Mehmet Okur, Jazz
97-94 loss at Mavericks
19 pts, 7-13 FG, 3-3 3-pt FG

J.R. Smith, Nuggets
114-105 win at Warriors
24 pts, 7-12 FG, 4-8 3-pt FG, 6-8 FT

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
97-94 win vs. Jazz
32 pts, 12-23 FG, 4-5 3-pt FG, 4-5 FT

Carmelo Anthony started slow, but both he and the rest of the Nuggets finished with a flurry. Melo only scored four points in the first quarter, but ended the night with 25 to go along with nine rebounds and five steals. More importantly, Denver moved one game in front of the Warriors for the No. 8 spot in the West playoffs with Thursday’s 114-105 win. "It was a must win for us,'' Anthony said. "It was 'win or go home' in our minds.''

Tim Thomas, Clippers
106-78 loss vs. Lakers
3 pts, 1-11 FG, 1-4 3-pt FG

Josh Howard, Mavericks
97-94 win vs. Jazz
3 pts, 1-8 FG, 0-1 3-pt FG

Derek Fisher, Lakers
106-78 win at Clippers
7 pts, 3-10 FG, 1-5 3-pt FG

Things did not start off well for the Nuggets on Thursday. No need to worry, a 48-minute game is a marathon not a sprint. Leave it to Allen Iverson to get Denver off and running. The Answer scored 13 of his game-high 33 in a second quarter that swung the momentum Denver’s way and the visitors never looked back in a huge win over the Warriors. The victory moved the Nuggets one game ahead of Golden State for the No. 8 spot in the West playoffs with three to play as Denver rallied from 16 points down in the opening quarter. "We know how serious it is in the West, and if we don't get our act together it's going to be a chance we're not going to be in the playoffs," Iverson said. "And with our roster ... there's no way we shouldn't be in the playoffs."

What else would you expect from the reigning MVP? Dirk Nowitzki sank a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left to silence the Jazz as the Mavs prevailed 97-94 to clinch a playoff spot. Nowitzki’s shot came on the heels of a wild 3-point bank shot by Deron Williams that tied the game with 5.8 remaining. With three games left, the Mavericks have a two-game edge on the Nuggets for the No. 7 seed. That’s life in the wild and wooly West, folks. It seemed only a short time ago that the Mavs seemed out of playoff contention with Nowitzki nursing injuries. The big man is back, as evidenced by his second 32-point effort since returning, and after Sunday’s equally-big win over the Suns it’s time to jump back on the Dallas bandwagon.

Yes the Nuggets are all about Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. However, J.R. Smith has the ability on occasion to impact a game. He did that Thursday with 24 points off the bench as the Nuggets topped the Warriors to claim sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race. Smith's 3-pointer from the top of the key after Eduardo Najera tipped a rebound to him made it 96-81 with 6 minutes left. The Nuggets can clinch their fifth straight playoff berth by winning two of their final three.

The Clippers came up just a bit short, 28 points to be exact, on Thursday against the Lakers. Don’t blame Al Thornton for the loss. The outstanding rookie out of Florida State posted 22 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and one assist. Thornton snapped his three-game string without hitting double digits in the scoring column after closing out March with four straight double-digit performances, including a 39-point night against the Grizzlies. He also erased a disappointing effort of two points in the Clips’ last meeting with the Lakers on March 7.

There was no player cooler or more clutch when it counted on Thursday than Dallas big man Dirk Nowitzki, who reminded us that his Mavericks are far from out of the discussion for a Western Conference championship. Nowitzki answered Deron Williams’ 3-pointer by drilling a trey of his own with 0.9 seconds left to lift Dallas past Utah. Nowitzki led all scorers with 32 points and appears to be getting healthy at the right time. A healthy Dirk alongside Jason Kidd could really juice up what will undoubtedly be a postseason to remember in the rugged West.