Nowitzki, from Germany, scored 13 points before leaving in the second quarter with what the Mavericks said was a sore right knee. Shawn Marion led the effort to replace him, scoring 20 points off the bench.
Dallas improved to 11-1 on the road this season, best in the NBA, and 24-5 overall.
Kevin Durant scored 28 points, one game after a season-high 44 points on Christmas against Denver. James Harden had 18 for the Thunder.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle also missed the game due to a knee injury.
In Memphis, Tennessee, Zach Randolph scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half as the Grizzlies woke up from a slow start to beat the Raptors.
Tony Allen had 14 points and a season-high six steals, part of 15 Memphis steals on the night. Allen also had eight rebounds, also a season high.
Linas Kleiza led the short-handed Raptors with 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting. DeMar DeRozan finished with 18 points.
In Milwaukee, Al Horford had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Joe Johnson added 15 points as the Hawks beat the Bucks.
The Hawks (20-13) were back in Milwaukee for the first time since winning a pivotal Game 6 in the first round of the playoffs last year to send the series back to Atlanta where they won to advance.
They were impressive once again, opening a double-digit lead in the first quarter and shooting 50.7 percent from the field for the game.
John Salmons scored 18 for the Bucks, who struggled in their first home game after a successful Western Conference trip.
In Newark, New Jersey, Dwight Howard had 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Magic to their third straight win with a victory over the Nets.
Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points as the Magic had six players in double figures in beating the Nets for the third time in three meetings this season.
Orlando hit a dozen 3-pointers and shot 49 percent from the field despite the team showing up less than 90 minutes before the game because one of its buses got stuck in a snow drift on the way to the venue.
Devin Harris scored 24 points to lead New Jersey, which lost for the eighth time in 11 games.
In Charlotte, D.J. Augustin scored 27 points, Stephen Jackson added 23 as the new-look Bobcats held on to beat the Pistons to give interim coach Paul Silas a victory in his debut.
With Silas using new combinations and forcing the pace after replacing the fired Larry Brown last week, the Bobcats built a 23-point lead and then nearly wasted it all.
Ben Gordon missed two tying 3-point attempts in the closing seconds before Tyrus Thomas' two free throws with 1 second left finally put it away for the Bobcats, ending a four-game losing streak.
Charlie Villanueva scored 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting for the Pistons.
In Minneapolis, Michael Beasley scored 30 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven assists to lead the Timberwolves to a victory over the stumbling Hornets.
Wes Johnson added a career-high 24 points and made six 3-pointers for the Timberwolves, who have won back-to-back games for just the second time this season.
Chris Paul had 22 points and 13 assists for the Hornets, who lost their seventh straight road game and are 7-12 after starting the season 11-1.
In Salt Lake City, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points as the Trail Blazers halted a four-game road losing streak with a victory over the Jazz.
Deron Williams scored 31 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers that pulled the Jazz within 94-91 with 7.7 seconds left. But Andre Miller made a pair of free throws to seal the win for Portland.
The game was Matthews' first in Salt Lake since he left the Jazz for a five-year, $34 million deal with Portland after last season.
In Houston, Kevin Martin scored 20 points, Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks each added 15 and the Rockets won their fifth straight game, beating the Wizards.
Luis Scola had 14 points and Jordan Hill added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Rockets, who've won eight consecutive home games heading into Wednesday's showdown against Miami.
Kirk Hinrich scored 19 points and Andray Blatche had 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Wizards, who dropped to 0-15 on the road this season. Washington has lost 10 of 11 overall.
In Sacramento, California, Eric Gordon tied a career high with six 3-pointers and scored 31 points, leading the Clippers to a victory over the Kings.
Blake Griffin had 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers, who have won three straight on the road after opening the season 0-11.
Tyreke Evans scored a season-high 32 points for the Kings, who have dropped eight straight and own the NBA's worst record (5-23).
In Oakland, California, Monta Ellis scored 22 points and a season-high 12 assists to help Golden State to its third straight victory, beating the 76ers.
Stephen Curry added 17 points, including seven straight during a decisive run in the fourth quarter when the Warriors (12-18) pulled away.
The three-game winning streak is Golden State's longest since it won three in a row in April 2009.
Jrue Holiday had 23 points and 11 assists for Philadelphia (12-19) while Elton Brand had his eighth double-double in 13 games with 16 points and 16 rebounds.
