--G Devean George said he understands that his playing time might be sporadic, especially since he missed the opening weeks of the season with a left hand injury.

He got his earliest run yet with a first-quarter showing against the Lakers after Antoine Wright picked up two quick fouls and Gerald Green was benched early in the first quarter.

George played nearly 20 minutes and had six points, but he was a team-worst minus-17, much of that having to do with matching up against Kobe Bryant when the Lakers went on a major tear to take over the game.

With the starting shooting guard spot a revolving door, George knows that he can work his way into the rotation and produce, he could potentially be a starter.

"It's tough, but it's part of the job. When you have a situation like this with a lot of guys at the same position and a lot of guys that haven't really played together for years, you're always going to be in that situation where some nights it is and some nights it isn't," George said.

"It's part of the NBA. It's going on with every team. Some teams hit it now. Some hit it later. Some have it all season. We're getting better every day."

--G J.J. Barea had his most productive game of the season against the Lakers. He was so effective attacking the basket in the second quarter that he forced coach Rick Carlisle to leave him in the game when Jason Kidd returned, only the second time this season those two have been paired in the backcourt.

Then Carlisle started Barea in the second half alongside Kidd in place of Gerald Green.

Barea scored eight of his 10 points in the first half, and he finished with a career-high nine assists.

Barea is trying to lock down the backup point guard job, and now is a good time to start producing and gaining coach Rick Carlisle's trust. Owner Mark Cuban has said he's a fan of Stephon Marbury, who could become available if he and the Knicks finally agree to buyout -- the situation seems to be creeping in that direction.

--G Jason Terry said he just does what the coach asks, whether that's starting or coming off the bench. Terry is becoming entrenched in the sixth-man role, and it seems to suit him just fine.

Terry is red hot. He scored 29 points Friday against the Lakers, matching his total Tuesday against Indiana. Terry has scored 20 or more in six of the last seven games.

"Especially with Josh (Howard) out, we need his scoring bad," Dirk Nowitzki said. "We don't have a lot of flat-out scorers out there, so we definitely need his ability to put the ball in the basket. He's coming off the bench aggressive right away, looking for his shot. If he has any daylight, we need him to shoot the ball. We know it's going in."

MEDICAL WATCH:

--G-F Jerry Stackhouse (right heel) is out indefinitely; Josh Howard (left ankle), missed his fourth straight game Friday. He remains day-to-day.