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Glenn James/NBAE/Getty Images
Back in action after missing four games, the seven-footer logged 18 points and five rebounds en route to the Mavs' 111-86 victory against Golden State.
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By Lauren Brill
The Global Top 10 is your weekly guide to NBA global news. In this week's edition find out who returned to the court, who led their team to victory after trailing by as many as 22 points and who scored a career-high against the Spurs.
Dirk Puts the Now in Nowitzki The Mavericks may have played the Warriors on Wednesday night but according to Dallas' coach Avery Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki is a warrior. Despite the fact that the Germany native is still recovering from a sprained left knee and ankle, Nowitzki laced 'em up to give his squad the boost they needed. Back in action after missing four games, the seven-footer logged 18 points and five rebounds en route to the Mavs' 111-86 victory against Golden State. While the seven-time All-Star's aches and pains prevented him from bringing his A game, Golden State's coach Don Nelson told the AP, "The big difference was Nowitzki playing. He was quite an inspiration to them." The victory couldn't have come at a better time for the Mavs, as the triumph over Golden State puts them at the seventh seed in the West, a game a head of the eighth-seeded Denver squad.
 Photo: Dirk Returns
1. Dirk Puts the Now in NowitzkiThe Mavericks may have played the Warriors on Wednesday night but according to Dallas' coach Avery Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki is a warrior. Despite the fact that the Germany native is still recovering from a sprained left knee and ankle, Nowitzki laced 'em up to give his squad the boost they needed. Back in action after missing four games, the seven-footer logged 18 points and five rebounds en route to the Mavs' 111-86 victory against Golden State. While the seven-time All-Star's aches and pains prevented him from bringing his A game, Golden State's coach Don Nelson told the AP, "The big difference was Nowitzki playing. He was quite an inspiration to them." The victory couldn't have come at a better time for the Mavs, as the triumph over Golden State puts them at the seventh seed in the West, a game a head of the eighth-seeded Denver squad.
Photo: Dirk Returns
2. Nash Has It Raining ThreesThe Nuggets should have known better. Just because a day starts off cloudy, that doesn't mean that the Sun won't come out. Denver had a 22-point lead in the second quarter but Steve Nash led his crew to match the third-best comeback in Phoenix's history. Captain Canada took the initiative and nailed a career-high eight treys en route to the 132-117 victory. On the night the six-time All-Star chipped in 36 points and eight dimes. Following the game, Nash told the The Arizona Republic, "I felt like we had to score, so I wasn't going to waste time trying to be cute. It was just a competitive fighting instinct. When you're down, you've got to do something to get yourself off the mat
Video:
Nash Lights It Up From Beyond the Arc
3. Pau Returns after Hiatus Ever been asked on interview if you could be a candy which candy would you be and why? Difficult question for most, but when Pau Gasol is absent in L.A., the Lakers would obviously be an M&M, hard on the outside and soft on the inside. In the nine games Gasol sat out as he recovered from a sprained ankle, the Lakers lost four matchups and only held one opponent to less than 100 points. Gasol's absence left the Lakers with little interior defense but a strong group on the perimeter. Still sore but back on the floor on Wednesday night, the Spanish-born center logged 10 points and six boards en route to the 104-91 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. His teammate, Kobe Bryant truly benefited from his return as he registered a game-high 36 points and 13 boards. As the Lakers head toward the postseason, Gasol realizes his injury will follow him there but he is not concerned. He explained to the Los Angeles Times, "There's going to be soreness. There's going to be pain. You just have to deal with it and get over it."
Photo: Pau Prepares For Return
4. Not a Starter but a FinisherThe legendary John Wooden once said, "It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it." If the former UCLA coach's word is not enough, the Spurs super sub, Manu Ginobili proved this adage to be true when San Antonio defeated Minnesota 99-84. While the former NBA champs almost lost a 20-point lead in the third quarter, the Argentina native took matters into his own hands in the fourth, scoring 16 of his 26 points in the final period. On the night the reserve shot 8-of-11 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point land and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Following the matchup, the Wolves' coach Randy Wittman told the Pioneer Press, "He's explosive. He can score in multiple ways. It's not like he's just a shooter. He can get to the rim, get to the line. He can make threes. He's probably as good as there is." Manu may not be a starter but he is fantastic finisher who is feared by his opponents.
5. Big-Time BuikeIn life timing is everything and in basketball it is no different. On Sunday night, Kelenna Azubuike made headlines in San Francisco, not for how many shots he drained but for when he put points on the board. With less than four minutes on the clock, the Nigerian athlete nailed two clutch shots en route to the Warriors 114-104 victory over the Mavericks. While the rookie totaled 15 points on the night, he was responsible for six of the Warriors' last 12 points. Happy with Azubuike's contributions, Golden State's coach Don Nelson told the Mercury News," Every night, he guards and he rebounds and he does his assignment and stretches the defense. And he does have the ability to make shots. For a young player, he is fitting in nicely." After the game the former D-leaguer received a few new nicknames including Big-Time 'Buike. So, will the reserve continue to play well enough for the new moniker to stick? Only time will tell.
6. Bogut Nose How to Win With Andrew Bogut's broken nose somewhat snapped back into place for the Bucks' game against the Knicks, the Australian-born center helped his team crack a four-game losing streak as they defeated New York on Tuesday night 119-115 in overtime. The seven-footer logged a double-double with 24 points and 13 boards, as he led the Bucks' squad with 33 double-doubles. As a crucial component to the squad's productivity Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak told HOOPSWORLD, "It's huge to have the heart of our team back. I was really proud of him tonight with that situation that he's in the midst of (nose injury). He wants to play and continue to improve." The following night against the Wizards, Bogut continued to dominate the paint as he logged 20 points and 10 rebounds, marking his 34th double-double. He also received the block of the night honor for rejecting Brendan Haywood late in the second period of the Bucks' 110-109 win over the Wizards.
Video:
Bogut: Block of the Night
7. Tony and Timmy Test Warriors  The San Antonio Spurs placed another road block in Golden State's journey towards the postseason. Defeating the Warriors 116-92 on Tuesday night, Golden State's dream of making the playoffs seemed to be fading as they fell to the ninth spot in the Western Conference. Tony Parker led the reigning champs, who have now won eight straight, with 26 points and seven dimes. Parker along with his co-conspirator Tim Duncan, sat the final frame as the Spurs gained a 20 point edge two minutes into the fourth period. Duncan, a Virgin Islands native contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds, to help keep his team on the tail of the Western Conference first seed, the New Orleans Hornets. Satisfied with his global stars' performances, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told the AP following the game, "On offense Tony did another great job running the show for us and distributing and scoring. Timmy was great in the hole. I thought everybody really contributed and knocked down shots and moved the ball well."
8. Dalembert is the Man in the Middle It's an old wives tale that bad things come in three. But what many believe to be fiction turned out to be a fact for the New Jersey Nets, when they fell to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night 108-99. A trio of 76ers players, that included Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert, registered a double-double. Dalembert, who also had five blocks on the night, turned out to be trouble for the Nets as he was the only player in the game to log double digits in rebounding. Dominating down low, the Haiti native's presence gave the Nets a run for their money. Teammate Willie Green told Phillyburbs.com, "Sam played big for us in the middle.” Despite the fact that there were three Sixers with two double digits next to their name, at the end night the only number that mattered to the New Jersey Nets was the one that indicated they had lost.
Photo: Dalembert is Focused and Determined
9. Scola Scores Career High The Houston Rockets picked their poison but unfortunately the Spurs' venom resulted in a 109-88 loss. Houston's Tracy McGrady explained to the AP, "I thought we did a good job of keeping them out of the paint, which is their strength. Today, they were making jumpers.'' While the Spurs succeeded on the perimeter, it was the Rockets' Luis Scola who dominated down low. He scored a career-high 24 points to go along with seven boards against the team that drafted him but he never suited up for. Interestingly enough, the Argentina native scored the team-high both times the Rockets lost in San Antonio this season. Although Scola denies any extra motivation, some believe the number say it all.
Photo: Scola Seeking Retribution?
10. British Squad Includes NBA Stars Most countries are salivating for a taste of gold in the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics but the British basketball team is readying themselves to feast at the 2012 games. The 2012 Olympics will be held in London and England is already assembling a squad with their hopes set on qualifying for the event. To help accomplish the task at hand, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls have both been named to the roster. Although Gordon spent most his childhood in Mount Vernon, NY, the shooting guard began his life in London. Born in the Sudan, Deng's family fled to the UK to escape conflict in his native land. With confidence in the British squad, the British Basketball performance manager Ron Wuotila told ESPN, " The prospects are bright for our senior teams this summer due to the talent included on these squad lists."
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