"Maybe this German dude has a few days left as a go-to guy after all.

It could be coincidence or perhaps it was just a matter of time, but Dirk Nowitzki has suddenly looked like himself ever since Charles Barkley declared that the best player in Mavs' history was no longer capable of being "The Man."

Nowitzki has scored 79 points on 61.5 percent shooting in the last three games. He had 25 points on 11-of-20 shooting and nine rebounds in Wednesday's win over the Denver Nuggets, putting up what's pretty much been a typical performance for him over the last decade.

"All-Star performance, didn't you think?" coach Rick Carlisle said, poking fun at the possibility that Nowitzki's slow start could prevent him from extending his streak of All-Star selections to 11 when reserves are announced Thursday night. "