Will Mavs Be Running On Empty In New Orleans?

   Are the Mavs spent, exhausted, running on empty?

   Some quickie midday reflections on the effort – meaning minutes – poured into Tuesday’s comeback win over Utah … and how that effort might affect the Mavs in tonight’s visit to New Orleans.

   *I truly believe my own numbers … and therefore I truly believe that faced with the same situation Dallas dealt with on Tuesday, last year’s Mavs would’ve lost. I also believe that winning – for the first time at home, against a conference rival that views itself as being on Dallas’ level – was rather important.

    So important that … well, I’ll get to that in a moment.

   *Dirk Nowitzki (40 points, 29 in the final quarter) taught us yet again that we really shouldn’t change the channel or leave the gym until his Mavs truly have a fork in ‘em. This is Carlisle 2.0, a team learning to win despite poor shooting … and really, at some point, they were destined to fix the shooting, too, right?

    *From what I noticed, by the way, most of the folks at the AAC hung around. Good for you. Good for all of us.

    The Mavs have moved to 3-1 and they have accomplished this with no J-Ho, with almost no Drew Gooden (for what that’s worth), with Quinton Ross sustaining an injury last night, with Shawn Marion working his way into playing shape, and with Jason Terry struggling with the one thing he does well, shooting.

    Tantalizing, really.

   *Erick Dampier hates to say “I told you so,’’ but when the Mavs made their late run with a commitment to the “final five’’ guys, Damp was part of it.

    Maybe the Mavs don’t always need their “final five’’ to be their best five scorers. Maybe they need to get some stops and rebounds, too?

   *It’s absolutely outrageous to have to endure the haters today reflecting on Dirk’s effort by saying, “Yeah, but he doesn’t do it in the playoffs!’’

    Because, damnit, he DOES do it in the playoffs!

    How do people forget this extremely impressive factoid: since 1952, there are only five men who have averaged 25/11 for their careers in the playoffs. Those five men are all single-named legends: Hakeem, Petit, Shaq, Elgin. ... 

    And Dirk.

    *It is encouraging to go back and review that game and see how many opportunities Dallas earned for itself inside of five feet. The Mavs didn’t make all of them, but led by Nowitzki, that was decidedly NOT a “soft jump-shooting team.’’

    *Jason Kidd continued to demonstrate his ability with the “dagger.’’ If Dirk drives and is double-teamed, he kicks … and there is J-Kidd (and in theory an assortment of other Mavs) who really shouldn’t be left unguarded in the clutch.

   *”Is Josh Howard coming back soon?’’ I’m not sure why there is this swell of questions that suggests that J-Ho will make an appearance tonight; did somebody erroneously report that?

    I have no indication that he will play tonight. I assume he will not.

    Now, after a long break this week, maybe he tests the ankle in Saturday’s visit from the Raptors?

    Yes, maybe.

   *It’s an 8:30 tipoff tonight in New Orleans. I’ll be part of the 103.3 ESPN Radio pregame show, at about 7:30.

   *The art of doing something else well while you are shooting poorly? Last night the Mavs outrebounded the burly Jazz 50-37, and Dallas also blocked 12 shots.

   *Now to that matter of minutes:

   Dirk played 39. Marion played 39. Damp played 38. Kidd played 36.

   That’s a lot, but here’s the basketball law here when faced with a back-to-back situation: You’ve got to take the opportunity for the win when you can get it.

    If the Mavs do indeed prove to be out of gas tonight, so be it. They will have earned an important home win, will have “expectedly’’ lost a road win against a good team in a situation when teams usually lose.

    But what if. …?