Dirk Nowitzki exacts revenge for Mavs in DeAndre Jordan's return

The Dallas Mavericks exacted some sweet revenge on DeAndre Jordan and the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

Dirk Nowitzki turned back the clock with a vintage 31-point, 11-rebound performance as his Mavericks grinded out an emotional 118-108 victory against their bitter rivals.

Dallas held the lead for most of the game, but an outburst from Austin Rivers helped the Clippers even the score at 95 apiece midway through the fourth.

Nowitzki and the Mavericks, however, would not be denied. They closed out the game on a 14-2 run thanks in large part to some incredible shot-making by Nowitzki.

Mark Cuban's club carved out a five-point cushion with a minute left courtesy of this beautiful high-arcing triple:

Nowitzki played hero, and his counterpart in Jordan was clearly the villain in the eyes of the home crowd.

The American Airlines Center crowd booed Jordan mercilessly after the star center's about-face turn in free agency. Jordan infamously agreed to sign with the Mavericks, before changing his mind and re-signing with the Clippers.

Related: How the Clippers landed DeAndre on the river

Jordan finished with nine points and 11 rebounds while shooting 3-of-9 from the free-throw line. He was also a team-worst minus-23 on the night, struggling on both ends of the floor.

Clippers point guard Chris Paul also had a tough night. He shot 2-of-11 from the field for 11 points. His old nemesis Deron Williams had 13 for the winning side.

New Maverick Wes Matthews was also instrumental in the win, finishing with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field.

Injuries, however, affected both sides. The Mavericks opted to rest Chandler Parsons, while Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick exited the game with a bout of back spasms.

The win dropped the Clippers to 5-2, while the Mavericks improved to 3-4.