The five-game homestand stand ended with Friday's win over Indiana. After a lethargic loss to sizzling Houston to open the stretch, the Mavericks responded with four resounding conquests of Eastern Conference also-rans.
The Mavs are in need to good vibes and good wins -- NBA cellar-dweller Miami is on tap Sunday -- and time. "We still have areas of our offense and defense we're working on," coach Avery Johnson said. "We're still playing against NBA teams. Fortunately, we've been able to get away from a few teams here recently, but we're still working on areas that we know need significant improvement and some areas (need) small improvement."
They need time for the newcomers to become more comfortable with the system. Time for the guys that have been in Dallas to feel comfortable with their new teammates. Time to bond. The regular season is down to 16 games and the Mavs continue to look up in the standings, rather than down, at their fellow Western Conference contenders.
So, those five minutes at the end of the 25-point blowout mean as much for Tyronn Lue, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright as the previous 43 meant for Jason Kidd. And while the stats for some suggest they're assimilating well with the newcomers -- Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier and Jerry Stackhouse come to mind -- every one of these last 16 games is important for everyone to build rapport.
"We feel we have all the pieces to compete," Kidd said. "It's just a matter of if we can all be on the same page."
MAVERICKS 116, PACERS 97: Dallas nearly ran off quartet of 20-point wins for the first time ever after dismantling Indiana Friday night at American Airlines Center. Though the 19-point win didn't set a record, it had to feel good.
The latest Eastern Conference rout comes on the heels of home blowouts over New Jersey, New York and Charlotte. The Mavs (43-23) finished off the five-game homestand at 4-1 going into Sunday's date at Miami. Are the Heat next?
Once again, the Mavs were in command early by racing out to an 18-point lead in the first quarter. The ball was moving freely and the shots were coming in rhythm. At the other end, the Pacers struggled for good looks in the face of an aggressive defense.
Not much changed the rest of the night. The Pacers (25-40) never threatened, falling behind by as much as 23 in the second half. Dallas shot 58 percent for the game, compared to 38.2 for the visitors, and enjoyed a 31-17 assist edge. Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 21 points, with Josh Howard adding another 18.
