By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

   The Mavs players termed it a “must win.’’ They didn’t quite solve Monta Ellis, they gave up 70 points in the first half, they couldn’t guard dunkers or bombers and in the end, all they did was beat a crummy team. …

   But it beats the alternative.

   The 127-117 win on Monday is significant in many ways (which DallasBasketball.com will detail throughout the night and day) … but it starts with the DB.com Player of the Game! Who gets the “Dirkie’’ for the win at Golden State?

   Vote and discuss it here!

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

   Avery Johnson wins the title! Avery Johnson holds the championship trophy! Avery Johnson tells us all how “special’’ his involvement is!

Fish & Choppy On 'GameNight' At 6, Coop With The Tipoff At 9:30, And Fish & Choppy On The Postgame Show, All On 103.3 ESPN Radio

By DallasBasketball.com staff

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

By Steven Carter -- DB.com

A Rumor-Roundup Edition Of Donuts, Complete With Mavs Trade Buzz

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

Also, The 'Blow It Up!' Approach, And FISH On 'Mavs Magazine' At 10am

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

Dirk Sits At The Start, Dallas Goofs At The End, For 4th Loss In 5 Games

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

   But if the intention of the decision to not start MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki was to send some sort of we-mean-business message, Rick might also need to start wondering about his Mavs’ ability to receive messages.

    “We're not going to be good until we play hard," Carlisle said. after a 117-108 decision that is Dallas’ fourth loss in five outings and its first loss in 14 meetings with the lowly T’wolves. “We need to dig down and find some pride.’’

   They didn’t dig. But they are down.

    To what depths would the Mavs sink here? Let’s start at ground zero. … and work our way even lower:

By DallasBasketball.com staff

   Get ready to join the action -- and this might be a "There Will Be Blood'' sort of night -- on the "Mavs Talk'' 103.3 ESPN postgame show ... It's Choppy and The Fish ... We take your calls at (214) 787-1033
   Among the themes:
   'Is this the game that forces you and the Mavs to do __________________?''
    To do WHAT, Dear Mavs Fan?

We'll Talk Mavs And Timberwolves And, Of Course, Trade Stuff

By DallasBasketball.com staff

Dallas HQ Insights Into: Caron, Miller, Martin, Iguodala, Kaman And More

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

   So I’m taking the Mavs’ trade temperature and I’m talking with wise DMNews beat writer Eddie Sefko. And he relays to me a recent comment from an Eastern Conference exec:

   “Right now, it’s just a lot of prostate massaging,’’ the source said. “I’ll let you know if it ever gets to be a conjugal visit.’’

    Less coarsely (and less cleverly) put: Dallas continues to examine what one team source calls “endless possibilities at this early stage.’’ Owner Mark “We Suck’’ Cuban is saying he’s more quick to answer the trade-talk hot line than he was a week ago. Josh Howard knows that he and/or his contract is the fulcrum upon which most anything impactful will happen.

   And I’ve got not only some names, but the latest in the Mavs’ whispered thoughts on those names.

   The Wizards’ Caron Butler and Mike Miller.

   The Kings’ Kevin Martin.

   The Sixers’ Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand.

   The Clippers’ Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby.

A 'Heads-Up' As Mavs And Others Might Get Shot At Camby And More

By David Lord -- DB.com

   Will the Clippers’ firing/reassigning of coach Mike Dunleavy impact how LAC moves forward in terms of asset management? Does it reflect owner Donald Sterling’s willingness to keep spending? Are the Clippers about to be a “seller’’ – and if so, might the Mavs be “buyers’’?

    Consider the following to be a “head-ups’’ for what might be on the horizon of happening …

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

   The Mavs are involved in “due diligence’’ regarding entering trade discussions with the Sixers for Andre Iguodala, sources tell DallasBasketball.com. And they add that there are three specific debate points – and in conflict with some published reports, one of them is not having to take on the contract of Samuel Dalembert, but rather having to take on the contract of Elton Brand.

    And when the Mavs add it all up, it becomes The 108-Million-Dollar Question.

    Details on those three debate points:

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

   So Josh -- with his19 points capping a day full of potentially distracting trade talk -- gets the coveted “Dirkie,’’ a handsome golden statuette depicting The UberMan in full “One-Legged Euro Lean-Back’’ form.

    (P.S.: Giving Josh the Mavs-on-TV-watching nickname "Bags Fly Free'' was NOT my idea. :) )

    Congrats, J-Ho!

Stay Tuned For More Offers ... And Check Out The DB.com Store!

By Misty Mav -- DB.com

   Again, you can still get tickets to the party. ... and you can still purchase of your Mavs T-shirt from the DB.com Store  ... thanks for showing your Mavs and DallasBasketball.com pride!

Josh, Dirk & Jet. T.O., LeBron & Diddy. Cuban, Shakira & More!

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

   The Mavs’ Josh Howard isn’t going to be playing for Dallas in the All-Star Game.

    But he will be playing in Dallas for All-Star Weekend.

   J-Ho – for charity and for fun – is scheduled to be a regular bon vivant when the sports world descends on Dallas next week.

   Mavs owner Mark Cuban says the whole weekend threatens to “make the Super Bowl look like a bar mitzvah’’ and “It could be the biggest party weekend in the history of the United States.’’ … and Josh Howard will do his part. So will Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Terrell Owens, Devin Harris, LeBron James, Donnie Nelson, Mary J. Blige, Dikembe Mutombo, Dirk Nowitzki, Kenyon Martin, Magic Johnson, Jason Terry and Cuban himself, who rumor has it will be hosting a backyard get-together featuring a little band named “AC/DC.’’ (UPDATE: Reader Adam in Australia reports that AC/DC is in Melbourne next weekend. So not even Tony Cubes can probably pull that off!)

   Assorted details on how someone (with tickets, of course) might fill his party week:

All The Gossip, Notes, Analysis And Angles As Dallas Ends Losing Streak

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

Among The Player-Of-The-Game Nominees: How About Josh Howard?

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

   "We suck right now."

   That was Mavs owner Mark Cuban’s in-depth of his analysis of his team before Wednesday's home victory over the Warriors.

   Part of Cuban’s intent was to reflect on what was a three-game losing streak. Part was to address the motivation behind trade talk (which we addressed here and here earlier Wednesday). And part of it, I gather, was to be entertaining.

   But lots of Mavs didn’t suck in the victory … which means we get to award a “Dirkie’’ for the Mavs Player of the Game.

   And allow me to start the nominations: How about Josh Howard – surely feeling the rumored winds of change – showing up with 9-of-15 shooting and 19 points?

   We’ll have wall-to-wall coverage of the events at the AAC throughout the night and morning. But for now, join other Mavs fans as they are nominating and voting right now here on DB.com Boards!