NBA ROUNDUP Thursday's games

Mavericks 117, Jazz 94
DALLAS -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points and Antawn Jamison added 25, sending Dallas to its sixth straight victory and 50th of the season. The Maverick's return to a small-ball lineup has produced at least 117 points in all six games and an average of 121.7 over that span. Dallas has won them all by at least 10 points. Dallas will try to keep it up this weekend at Seattle and Golden State to ensure its home finale Tuesday night against Memphis is as pivotal as it currently looks. The Mavs and Grizzlies are both 50-28, tied for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. A Dallas victory over Memphis would tie the season series, which is the first tiebreaker. The Mavericks have a three-game lead in the next tiebreaker -- conference record. Dallas is fighting for a second-tier seed because it offsets a league-best 35-5 home record with a 15-23 road mark. Of the Mavs' four games left, the only one at home is against the Grizzlies.
Nets 101, Magic 81
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jason Kidd returned to the starting lineup and banked in a half-court heave at the end of the third quarter to give the Nets the lead for good. The loss assured the Magic, which has dropped 12 straight, at least a tie for the league's worst record. Kenyon Martin, who had missed eight of the last 10 games with tendinitis in his left knee, had to leave late in the third quarter when his knee started acting up. The Nets put out an update saying Martin would not be back, but he walked up to the scorer's table with 8:02 to play and returned.
Timberwolves 94, Kings 86
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- First place in the Western Conference belongs to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who moved into that lofty position with an impressive performance at one of the league's toughest arenas. Sam Cassell scored 29 points and Kevin Garnett added 24 points and 17 rebounds as Minnesota moved ahead of Sacramento in the standings. Minnesota rallied from an 11-point third-quarter deficit against the sloppy Kings, who were held to 17 fourth-quarter points. The Timberwolves moved a half-game ahead of the Kings and 11/2 ahead of the Lakers.
-- Associated Press