Nowitzki returns to Mavs' lineup from elbow injury

DALLAS (AP) -- Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki returned to the starting lineup for Tuesday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers after missing the previous game and a half with a deep cut on his right elbow.

Nowitzki, Dallas' top scorer who is averaging 26.1 points per game, tested his heavily-bandaged and padded elbow during a pregame shooting session at the team's practice gym, and he felt OK to go.

Nowitzki was injured Friday night in a collision with Houston's Carl Landry during the second quarter of an overtime loss to the Rockets. Nowitzki had two of Landry's teeth embedded in his elbow, and needed extensive treatment to clean out the wound.

Nowitzki missed the second half against Houston and sat out Sunday night's 102-95 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said before the game that there's been no indication of infection in Nowitzki's elbow and that overall, "there's been an improvement the last couple of days."