Amazing what a sweet sweep in Southern California can do for a team's spirit.
Imagine what kind of strut the Mavericks will have when they actually win a home game.
The NBA schedule says that they can't play all the time at Staples Center in Los Angeles, where they went 2-0 over the weekend. So the Mavericks came home on Sunday and vowed that the blip against Washington in the season opener was just that – an aberration not to be repeated.
"We're the team we thought we were, but we still got a long way to go," Jason Terry said. "After that Washington game, people started to doubt us, question us. And then you come on the road and prove not only to yourself, but to everybody else, that, hey, we're still all right.
"Now it's time to go back home and prove that to our fans. We're going to be a good team at home. Don't think we're not."
The Mavericks have won at least 32 home games in six of the last seven seasons. There really isn't a reason to expect less than that this year. Last season, they lost their first four home games, but finished 32-9 at home.
Thanks to LA, they have a running start on upping their road performance over the last two seasons, when they failed to play .500 ball away from home.
The wins over the Lakers and Clippers not only revitalized the Mavericks, they proved that their defense can be pretty good for long stretches. The Mavericks put up some gaudy numbers in the two games and all of them were on defense.
The two foes averaged just 82 points and shot a combined 41 percent.
Against the Clippers, the Mavericks gave up just 29 points in the second half and held them scoreless for the final 4:40. Extending it further, the Clippers were scoreless on nine of their last 10 possessions.
The Mavericks credit the long arms and quick reach of Shawn Marion and the new focus of Terry for the defensive upgrade. The Mavericks shot under 42 percent in both LA games, yet won them handily.
Last season, the Mavericks were 4-18 when shooting under 42 percent.
"We knew that the win against the Lakers doesn't mean anything if you turn around and lose the next day," said Dirk Nowitzki. "I think the best thing is that we didn't shoot the ball well [and still won]. That's what good teams do.
"We got like 10 stops in a row, which was pretty impressive. It was definitely a good trip for us."
So now, the schedule brings them home against Utah on Tuesday, then to New Orleans for a tough back-to-back situation.
But first things first, a home win.
"Ever since I've been here, we've always been great at home," Nowitzki said. "That's just the way it is. That's why I actually was surprised with the Washington game. I was shocked we didn't win that one, but maybe it was good. It was a nice little wake-up. We've been a lot better defensively since."
Gooden improving: The muscle strain near Drew Gooden's right rib cage will get a further examination today. He suffered the injury in the fourth quarter against the Lakers and sat out the Clippers' game.
"We don't think it's serious," coach Rick Carlisle said after Saturday's game. "It's better than it was yesterday."
Numbers game: Through three games, three players are averaging more than eight rebounds per game – Nowitzki (9.3), Marion (8.0) and Erick Dampier (8.7).
It is Dampier's scoring average of 9.3 that has been a pleasant jump so far this season. He had 12 points and 10 boards against the Clippers.
"Damp had a monster game for us," Carlisle said. "The great thing is that Damp got involved offensively. It's a big-time line for a guy that we ask mostly to be a defender and rebounder and screener."
