Practice Report (02/14/12)

Earl K. Sneed reports from the Dallas Mavericks' Tuesday practice, where coach Rick Carlisle credited the team's four-game winning streak to stellar defensive play.

DALLAS — Without their impressive play on the defensive end, the defending champion Dallas Mavericks say their four-game winning streak wouldn’t be possible.

Bouncing back from three straight losses with four consecutive victories, the Mavericks have relied heavily on their defense to overcome up-and-down play on the offensive end. And after studying film of Monday night’s 96-92 home victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, the defensive play is exactly what Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and his players praised when they reconvened the next day.

“Well, if we don’t defend we’re not gonna be a good team. We know that,” Carlisle explained. “You know, when we had the three-game losing streak our defense was struggling during that period. We came off that, we had two days of practice, which I think helped us, and then the win in Denver kind of got us going a little bit. And it’s not so much about the schemes as it is about the mentality of just scrambling and staying in each possession, covering the ball and helping one another.”

“Regardless of how up and down our offense has been or can be, defensively we have to stay solid,” newcomer Vince Carter added.

That solid defensive effort was on display during the fourth quarter of the win against the Clippers, when the Mavericks forced the visiting squad into nine of their 21 turnovers with 12 stops in 16 L.A. possessions. Now, the Mavs will try to carry that over into Wednesday night’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets as the reigning titleholders look to replicate a 105-95 win in Denver last Wednesday to begin the win streak.

After avenging a 115-93 home loss to the Nuggets on Dec. 26, the Mavs will try to move to 2-1 in the season series. They’ll also try to ruin the night of former Maverick Corey Brewer just 48 hours after Caron Butler returned to Dallas along with the Clippers to accept his championship ring before the game.

Butler went on to produce a season-high 23 points on 7-of-18 shooting. Wednesday night, however, the Mavs plan to pay extra attention to keeping Brewer from returning in a big way as well, after the forward scored 19 points in the starting lineup during a 113-109 road win over Indiana while coming back from a three-game hiatus due to the death of his father.

And with another ring ceremony on deck, Carlisle says his team will have to be prepared to prevent another breakout performance from a member of last season’s championship squad.

“Denver, again, is gonna be the same kind of game, but this time they’re gonna be a little more juiced up because they’ve got Brewer in the starting lineup,” the coach said. “He’s been playing well and he’s given them a lot of energy. And, you know, these guys, after they get their rings, they come in and play their [tails] off. So, we’ve got to be ready for him.”

Note: The Mavs return to action when they host the Denver Nuggets at the American Airlines Center Wednesday night. The two teams are tied at 1-1 in the season series with both winning on the other’s home floor. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

Single-game tickets are on sale and available at the American Airlines Center North Box Office, online at mavs.com, via phone by calling 214-747-MAVS or 1-800-4NBA-TIX and all Ticketmaster outlets (Fiesta Grocery Stores, Wal-Mart, Simon Mall in Garland and the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano).

Dr. Pepper Family Nights are here! Plans include four Mavs tickets and four McDonald’s extra value meals, starting at $49. Visit mavs.com or call 214-747-MAVS for a schedule of games and to purchase tickets.