Update: According to SeatGeek.com, here are the secondary market average ticket prices for the Mavericks' home finale against Phoenix on Tuesday, Dwyane Wade's potential final game in Miami on Tuesday, and the Mavericks' regular-season finale on Wednesday in San Antonio:

Mavs home finale: $272

Miami regular-season home finale: $288

Mavs at Spurs on Wednesday: $116

Original post from March 9:

Coaches, players and fans across the NBA are saluting Dirk Nowitzki with testimonials, videoboard messages and heartfelt ovations and, here in North Texas, another expression of appreciation.

$$$$!

Saturday began the one-month countdown to the Mavericks' home finale and, possibly, 40-year-old Nowitzki's last American Airlines Center appearance as a player.

Here's where we are obligated to point out that, unlike Miami's Dwyane Wade, Nowitzki hasn't said or even hinted that this is his last season. The organic nature of the Nowitzki outpouring makes it all the more profound.

Many Mavericks fans, though, obviously don't want to risk missing Nowitzki's potential final bow at home. Secondary market ticket prices for that Tuesday, April 9 game are at record levels for a Mavericks regular-season game, ranging, as of Saturday, from $145 for an upper-deck seat to $7,875 for a VIP courtside seat.

When The News informed Nowitzki of the prices, his eyes widened.

"That is a lot of money," he said. "That's awesome, though. That means people want to come to that game. It's amazing to hear about the support."

Prices could well rise in the next few weeks as the potential finality of that game sets in, but Chris Leyden, communications manager at SeatGeek.com, put the current prices in perspective.

"This is the most in-demand regular season Mavs game that we have ever seen, with an average resale price of $287," he said. "For comparison you can see Dirk just six nights earlier against the Timberwolves for an average of $62, so fans really are most interested in being there for the literal final game."

Leyden said tickets in the lower-level midcourt are selling at an average of $1,250 each. This is not, however, the most in-demand Mavericks game in history from a secondary market standpoint. Leyden said American Airlines Center tickets during the 2011 NBA finals had an average resale price of $700.

"As a comparison, Dwyane Wade's final game in Miami has an average resale price of $292, so a pretty similar amount of demand," he said.

Like the Mavericks, Miami plays its home finale on April 9, against Philadelphia, with a road regular-season finale the following night, at Brooklyn.

When Kobe Bryant, at age 37, scored 60 points in the final game of the 20-season Lakers career, on April 13, 2016 at Los Angeles' Staples Center, the average ticket resale price, according to Leyden, was $1,072. Of course, Los Angeles is a glitzy market and Lakers games already have a higher price point.

The Mavericks' home game Sunday night against Houston continues a pair of Nowitzki-related countdowns. Nine home games -- and 17 overall -- remain and Nowitzki needs 41 points to pass Wilt Chamberlain for No. 6 on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

This week could be Nowitzki's final home games against Dallas' intrastate rivals. San Antonio comes to American Airlines Center on Tuesday.

While Sunday's game will be the Mavericks' last of the season against the Rockets, the Mavericks and Spurs have two meetings left. San Antonio hosts Dallas on April 10 in what might be Nowitzki's last game.

The Mavericks are coming off an 0-3 road trip during which fans in Brooklyn, Washington D.C. and Orlando feted Nowitzki with numerous standing ovations, lovefests that have taken place all season, but especially since January.

"It's heartwarming, everywhere we go," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "We don't know what his decision is going to be. There are lot of assumptions being made.

"But the way I look at it is that we should all relish whatever time we have left to see him on the floor, whether it's just going to be this year, whether it's going to be this year and next year."

Mavericks teammates clearly are soaking in the Dirk adulation, perhaps none more appreciatively than rookie Luka Doncic, who grew up watching Nowitzki become the greatest European-born NBA player in history.

"He deserves all the ovations he gets," Doncic said. "He did a lot for this league and for the fans. Everybody loves him.

"I don't think I've heard of somebody that hates him. You just cannot hate him. If you want to, you can't."

Skyrocketing ticket prices aren't the only example of fans showing affection for Nowitzki with their wallet.

At the annual Mavs Ball on March 1, a dinner for seven with Nowitzki at Nick and Sam's Steakhouse was auctioned for $200,000. A second dinner there with Nowitzki went for $140,000. In both cases, the proceeds went to Mavs Foundation-selected charities.

Nowitzki revealed that it was Mavericks owner Mark Cuban who submitted the $200,000 bid.

"The other one was legit," Nowitzki said of the $140,000 bid. "And actually the family that bid on that, I went to dinner with them the last two times. So they just wanted to make a donation, as well.

"I went over there and was like, 'What are you guys bidding for? You already know everything about me?' But they're a great family, they've supported the Mavs for a long, long time. They actually have seats on the baseline. They're a blast. They're great people."

When it comes to showing respect and adoration for what Nowitzki has meant to Dallas these last 21 seasons, the depth of feeling, apparently, is priceless.

Hot ticket

The price ranges of secondary market tickets for the Mavericks' April 9 home finale against Phoenix, which could be Dirk Nowitzki's final home game.

Sources: SeatGeek.com and Stubhub.com

Twitter: @Townbrad