SALT LAKE CITY - Dirk Nowitzki scored 38 points and got some needed support from his Dallas teammates as the Mavericks beat Utah 108-105 in a National Basketball Association contest.

Josh Howard added 21 points for the Mavericks, who bounced back from Sunday's 101-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that snapped a 13-game winning streak. In San Antonio, Tony Parker returned from a hip injury to play a role in a balanced San Antonio attack that saw the Spurs post a 98-84 victory over Portland.

Tim Duncan collected 16 points and nine rebounds to lead four starters in double figures as the Spurs won their second straight game after dropping a season-worst three straight.

Parker and Manu Ginobili scored 14 points apiece for the Spurs, who have won seven consecutive meetings against Trail Blazers.

In Memphis, Pau Gasol and the lowly Memphis Grizzlies again got a boost from a collision with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Gasol collected 26 points and 13 rebounds and Mike Miller added 25 points as the Grizzlies used a high-scoring third quarter to key a 128-118 victory over the Lakers and end a two-game skid. Damon Stoudamire scored 16 points for the Grizzlies, who improved to 3-3 under interim coach Tony Barone.

The Grizzlies have had a lot of success against the Lakers in recent years, winning eight of their last nine contests, including six of seven at home.

Kobe Bryant scored 25 points for the Lakers, who shot just 42 percent and saw their season-high four-game winning streak end.

In a crisp shooting game, the Mavericks and Jazz sparred for nearly 44 minutes before Nowitzki's teammates started to make plays.

Devin Harris and Jason Terry each made two free throws that gave Dallas a 102-97 lead with 2:38 to play. After Nowitzki knocked down a perimeter jumper, Terry drove the lane for a layup and a 106-101 lead with 1:41 left. Utah's Deron Williams cut the deficit to three with a reverse layup and, after a few empty trips by each club, Erick Dampier cameout of nowhere to block Williams' driving attempt with 13 seconds left.

Nowitzki hit two free throws with 10 seconds left for a 108-103 lead before Utah's Carlos Boozer scored and the Jazz got the ball back. But after a timeout, Mehmet Okur missed a 3-point heave from the left corner with three-tenths of a second left.

+++Terry finished with 18 points and six assists and Harris 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting for the Mavericks, who shot 53 percent. *AFP

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