"Dirk Nowitzki put in one last eye-popping performance in an attempt to get himself in the All-Star game.

And what a performance.

Nowitzki scored a game-high 25 points -- passing Adrian Dantley along the way -- as the Dallas Mavericks carved up the Denver Nuggets 105-95 on Wednesday before 15,970 at the Pepsi Center. The Mavericks (15-11) snapped a three-game losing streak by sending the Nuggets to their fourth consecutive loss.

Afterward, when asked about Nowitzki's game, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said: "An All-Star performance, didn't you think? He's getting back into a groove offensively and he's looking like his old self in terms of moving around on the court. So it's a lot of positives.""