NBA: MAVERICKS 111 PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 101

Dirk Nowitzki gave Dallas a shot at a rare win over a Western Conference playoff contender by capping a late rally with a 3-pointer that forced overtime. Nowitzki's 25 points included a high-arching 3-pointer that wiped out the last of an 11-point deficit in the final 2 minutes, Parsons scored 10 of his 20 in the extra period and the Mavericks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-101 Saturday night.

Instead of losing for the 12th time in 14 games against teams currently in the West playoff picture, the Mavericks (35-18) pulled percentage points behind Portland (34-17) for fourth place.

NBA: LeBron James And Kyrie Irving In War Of Words

LeBron James has known Kyrie Irving for years. He's been a mentor for the young Cleveland Cavaliers point guard since he was a freshman at Duke. Irving has spoken of seeking out James for advice on his adjustment to the NBA both on and off the court.

So the fact that he and James aren't getting along 100 percent is a little surprising. James has made several comments this week about "bad habits" that have set in on the Cavs over the last couple of years, and as Irving has been the constant since James left in 2011, it's not shocking who James is talking about, along with Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson.