By Mike Fisher -- DallasBasketball.com
      For the Mavs’ meeting with Seattle on Tuesday, Steve Nash was to Dallas what panty lines are to a woman.
      Don’t like unsightly panty lines? Don’t wear underwear.
      Don’t like not knowing what to do with an under-the-weather Nash? Experiment all you want with boxers and bicycle shorts and T-backs, but eventually, you just gotta let things hang loose. You know. Go commando.
Nash missed Tuesday’s 107-96 victory at American Airlines Center with a stomach virus, forcing rookie Marquis Daniels to make a surprise start at point guard. Daniels was terrific, with 14 points, nine assists and nine rebounds in a shocking 44 minutes in just his third career start. He was the boxers. Antawn Jamison busted out of a mild slump (shooting 8-of-9 for 21 points with eight rebounds). He was the T-back. What the Mavs did at center, starting 6-8 Eduardo Najera as the first of four rotating players there, that was the T-back.
But the commando?
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      Michael Finley, who went au natural and in doing so, continued a hot streak so impressive one almost wishes we could have an All-Star Game balloting do-over.
      "The first three quarters, I was pushing too much, trying to take up the slack of Steve being out," Finley said. "I let that take me out of my rhythm. I just let the game come to me in the fourth."
      In the critical fourth, the Mavs put on a 22-1 run to take charge – and did so because Finley scored 20 points in the period and 35 for the game. Said coach Don Nelson: "I've never seen him more dominant.’’
      The numbers offer no argument there: During this Mavs run of 19 wins in 23 outings, Finely is averaging almost 24 points per game. There are occasional flashes, too, of the defensive skill that was a part of his total package four and five seasons ago.
      If Finley ever falters a bit, though, in his swingman role, it is becoming increasingly clear that he has backup help. Rookie Josh Howard, nursing a groin, did not play. That is one more reason Daniels was called on. Between the two kids, Nellie was moved to invoke the name of ‘Wally Pipp,’’ suggesting that someday soon, maybe both of this youngsters are going to Lou Gehrig their way into a more prominent role.
      With a Nash-less Dallas searching for the right undies, more prominence from someone was a very good thing. Prominence without panty lines.