Red-hot Mavs aim to extend winning ways against Nuggets

Already with winning streaks of 12 and 13 games under their belts this season, the Mavericks won their 10th game in a row on Thursday when they bested Miami, 112-100, in a rematch of last season’s finals.

Dallas’ franchise record for consecutive wins is 14, set at the beginning of the 2002-03 season.

Dirk Nowitzki posted 31 points and 11 rebounds as the red-hot Dallas Mavericks won for the 18th straight time at home this year. The win moved the Mavs to a league best 25-3 at home and improved their overall mark to 45-9, also tops in the NBA.

Jason Terry scored 21 points and Jerry Stackhouse added 18 points for Dallas, which has lost just twice in its last 33 games.

The Mavericks are playing the middle portion of a three-game homestand tonight and will conclude the brief stand on Monday against Atlanta.

Dallas made one small move before Thursday’s trade deadline, sending guard Anthony Johnson to Atlanta in exchange for a second-round draft pick in the 2007 draft.

Johnson played 40 games for the Mavericks this season and averaged 3.8 points with 2.0 assists in just over 14 minutes. He was acquired from Indiana in a June 24, 2006 trade.

The Mavericks have won three in a row over the Nuggets — including two wins already this season — and have also won seven of the last eight overall in the series. Dallas has claimed victory in three of its last four in Denver.

For Denver, Deron Williams posted 26 points and 14 assists and Matt Harpring scored 22 points as the shorthanded Utah Jazz upended the Nuggets, 114-104 on Friday.

Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points and Allen Iverson had 33 for the Nuggets, who have dropped three in a row and fell 9 1/2 games behind Utah in the Northwest Division.

The Nuggets are an even 12-12 as the visitor this season and will travel to Memphis for a game on Monday.