DENVER (AP) -- The Denver Nuggets stayed in the game with a

desperation 3-pointer and a trick play that works maybe once a

season. It made the way they lost it seem that much more shocking --

by allowing a run-of-the-mill layup on an unpardonable defensive

slip-up.

Devin Harris found himself wide open under the basket for an

incredibly easy bucket with 2.2 seconds left in overtime Friday

night to lift the Dallas Mavericks to a 114-112 victory over the

Nuggets.

"We definitely had a breakdown on that last play," Nuggets

coach George Karl said.

On the inbound play after a timeout, Harris moved through

several picks to get lost in the crowd. He got free from Andre

Miller, then scooted toward the basket and found himself alone,

taking a pass from Josh Howard for the easy winning layup.

"Great pass from Josh. I didn't have to dribble," Harris said.

"I just turned to shoot it."

Greg Buckner's desperation heave at the buzzer fell way short

and the Nuggets, still struggling nearly halfway through the

season, finished a key homestand at 2-4.

It was hardly the way anyone would have expected this

hard-fought game to end, especially with the way Denver stayed

alive.

At the end of regulation, Carmelo Anthony made a 3-pointer at

the buzzer to tie it at 100. Then, with 3.6 seconds left in

overtime, Kenyon Martin tipped in Miller's intentionally missed

free throw to tie it again at 112.

"We just made a couple of plays, but not enough plays," said

Martin, who toughed it out after spending several long stretches on

the bench with an ice pack on his back.

Anthony (28 points) was so close to the line on his game-tying

3-pointer that referee Dick Bavetta had to go to the video to make

sure his foot wasn't touching the paint. After about 60 seconds,

Bavetta signaled the shot was worth 3 and the teams played on.

Dirk Nowitzki made a pair of clutch jumpers in the overtime to

keep the Mavericks ahead. Nowitzki and Jason Terry led the Mavs

with 27 points apiece.

Nowitzki's second big shot, a 16-footer after he got open off a

head fake, put the Mavs up 112-109 and put the Nuggets into

desperation mode with only 8.5 seconds left and no timeouts.

Miller got the ball and got fouled. He hit his first free throw,

then tried the 1-in-100 play, intentionally missing the free throw

and hoping for a tip-in. Martin did just that to tie it with 3.6

seconds left.

"I told all the guys not to go in too early," Martin said,

explaining his perfect timing on the play.

After a Dallas timeout, Nowitzki was banging around in traffic

and the Nuggets looked to be focusing on covering him on the

inbound play. That might explain how Harris (11 points) found

himself so wide open for the game-winner.

"You have to keep your composure down the stretch," Nowitzki

said. "Basketball is a game of mistakes. They made the mistake at

the end. A huge mistake."

Miller didn't deem the last play a breakdown.

"He went under the basket," Miller said. "I was thinking

otherwise. I was more helping than anything."

To Miller's credit, the Nuggets wouldn't have been close without

him.

Suffering with the flu, he was sensational in the fourth

quarter, twisting, turning and doing everything he could to keep

Denver in reach of the Mavs. He scored 12 of his 21 points in the

quarter and also finished with 11 assists.

Meanwhile, before Nowitzki took over the overtime, Terry was key

for the Mavericks.

He made a basket to trim Dallas' deficit to 105-104. Then, he

had an "assist" -- actually an airball -- that dropped into

Howard's hands for a layup to make it 106-105. Then, Terry made it

a three-point lead with a layup off a pass from Howard, who scooped

it up when Martin mishandled the ball.

"We had a lot of energy and converted and got a lot of good

stuff, but that is a tough way to lose a game," Karl said.

The Mavs improved to 24-9, well within striking range of San

Antonio (26-7) in the tough Southwest Division. The Nuggets,

meanwhile, failed again to gain ground in the weak Northwest,

falling to 16-18 and staying a game behind Minnesota.Game notes
The Mavericks expect assistant coach Rolando Blackman to

rejoin the team when they return to Dallas. Blackman has been

suffering with pneumonia. ... The Nuggets fell to 0-4 this season

in overtime games.