"Dirk looked OK," Mavericks coach Don Nelson said after a short workout at American Airlines Center. "It was just good to have him back. I'm not going to say he was sharp or anything -- he wasn't -- but it's good to have him back on the floor."

Nowitzki missed the past five games since spraining his right ankle badly Nov. 26 at Phoenix. Certain movements in his ankle and foot are uncomfortable, he said, but not painful.