Nowitzki to play it out

Dirk Nowitzki talked with Avery Johnson yesterday about taking one game off before the end of the regular season. The Mavs play tonight here in Portland, tomorrow at Seattle and finish up at home with New Orleans.

They decided it’s best for Nowitzki to keep playing. Johnson will watch his minutes. The plan for the Pacific Northwest is to play Nowitzki sparingly in one of these two games.

“Even if I didn’t play out here, I don’t think my ankle would be 100 percent,” Nowitzki said today after shootaround. “I’d rather keep my rhythm, pop a couple of Advils before the game and play.”

In other injury news, Jerry Stackhouse (stained groin) still won’t play tonight and Josh Howard (bruised right knee) is a game-time decision.