The Celtics led 97-91, but the Mavericks scored the final 10 points. After Kevin Garnett missed an 18-foot jumper with 15 seconds to go, the Mavericks tried to go inside, but Dirk Nowitzki had trouble handling the ball and threw it to Kidd, who made his second 3-pointer of the game.
After a timeout, Boston’s Rajon Rondo threw the ball over Garnett’s head and out of bounds on an alley-oop play.
Garnett then fouled Nowitzki, who made two free throws with 2.2 seconds left. Ray Allen then missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Boston.
Nowitzki led Dallas with 29 points while Allen topped Boston with 24.
In Toronto, the hosts won their first game in 14 by beating Minnesota.
Andrea Bargnani scored 30 points and DeMar DeRozan had 20 as the Raptors notched a seventh straight home win over the Timberwolves.
Kevin Love had 20 points and 15 rebounds for his 35th straight double-double for Minnesota, which is 2-23 on the road this season.
In Denver, Deron Williams’ return to the lineup helped Utah redisover some form with a win over Denver.
The Jazz had lost eight of 10 and had been without Williams for the last four games after he strained a wrist.
Williams scored 26 points and dished out 12 assists in his return — better than his season averages of 21.9 points and 9.4 assists that earned him his second straight All-Star pick this week.
Al Jefferson had 28 points and 10 boards for the Jazz.
Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 31 points.
In Charlotte, Dwyane Wade had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, showing no ill effects from a sore back, as Miami beat Charlotte to earn its fifth consecutive victory.
Wade wasn’t sure he’d play up until about an hour before tip-off after getting hurt a night earlier, but he logged 40 minutes and led an efficient offense that shot 55 percent from the field.
LeBron James added 19 points for the Heat, who only took control in the final quarter.
Gerald Wallace broke out of his scoring slump with 25 points and Stephen Jackson also scored 25 for the Bobcats, who ran out of steam late as they returned from a road trip.
In Phoenix, Jeff Green scored 28 points to power past Phoenix.
Serge Ibaka added 18 on 9-of-10 shooting for the Thunder.
Vince Carter scored a season-high 33 for Phoenix, but missed three late long-range jumpers as Oklahoma City outscored the Suns 12-5 over the last 2½ minutes. No other player scored more than 13 for the Suns.
Carter was 1-of-7 shooting in the fourth quarter, missing his last five attempts.
In Sacramento, Tony Parker had 25 points and seven assists, directing San Antonio past Sacramento.
The Spurs built an early double-digit lead and went on to notch their 13th win in 15 games, strengthening their grip on the NBA’s best record.
Tyreke Evans had 25 points for the Kings.
In Atlanta, Al Horford made two free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining following a flagrant foul by Blake Griffin, giving Atlanta victory over Los Angeles.
Griffin sent Marvin Williams and Horford to the floor with hard fouls in the final seconds. The last was the most costly, though Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro argued against the flagrant 1 ruling.
Jamal Crawford had 34 points while Horford had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks.
Baron Davis had 22 points and 13 assists for Los Angeles.
In Philadelphia, the hosts used a 15-0 run late in the fourth quarter to overwhelm New York.
Elton Brand scored a season-high 33 while Andre Iguodala had 18 points and a career-high 16 assists for the 76ers, who are trying to catch the Knicks for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
New York seemingly had the game under control in the fourth until a scoreless stretch that lasted more than 6 minutes and let the Sixers race into the lead.
Raymond Felton led the Knicks with 26 points.
In Indianapolis, Indiana beat Portland to improve to 3-0 under interim coach Frank Vogel.
Danny Granger scored 25 points despite being affected by a sinus infection, shooting 7 for 13 from the field to help Indiana earn its first winning streak of more than two games this season.
Roy Hibbert scored 15 points for the Pacers, who are averaging 107 points since firing Jim O’Brien.
Rudy Fernandez scored 19 points for the Trail Blazers.
In Washington, Orlando beat Washington in Gilbert Arenas’ return to Washington to face his old team.
While the pregame attention was on Arenas, Dwight Howard was the star of the game, getting 22 points and 15 rebounds. He made his first 10 field goals and didn’t miss a shot until 2:20 remained in the third quarter.
In his first Washington appearance since being traded to the Magic, Arenas had 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. He checked in with 1:31 to play in the first quarter to a mostly warm reception.
Nick Young and Kirk Hinrich had 17 points apiece for the Wizards, who have lost seven straight.
In Memphis, Cleveland matched the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history, dropping their 23rd straight with a loss to Memphis.
The Cavaliers tied the 1995-96 Grizzlies, then in Vancouver, and the 1997-98 Denver Nuggets. They will set a new low of their own unless they win at home Saturday against Portland. Cleveland lost 24 straight games over the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons.
Zach Randolph had 29 points and 13 rebounds, Rudy Gay added 26 points and 11 boards, and the Grizzlies won their season-best fifth straight. Memphis put together 13 straight points to open the fourth quarter and take control.
J.J. Hickson matched his career high with 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Cleveland.
: In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Detroit snapped a four-game losing skid by defeating New Jersey.
Tayshaun Prince scored 22 points and rookie Greg Monroe added a career-high 20 points along with 11 rebounds for Detroit, which led by 13 early in the third quarter after beginning the second half on a 14-5 run.
Anthony Morrow had 22 points for New Jersey, which lost its 12th straight road game.
