2-for-13, miss all his three-pointers, score eight points and be the sixth-leading scorer on the losing team, and you had to choose which player was...

Heat vs. Mavericks Shandel Richardson Sun Sentinel Even after Sunday's meltdown, the Heat still have to be considered the favorite to win the NBA title. They eventually will solve the riddle that is the Bulls and take care of business in the Eastern Conference finals. There won't be too many nights in which LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are held under 20 points. In the West, the Mavericks are playing as well as any team in the league. These aren't the Mavs of the past, all scoring and nothing else.

All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki notified the Mavericks he is opting out of the final season and $21.5 million on his existing contract. Mavericks President Donnie Nelson already has booked a flight that will have him in Germany on Thursday, when free agency begins, to show Nowitzki how sincere the club is about keeping its all-time leading scorer and rebounder. The Mavs had been discussing an extension, but it would've been for three years. He can get four as a free agent. •Sources close to the situation told ESPN.

Dirk Nowitzki missed the Mavericks' home game against the Cavaliers on Sunday night because of soreness in his elbow, where two teeth belonging to the Rockets' Carl Landry wound up following a collision a few nights before. "I tried (shooting), but it's just too sore," said Nowitzki, his arm bandaged from his elbow to his wrist. Nowitzki needed several stitches to repair the gash in his right elbow, which he suffered during the second quarter of an overtime loss Friday to the Rockets.

Last week's rank in parentheses Records through Friday 1. Cavaliers 26-8 (4): After donning paper party hats for LeBron James' birthday - really - they win sixth in row. 2. Lakers 26-6 (2): At this pace Kobe Bryant will lock up MVP by Feb. 1 and need IV fluids rest of way. 3. Magic 24-8 (3): With defenses taking him away, Dwight Howard down to 9.0 shots, 17 points a game. 4. Celtics 23-8 (1): Paul Pierce gains in MVP race as Celtics turn into the Nets without him. 5. Suns 21-12 (6)

Dirk Nowitzki missed the Mavericks' home game against the Cavaliers on Sunday night because of soreness in his elbow, where two teeth belonging to the Rockets' Carl Landry wound up following a collision a few nights before. "I tried (shooting), but it's just too sore," said Nowitzki, his arm bandaged from his elbow to his wrist. Nowitzki needed several stitches to repair the gash in his right elbow, which he suffered during the second quarter of an overtime loss Friday to the Rockets.

The Rockets' Carl Landry was taken to a hospital after breaking teeth in a collision with the Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki during the second quarter of Friday night's game. Nowitzki drove into the lane and missed a short jumper with 9 minutes, 28 seconds left in the second quarter. He was fouled by Landry, who was hit in the mouth on Nowitzki's follow-through. Before leaving for X-rays and three stitches to close a cut on his right elbow, Nowitzki, a right-hander, shot two free throws left-handed, converting one. •Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings was fined $7,500 by the NBA for posting a message on his Twitter account after Milwaukee's 108-101 double overtime win over the Trail Blazers but before the end of media access last weekend.

Deron Williams scored eight of his 12 points in the third quarter and Carlos Boozer finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds as the Utah Jazz ended a three-game losing streak by beating the visiting Washington Wizards, 103-88, last night. Ronnie Brewer scored 13 despite playing only the second and fourth quarters as punishment for oversleeping and missing yesterday morning's shoot-around. Seven Utah players scored in double figures. The Jazz (42-26) had followed a 12-game winning streak by losing the last three of a five-game road trip and couldn't afford to slip up against the hapless Wizards.

Wizards routed, 122-88; Celtics' streak hits 13 nba Ray Allen and Paul Pierce scored 22 points apiece and the Boston Celtics beat the host Washington Wizards, 122-88, last night for a 13th straight win and the best start in the history of the storied franchise at 21-2. The Celtics also own their longest winning streak since a 14-game run in 1985-86. Caron Butler scored 19 for the Wizards, who matched their franchise's slowest start, dropping to 4-16 for the first time since the 1966-67 Baltimore Bullets.

NBA Dallas@Phoenix 10:30 P.M. [TNT] I realize it's a little past a lot of folks' bedtime, but maybe Shaquille O'Neal will make his Suns debut against the Mavericks. Then again, maybe not. In either case, Dallas-Phoenix is good NBA TV, with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire on the Suns' side and Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard for the Mavericks (with maybe Jason Kidd on the way).