Playing with the desperation of a team facing elimination, even though they weren't, the Dallas Mavericks clawed their way back into their first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

It took a rejuvenated Dirk Nowitzki to save them in a 106-102 victory.

Nowitzki emerged from a two-game slump to score 28 points and keyed a 20-0 run in the fourth quarter that deflated the Rockets in Game 3.

Michael Finley scored 20 points, Jerry Stackhouse added 18 and Josh Howard had five big points in the late comeback, ending Houston's nine-game win streak and finally giving the Mavericks confidence that they can keep up with the surging Rockets.

Dallas has a chance to even the Western Conference series in Game 4 Saturday night. Game 5 is in Dallas on Monday night.

Trailing 88-80 early in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks seemed on their way to a 3-0 series deficit - a hole no NBA team has ever rallied from.

But Finley hit a jumper, Nowitzki dunked on a fast break, Finley buried another 3 and Jason Terry made a couple of free throws to retake the lead midway through the quarter.

The Mavs also got some help down the stretch from Houston. Tracy McGrady missed two free throws, Houston misfired on seven straight shots and the Rockets showed an uncharacteristic lack of poise - especially for the league's oldest team.

Howard, a second-year forward who's been clutch for the Mavs in the postseason, completed a three-point play and scored on a short jumper to finish off the run, putting Dallas ahead 100-88.

McGrady had another big game for the Rockets, finishing with 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Bob Sura added 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Yao Ming, who scored 33 points on 13-of-14 shooting in Game 2, was held to 13 points and eight rebounds while battling foul trouble for much of the game.

After thoroughly outplaying Nowitzki in Dallas, the Houston crowd of 18,199 serenaded McGrady with chants of "M-V-P! M-V-P!" during breaks in the action. McGrady, trying to get past the first round for the first time in his eight-year career, responded with another impressive all-around effort despite Dallas' varied attempts to slow him down.

Playing with childhood idol Magic Johnson watching from a sideline seat, McGrady almost flawlessly ran the Rockets' catch-and-shoot offense. McGrady's drive-and-dish for David Wesley's 3 gave Houston only its second lead of the game, 60-58, in the third quarter and the Rockets seemed to only be getting started.

Sura flew in for an offensive rebound and tapped the ball back out to Scott Padgett for another 3. McGrady followed with a twisting, pumping layup in front of Nowitzki, Sura hit a running jumper in the lane and Wesley capped the spurt with another 3-pointer from the corner to put Houston up 70-60.

A frustrated Nowitzki yelled at second-year guard Marquis Daniels for bungling a pass that led to a turnover in the fourth quarter. Mavs coach Avery Johnson berated Stackhouse for blowing a defensive assignment that led to an easy layup. Both of them jawed with officials throughout the game.

Then, a strange thing happened: the Mavericks started chipping away and the Rockets came undone.

Nowitzki finally got the best of McGrady, hitting jumpers despite double teams, making all 10 of his free throws and providing an emotional boost for a team on the ropes. In short, he finally played like a superstar after getting off to a horrendous start in the postseason.

McGrady, meanwhile, went more than 13 minutes without scoring during the Mavs' game-turning spurt.

(Agencies)