Thursday Roundup

Behind the Box Score | Ball Don't Lie - Kelly Dwyer
41 points on 29 shots for Dirk in the win, with 12 rebounds. He didn't turn the ball over once, in 45 minutes. Not once. That is so, so impressive. This isn't Ray Allen(notes), peeling off a screen to touch the rock for scant seconds before firing. Dirk's dribbling into traffic, through help, turning blindly over his other shoulder. He had the ball in his hands, constantly, and didn't turn it over. Once. Dirk is a marvel, and I'm glad he's still with us, at this level of potency, in November of 2009.

This is Dirk's team, pure and simple | DMN - Eddie Sefko
But while the Mavericks go along through this early season, the only real constant has been Dirk. No matter who's hurt or who's playing poorly, he's been an anchor. And while Drew Gooden, J.J. Barea, Roddy Beaubois and Jason Kidd all have given the Mavericks quality efforts, this remains Dirk's team. The more defenders hang all over him, the more Dirk just seems to figure out a way to thrive. And score.

The Mavs Get An 'Ugly Makeover' | DB.com
So how did the Mavs manage to win? As a result of the turnover differential and offensive rebounds, the Mavs had way more possessions and got off 22 more shots than SA. Wow! That is a monumental disparity, representing about the number of possessions/shots a team is likely to get in an entire quarter.

Mavs Donuts: All-Access To Dallas Win Over Spurs | DB.com
"We were playing in Minnesota thinking about that game. We were playing in Detroit thinking about that game. We played against Milwaukee and were still thinking about that game, so we're just glad we came in and protected our home court and redeemed ourselves from that loss in San Antonio," Drew Gooden said. Really? The Mavs were in Minny, Detroit and Milwaukee winning three games in a week's span while still being bothered by the one they didn't win? Nice. That's one reason it's a rivalry.

Overtime overdrive: Dallas Mavericks race by Spurs, 99-94 | DMN
"We tried to switch it up all night, and that's what you have to do against a great player is mix it up," Nowitzki said. "I had him at the end and we were actually lucky on the one put-back. The other jump hooks he missed, those were big defensive possessions for us." Afterward, Jason Kidd was teasing Nowitzki about getting first-team votes on the NBA's all-defensive team.

Where It's At: Good vibes | ESPNDallas - Jeff Wade
Not that we expect Gooden to consistently put up numbers like the absurd stretch of these last three starts of almost 17 points and 11 boards. But if he brings the type of intensity and effort we've seen here lately to the party every night -- then Damp and Drew is a center rotation worth getting excited about.

Savvy Thomas not quite ready to sky | ESPNDallas - Tim MacMahon
He learned that the hard way after making a sweet spin move and going up for a highlight-reel tomahawk slam … and getting rejected by the back of the rim. "I tried to make a move that I hadn’t made in a long time," Thomas said with a laugh. "The knee told me that you’re better, but you’re not all the way there yet."