Bogut's best can't buck Mavericks
Reuters
Relevant offers
Basketball
Australia's Andrew Bogut had 24 points and 14 rebounds in one of his better NBA games of the season but it wasn't enough to get the Milwaukee Bucks past western conference frontrunners Dallas.
Dirk Nowitzki had his first career triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to lead the Mavericks to a 107-96 victory, stretching their home winning streak to eight games.
Nowitzki, the defending league MVP, consistently passed out of double-teams to open teammates as he registered his first game with double-digit assists.
Jason Terry added 23 points off the bench, and Josh Howard had 17 points for Dallas to help offset a season-high 36 points by Milwaukee's Mo Williams, including 28 in the first half.
Elsewhere, the Atlanta Hawks outscored the Los Angeles Lakers by 11 points, with Joe Johnson slotting four free throws in the final 23 seconds in the fourth quarter for a surprise 98-95 victory.
Johnson led the Hawks with 28 points to beat a misfiring Lakers, who had led by eight after three quarters.
Josh Smith turned in an outstanding performance for the Hawks with 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. He also made five blocks, while rookie Al Horford contributed 15 points and a career-high 20 rebounds.
Los Angeles's Pau Gasol and guard Kobe Bryant both struggled, with Gasol making just five of 14 shots for 12 points, while Bryant, nursing a thumb injury, shot 4-for-16 and scored just 11 points and made 10 assists.
In Phoenix, Peja Stojakovic hit a jumper at the buzzer to give the New Orleans Hornets a 132-130 double overtime win over the Phoenix Suns.
In Orlando, Dwight Howard scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to an easy 100-84 win over the New Jersey Nets, who have lost 12 of their past 14 games.
In Washington, Tim Duncan scored 23 points and made nine rebounds and four assists to lead the San Antonio Spurs to an 85-77 win over the slumping Washington Wizards, who have lost four in a row.
In New York, the Indiana Pacers snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 103-100 win over the New York Knicks.
And in Michigan, the Miami Heat, playing just hours after they traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns, were beaten 100-95 at Detroit. The Heat have lost five successive games and 20 of their past 21.
Sponsored links
Triple treat cashes up ailing NZRU
All Whites squad to divvy up $4m
Caddie Steve Williams confident of luring Tiger
Fans warned over 2010 ticket ripoffs
Kicking off World Cup campaign
'Mad Dog' after another All Blacks scalp
All Blacks wary of loading English gun
World Cup party's over for Phoenix
European football match-fixing ring exposed
Bitter MP seeks reconciliation
Police dob in drink driver to Air NZ
Lawyer backs down over drink-drive website
All Blacks level with England at halftime
Triple treat cashes up ailing NZRU
Sleepwalker found not guilty of wife's death
World Cup party's over for Phoenix
Oprah says ending show 'feels right'
Police officer killed as floods devastate UK
Miley Cyrus tour bus overturns, one dead
European football match-fixing ring exposed
Shyla's a purr-fect little mum
Nice Kiwi blokes - shame about the women
Mother of separated twins: 'We don't want them back'
All Blacks wary of loading English gun
'Brainless' stunt by NZ 'idiots' a global sensation
Miley Cyrus tour bus overturns, one dead
Popcorn and soda can equal three burgers