The assistant to Rick Carlisle was a key member of the 1995 Houston Rockets that won the NBA championship out of the six-hole. They remain the lowest-seeded team to win the title.

Elie, a valuable sixth man on the '95 Rockets, said Thursday he can see some parallels between that team and these Mavericks, although history guarantees them nothing when the playoffs begin Saturday in San Antonio.

"We're floating under the radar, just like our '95 team," Elie said. "Nobody is talking about us, and that's good. It feels like that '95 team.

"These are tough-minded guys, and they see an opportunity. Everybody's talking about the Lakers, Cavaliers and whoever. And those are great teams. Nothing's going to come easy. We're going to have to start on the road and earn it. That's when you find out if you can be a champion - if you can go into a rough, hostile place and get a win. That's what a champion does."

The '95 Rockets won nine road games in the playoffs. They survived five games in which they would have been eliminated had they lost. They went 47-35 in the regular season and ran the table in the playoffs against four teams, all of which had won at least 57 games.

The biggest difference between that team and these Mavericks is that Houston had won the title the previous season. The Mavericks have been playoff fodder the last two seasons after getting to the NBA Finals in 2006.

Making noise in the playoffs is never easy for a lower-seeded team, even if the Spurs will be missing Manu Ginobili, who is out for the playoffs with an ankle injury.

Since '95, no team seeded lower than third (the Spurs in 2007), has won the title. Every other champion has been either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

The key, Elie said, will be whether the Mavericks can keep their faith and their level of play where it has been during a 6-2 April.

"We were playing good Basketball going into the playoffs [in '95] and we're playing good Basketball now," Elie said. "I don't really care about seedings if you're playing good ball. That year, we played Utah, who we had a lot of battles with and knew very well.

"This year, we got San Antonio, and we're obviously very familiar with them. That's the kind of matchup you want."

Carlisle agreed that seedings are only numbers, and there are more important things to the Mavericks.

"It's about who you're playing and how you're playing that really matters," he said.

Elie said he had not yet talked to players about the karma of the '95 team but that he definitely would bring it up.

"I'll share stuff with them, mainly just about believing," he said. "That's huge. You have to believe in each other and the team."

Howard OK: The players got a day of rest and rehabilitation Thursday while the coaching staff dialed in on forming a game plan for San Antonio.

Josh Howard was among the players who came in for treatment. He was limping noticeably late in Wednesday's win over Houston, but a Mavericks official said Howard had his usual treatment and will not be listed on the injury report for Game 1 Saturday.

Daly to be honored: The National Basketball Coaches' Association announced Thursday it will dedicate the 2009 NBA playoffs to Chuck Daly. Carlisle is president of the NBCA and said coaches throughout the playoffs will wear a lapel pin emblazoned with the initials "CD" in support of Daly, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February.

3. SAN ANTONIO vs. 6. DALLAS

(Best-of-7; *if necessary)

Day Date Location (TV)Time

Sat. April 18 at San Antonio (ESPN/Ch. 21) 7:00

Mon. April 20 at San Antonio (TNT/ Ch. 21) 8:30

Thu. April 23 at Dallas (NBATV/Ch. 21) 7:30

Sat. April 25 at Dallas (TNT/Ch. 21) 3:00

Tue. April 28 at San Antonio* TBD

Fri. May 1 at Dallas* TBD

Sun. May 3 at San Antonio* TBD