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Red-hot Nowitzki regaining MVP form

Jan 8, 2009 - 11:28 AM New York (13-20) at Dallas (21-13) 8:30 p.m. EST

DALLAS (Ticker) -- A league suspension has not slowed Dirk Nowitzki.

Nowitzki looks to continue his recent hot play on Thursday when the Dallas Mavericks host the New York Knicks.

The 2006-07 MVP, Nowitzki was suspended by the NBA for one game after being ejected early in the fourth quarter for a flagrant foul-2 on Matt Harpring during a 97-88 loss to the Utah Jazz on December 26.

After sitting out a 98-76 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on December 28, Nowitzki has returned to his previous MVP form, pouring in an average of 29.2 points per game while leading the Mavericks to three wins in the last four contests.

The 30-year-old forward, who ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring at 26.0 points per game, scored 34 points, including a go-ahead, fadeaway jumper in the lane with 37 seconds left to power Dallas to a 107-102 victory over the slumping Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.

Nowitzki's performance helped overcome poor shooting by Dallas' other key weapons.

Jason Terry made 2-of-10 shots from the floor - including 1-of-8 from the arc - for nine points, while Jason Kidd was 1-of-6, with all of his shots coming from 3-point range.

Nowitzki could be in for another huge performance against the Knicks, who have lost eight of their last 10 games and are coming off an embarrassing 107-99 setback to the league-worst Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.