Few teams have been able to knock off the Dallas Mavericks recently. The Seattle SuperSonics certainly don't appear poised to do so.

The Mavericks go for their seventh win in a row over the SuperSonics, losers of five straight overall and missing their top scorer, when the teams meet for the first time this season on Wednesday at KeyArena.

Dallas (18-7) has rattled off wins in four consecutive games and 18 of 21 after starting the season 0-4. The Mavericks are doing it with an increasingly balanced offense and a stingy defense.

``We've just been playing well together, and everybody is really shooting well,'' Dirk Nowitzki said after finishing with 29 points and 13 rebounds in Monday's 109-91 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

While Nowitzki continues to lead Dallas with 24.1 points per game, he is getting plenty of help from Josh Howard, who is averaging 23.8 points during the team's four-game winning streak.

``It's been really fun to watch him growing up in this league,'' Nowitzki said.

Howard scored 28 points in Monday's win and shot a season-best 12-of-16 from the field. He made nine of his first 10 shots, and helped Dallas outscore the Kings 33-18 in the first quarter.

``That was just about me playing my game, and I think my guys feed off me,'' Howard said.

Howard has contributed to Dallas' tough defense as well, recording eight blocks in the past four games while the team has held opponents to an average of 87.5 points. The Mavs are allowing 93.1 per game this season, one of the top marks in the league.

That doesn't bode well for Seattle, which has given up at least 94 points in six straight games. The Sonics enter their first matchup of the season with the defending Western Conference champions having lost six straight and 14 of 18 against the Mavericks.

With All-Star Ray Allen sidelined, the Sonics have lost five consecutive games - all on the road - and are hoping to end their longest slide since dropping six straight from April 3-13, 2005. Their most recent defeat was one of the hardest as they fell 134-126 in double overtime to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

Memphis' Chucky Atkins beat the buzzer with a desperation 30-foot shot to force a second overtime, and the Sonics couldn't recover.

``It just seemed like we were a little bit deflated,'' said Seattle's Luke Ridnour, who scored 12 of his 22 points after regulation and had 10 assists. ``We tried to fight through it, and keep going, but we just came up short.''

The Sonics are coming up short without Allen, who has missed the last eight games with a right ankle injury and is expected to be sidelined again Wednesday.

``Ray just being on the floor creates space,'' Sonics coach Bob Hill said. ``Guys guard him with the space and without him it just isn't there.''

Rashard Lewis scored a season-high 36 points against the Grizzlies and grabbed 14 rebounds, but was held to nine points in his last meeting with Dallas.

The Sonics are hoping for a turnaround as they open a three-game homestand. They've won four in a row at KeyArena after starting the season 2-6 there.