DALLAS (AP) – Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points, 19 in the final quarter, and Josh Howard matched a career high with 30 points to help the Dallas Mavericks bounce back from consecutive defeats, rallying from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 106-101 Friday.

Howard kept the Mavericks close with 16 first-half points, and Nowitzki carried his team down the stretch, hitting all five field-goal attempts and all nine free throws in the fourth quarter.

Nowitzki, Dallas’ top scorer and rebounder, had only four first-half points and missed five of six from the field.

The Mavericks had a club-record streak of 23 straight wins at home snapped with Wednesday night’s 129-127 double overtime defeat to the Phoenix Suns. Dallas had won a team-record 17 in a row before a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

Paul Pierce’s 29 points, Gerald Green’s career-high 25, and Al Jefferson’s 20 points and 10 rebounds paced the Celtics, who had won six of their previous nine.

Dallas led 100-99 when Nowitzki passed to Jerry Stackhouse for a dunk with 1:16 left.

After Pierce hit two free throws, Nowitzki converted twice from the free-throw line with 47 seconds left for a 102-99 lead.

Nowitzki clinched the victory when he made a 13-foot fadeaway over Jefferson for a 104-99 lead with 4.8 seconds remaining.

With the score tied at 85, Stackhouse had a three-point play with 5:46 left to give the Mavericks the lead for good.

Jason Terry, who had 16 points, and Howard combined for Dallas’ first 18 points of the third quarter. Then Nowitzki scored the final eight to reduce Boston’s lead to 70-69 entering the fourth quarter.

Pierce got off to a blazing start, hitting seven of his first eight field-goal attempts and scoring 17 of Boston’s first 21 points. But Pierce picked up two early fouls and played only seven minutes of the first quarter.

Howard scored all the points during a 9-0 Dallas run late in the first quarter as the Mavericks grabbed a 29-26 lead entering the second quarter.

Boston coach Doc Rivers feared that Pierce would pick up a third foul so Rivers kept his top scorer on the bench until there were five minutes left in the half.

Even with Pierce sitting for much of the first half, the Celtics converted 15 of their first 24 shots from the floor and grabbed a 54-44 halftime lead behind Pierce’s 19 points.

Dallas was without two of its top defenders: guard Greg Buckner (sprained left knee) and swingman Devean George (sprained right knee). Coach Avery Johnson said Buckner is out indefinitely after injuring the knee in the fourth quarter against Phoenix.

George has missed nine of the past 12 games but could return to practice next week.

Notes: Howard also had 30 points against Denver earlier this season. …Boston F Ryan Gomes missed his fifth straight game with a sprained foot. …The Celtics connected on their first four 3-pointers, three by Pierce, and shot 58 percent from the field (19-for-33). Boston was 6-for-8 from 3-point range in the first half. …Mavericks G Devin Harris, who left the Phoenix game in the first quarter and did not return after sustaining a strained neck, started against the Celtics.

AP-ES-03-16-07 2314EDT