DALLAS (AP) – Don’t count out the Dallas Mavericks just yet, no matter how tempting they’re making it.

After letting a 21-point lead turn into a nine-point deficit in the closing minutes, Dirk Nowitzki came alive with consecutive 3-pointers to start a game-ending 15-0 run that carried the Mavericks past the Golden State Warriors 118-112 Tuesday night. That guaranteed the NBA’s best regular-season team at least one more game in the playoffs.

Golden State led 112-103 on a lunging 3-pointer by Baron Davis with 3:19 left that looked to be the knockout punch for one of the most stunning upsets in NBA history. Yet that’s when Nowitzki picked Dallas up off the mat, the way the league’s likely MVP is supposed to do – but something he’d yet to do all series.

Nowitzki scored 12 points the rest of the way, hitting the two 3s and went 6-of-7 from the foul line. The Warriors helped the collapse by missing their final eight shots.

AP-ES-05-02-07 0041EDT