The Streak - Subtle Variety
 Are Mavs Assembling An '02-Like Run?
Mike Fisher -- DallasBasketball.com - Posted: 2004-02-08 00:00:00.000


By Mike Fisher -- DallasBasketball.com
      You will recall us suggesting at season’s start that there would be morons ripping the Mavs for failing to start 14-0 again, and that those same jaded morons would fail to recognize it when Dallas did indeed eventually put together a similar streak at some less noticeable portion of the season.
      Welcome to the streak, the portion and the morons!
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      The Mavs’ 111-108 victory over Detroit on Saturday at American Airlines Center gives Dallas its 12th victory in 14 games. Now, 12-2 (with the hopes of stretching the run with two more wins and into the All-Star Break) isn’t exactly the same as 14-0. And doing it just after the midseason point isn’t exactly the same as doing it to open a year.
      But, dear morons, these January-February wins count just as much as last season’s October-November wins. And suddenly, the Mavs are back within telescopic range of where they were a year ago.
      That’s right. These Mavs are 32-18. On Feb. 12, 2003, those Mavs had just lost three straight and had “dropped’’ to 38-12.
      Do the math: What separates these “disappointing’’ Mavs from last year’s world-beater edition? Six games?
      Maybe the 2003-04 Mavs ain’t that awful after all!
      More assorted impressions from a gritty win over a gritty team:
     

  • We would be remiss to not point out that Antoine Walker (whose captaincy in Boston was often questioned mby outsiders) recently talked to the fellas about following up the two-game losing streak of last week with a five-game winning streak going into the break. He speaks, they do listen.
         
  • Michael Finley needs to study film of this game. No, not to watch what he did; to watch what Rip Hamilton did in defending him. Hamilton got away with murder here, grabbing and tugging and pulling and leaning on Fin, chasing him around doggedly, making him work not just for every shot, but for almost every touch. Michael, you can do the same thing on defense!
         
  • Said Nellie: “It was like a playoff game, very physical. Two heavyweights going at it.’’ No kidding The Pistons lead the league in guys who look like they could play defensive end.
         
  • It is Dirk Nowitzki who semi-famously noted recently that the Mavs cannot just “turn it on and turn it off.’’ Unfortunately, the kid is so gifted that he’s disproving his own sound philosophy. Remember that nine-point game a few nights ago? No, me neither. Not with this 40-point effort, his second 40-plusser in six games.
         
  • The UberMan, by the way, started the game 0-of-5 from the floor, meaning he hit 15 of his final 19 shots. Given the fact that the Mavericks are 13-2 when he scores 25 or more points this season, I’d say keep feeding the boy.
         
  • “Once the first shot fell, I felt great throughout the whole game,’’ Dirk said. “I felt like I could take anyone off the dribble and pull up for a jumper and that’s what I tried to do.’’ In fact, in the late going, Dallas frequently let Nowitzki trigger the offense from the top of the key, which drew Ben Wallace out to defend him one-on-one. Now, Big Ben is an All-NBA defender, and on paper, Dirk vs. Ben seems classic. But Wallace wasn’t built to guard Dirk in the open court. Nice move by Nellie, and yeah, in terms of “taking anyone off the dribble,’’ Nice moves by Dirk.
         
  • Give Dirk credit, too, for once again stepping on the defensive accelerator in the fourth quarter. As good as Detroit is at putting up defensive numbers, the Mavs topped the Pistons in steals (nine to eight) and blocks (seven to five) and hung with them on the boards (an acceptable 35-29 deficit).
         
  • The 100-point mark is a huge deal to the Detroit stat people. They find it notable that this was only the fourth time this season a Piston opponent has scored 100 or more points! (Dallas has done it in both meetings.) They find it notable that the Pistons were 8-0 themselves when scoring 100 (make it 8-1). They find it notable that the Pistons had won 29 consecutive games when scoring 100 or more dating back to April 13, 2002. (That streak is over).
         
  • For the Mavs, 100 isn’t really a barrier. We’ll move the bar up to 110 and note that Dallas is 14-0 when scoring 110 or more points.
         
  • How comforting is it to know that when it’s time to protect a lead by getting fouled at the end of games, you’ve got Steve Nash on your side? Nash, on his 30th birthday, contributed 29 points and 11 assists.
         
  • Speaking of turning 30, Nash said, “I feel great. I was saying to the guys today, I came here when I think I was about 24 and I feel healthier and better physically now than I did then. I was facing a lot of injuries at that point of history. It’s great to be here six years and to feel better now than when I got here.’’
         
  • Much continues to be made about Dallas’ supposed inability to maintain leads and to come back from deficits. More evidence to the contrary here: Dallas led 78-77 after three. The Mavs are 29-4 when leading after three quarters of play this season. When you combine that with the past three seasons, that record jumps to 171-12; and, Detroit was up 15 at one point. Storming back from 15 down against this bunch says something.
         
  • We’ve talked a lot around here over the years about “Glue Crew’’ guys, backup Mavs who show themselves to be charter members of the NBA’s “Happy To Be Here’’ Club. The Griffins, the Bells, the Stricklands, the guys who take great pride and get great joy out of simply wearing the NBA uni. Cool to see that newcomer Scott Williams, age 35 and possessor of three NBA title rings, is a Happy To Be Here guy. The look on his face while he waved towels and rooted on a winning team from the bench was priceless.