Thirty games into the season, the Dallas Mavericks are in a position to make a move into the West's top four if they can take care of business over the next 10 days.
The schedule turns extremely favorable with five straight games against losing teams, including four at home. The combined record of those teams -- Minnesota, Philadelphia, Memphis, Los Angeles Clippers and New York -- is 46-100. After Sunday's games, the Mavs were fourth in the Southwest Division, but just two games behind leader San Antonio. While Dallas is 6-1/2 games back of the West-leading Lakers, only three games separated two through nine.
Mavs players are praising coach Rick Carlisle for his ability to juggle the lineup and come up with unorthodox lineups that worked during Josh Howard's 11-game injury absence and helped to dig Dallas out of a 2-7 hole.
Sunday against the Clippers was no different with leading scorer and rebounder Dirk Nowitzki serving a one-game suspension.
"He has a different philosophy," Jason Kidd said. "He's a guy who has been pulling all the right pieces. He brings (Brandon) Bass off the bench and Bass makes some big plays for us offensively and defensively.
"He goes small in the fourth (quarter) with J.J. (Barea) and myself and Jet (Jason Terry). Normally, you might think it goes the other way where you go big, but he goes small. He's shown different starting lineups and he's also shown different lineups during the game from James (Singleton) to (Devean) George and guys have responded."
MAVERICKS 98, CLIPPERS 76: Josh Howard played his most complete game of the season with 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, much-needed production with Dirk Nowitzki serving a one-game suspension. Howard hit a career-high five three-pointers and set a career-high in assists. The Mavs jumped on L.A. early, 9-0, and never trailed.
