TCB

Dirk on the bench, exactly where I like to see him

Had the Dallas Mavericks sat around and lost two of the last six games, the shit would've hit the fan.

Instead, they pulled up their britches after that kick in the ass against Houston and went on to beat New Jersey, New York, Charlotte, Indiana and Miami by about 400 points per game. As much as it's frustrating being a listless Mavs fan, being a Knicks fan sounds like NBA purgatory.

A note from the Dallas Morning News Sunday is that Avery Johnson is solidifying his bench rotation. Jason Terry, Brandon Bass, Malik Allen and Tyronn Lue round out the nine-man rotation, with Devean George being the X-factor.

Furthermore, several other things are happening:

1. The Lakers are hurt. The Spurs look very vunerable and old. Hate to call these must-wins, but the Mavs are looking at a top four seed here.

2. The starters are playing like 20 minutes a game and none of the upcoming games are back to back. The Mavs should be well rested.

3. Is this team peaking at the right time? A lot of criticism was put on the shoulders of Avery Johnson for riding this team until the final 20 games when they petered out. This year it seems they're picking up steam in the final leg. Just keep this little run in mind in three weeks. See where it lands.