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Nowitzki, Mavericks try to rebound vs. surging Bulls

Feb 7, 2009 - 1:08 PM Chicago (22-28) at Dallas (29-20) 8:30 p.m. EST

DALLAS (Ticker) -- A recent surge for both the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki has come to a crashing halt.

Nowitzki and the Mavericks look to bounce back from a lopsided loss on Saturday when they open a four-game homestand against the Chicago Bulls.

Winners of four straight and seven of their last nine overall following four consecutive losses, Dallas was demolished by the Utah Jazz on Thursday, 115-87.

The Mavericks trailed by 10 points at halftime and were outscored 37-19 in the third quarter as the game turned into a rout.

Nowitzki, like the rest of the team, had a poor shooting night, scoring just 14 points on 6-of-20 from the field as Dallas finished 40 percent (34-of-85) from the field.

"It was a butt-whipping, and I'm not making any excuses," Nowitzki said. "Just look at the stats. They played great, and we just did not."

Nowitzki will need a much better performance against the Bulls, who have won four of their last five games, including a 107-93 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday.