No need to waste time arguing about that.

But it's a mistake to believe the Mavs' bench begins and ends with Terry and his 19.6 scoring average.

It doesn't.

It never has. Not this season.

The Spurs discovered that Saturday night during Dallas' thorough 105-97 victory in Game 1 of this first-round Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Dirk scored just 19 points - the first time in 25 games he didn't notch at least 20 points - and Terry added only 12 yet the Mavs still won.

You don't do that and win without a strong bench.

If we're honest, there's no way the Mavs would even be seeded sixth in the conference without significant contributions from the bench because they couldn't have survived the 30 games Josh Howard missed with wrist and ankle injuries.

Give Rick Carlisle credit. From the start, he talked about using the entire roster.

If your name wasn't Howard, Terry, Jason Kidd or Dirk Nowitzki, then Carlisle didn't guarantee you anything but a spot on the bench. He played some guys 25 minutes one night and two minutes the next.

Some guys played for a week, then sat for a week. Of course, players get frustrated when they don't have a defined role.

Carlisle doesn't care. And that's good. He demands players earn their time on the court.

He has no favorites. He issues no free passes. The better you play, the more you play. No exceptions.

It's a process that created a competitive situation where guys know they must be ready to perform at any given moment because who knows when Carlisle is going to provide them with an opportunity?

The result: The Mavs bench leads the NBA in scoring with 37.9 points per game, while ranking third with 14.7 rebounds.

"We need everybody. Depth and manpower are important in this league," said Carlisle, "but Dirk and Jet facilitate the ability of our other guys to step up and make plays and shots."

Brandon Bass and J.J. Barea were the heroes in Game 1.

Bass finished with 14 points and four rebounds and affected the game in the second quarter when Dirk left with three fouls and the Mavs trailing 33-24 with 8:27 left in the first half.

Right then, the Spurs had an opportunity to build an insurmountable lead.

Bass wouldn't let them.

He finished the first half with 10 points, and the Mavs pulled within four points by halftime.

Barea, who started the second half, had 13 points, three assists and triggered a 21-6 run to start the fourth quarter that propelled Dallas to the win. He also harassed Tony Parker defensively, limiting the All-Star guard to one assist in the second half.

Dallas' bench outscored San Antonio's, 39-14.

When Barea was in the game, the Mavs were plus-17. They were plus-12 with Bass. Those were the top two point differentials on the team.

Bass and Barea are part of Carlisle's eight-man rotation, which is traditionally used in the playoffs. You shouldn't be shocked, though, to see Ryan Hollins or James Singleton come off the bench and affect a game before the end of this series.

"J.J. does a good job maneuvering on offense, and his defense on Parker is critical," Terry said. "Brandon has made himself a presence. When he's decisive on the court, he's a beast.

"Our role players are key. They have to make an impact on the game."

It's the only way the Mavs can win the series because San Antonio isn't going to let Dirk dominate.