Inside Report: Practice Report — Carlisle: 'Concerned with health, freshness and sharpness'

Earl K. Sneed reports from the Mavericks' Thursday practice, where the team continued to focus on its health and freshness going into the playoffs, despite a four-game losing streak.

DALLAS — The Mavericks may be shaken, but they’re certainly not broken.

Sliding to a four-game losing streak, the Mavericks (53-25) can’t hide the fact that things on the court are not going to plan. But still the close-knit squad is holding on to a quiet confident and a belief that it will be playing its best basketball when the playoffs roll around, with just four games remaining on the regular-season schedule to right the ship.

And despite his team’s recent skid, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle says that his plan heading into the postseason will remain the same.

“Get healthy, get as fresh as possible and keep working at playing our game as best we can,” Carlisle said is what he emphasized to his players at the team’s Thursday practice, highlighting how the squad can improve with a long film session studying Wednesday night’s 104-96 home loss to Denver.

But despite Carlisle’s focus on health and freshness in time for the playoffs, which was on display when the coach sat point guard Jason Kidd against the Nuggets to rest his 38-year-old legs, the Mavericks’ leader on the sideline also doesn’t want his team getting used to playing losing basketball in the meantime.

And with veterans like Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry — in addition to center Tyson Chandler, who has missed two games with a lower back contusion — all expected to see their minutes reduced over the course of the final four games, Dallas’ supporting cast will be called upon perhaps more than it has been all season in order to bring an end to the squad’s losing ways.

“We’re trying to win, we’re trying to win, and we don’t like losing. I speak for everybody in our franchise and our organization when I say that,” Carlisle empathically declared. “At the same time, this is an opportunity for some guys to step up and get some minutes, because I’m not gonna run Dirk up to 40 minutes in any of these games. Kidd rested last night. JET [Terry], I’m gonna keep him around 30 minutes, [Shawn] Marion the same thing. So, some of these other guys like [Corey] Brewer are gonna get a chance to play and we expect them to play well.”

Brewer certainly did took advantage of his opportunity to impress the coach on Wednesday night, scoring 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting albeit in a loss. Now, Carlisle wants to see if the 25-year-old, 6-foot-9 forward can do it for a second straight game, after emerging from the inactive list and showing that he may have a place in the team’s veteran-loaded lineup.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks will try to use the final four games of the regular season to rekindle their confidence and the silent swagger that was showcased earlier in the season. And according to reserve guard J.J. Barea, that will be the responsibility of the entire team, even if the Mavs take the court without their veteran leadership.

“We’re still trying to get everybody better,” Barea said. ”We’re still getting on each other. We worked on it in practice today, everybody was talking. We know we’ve got to play better than how we’re playing right now, so hopefully everybody will get hot at the right time…It’s a long season and you’re not gonna have that same confidence the whole year. We’ve just got to find a way to get back on track, get that confidence back and get hot in the playoffs.”

“When you’re losing games you’re never gonna be perceived as having a swagger,” Carlisle added. “That’s pretty obvious. But the key thing for us is that systematically we’re doing the things we need to do to be successful. We’re running back in transition, we’re guarding our position, we’re helping, helping the helper, we’re finishing off plays defensively and offensively we’re not throwing the ball all over the place. That’s really where it’s at. We’re working on our flow game right now a lot, because the playoffs are gonna be a lot about that — how well you can play without playcalling and having teams knock into you. And so, I’m less concerned with the perceived importance of swagger and more concerned with health, freshness and sharpness.”

Note: The Mavericks return to the hardwood on Friday night, hosting rookie phenom Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Mavs lead the season series 3-0 and will be bidding for a sweep. The fourth Clippers-Mavericks matchup of the season will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Friday night, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest. Great seats are still available and tickets can be purchased by visiting the American Airlines Center box office, logging on to Mavs.com or by calling 214-747-MAVS (6287).

Single-game tickets for the first two Mavs home games of the First Round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs are now on sale. Fans that purchase single-game tickets will receive a commemorative 2011 Mavs Playoff ticket*, which will allow the fans to experience augmented reality, a new technology that will bring the ticket to life with animated Mavs players including Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry. Game day and commemorative tickets will go live when the 2011 Playoffs begin.

Tickets will be available online at mavs.com, via phone (214-747-6287 or 1-800-4NBA-TIX) and the American Airlines Center® North Box Office**. Ticket prices start at $15 and up and there is an eight ticket limit per game. Tickets are also sold at all Ticketmaster outlets (Fiesta Grocery Stores, Simon Mall in Garland and Shops at Willow Bend).

Fans that purchase single game tickets at the American Airlines Center® North Box Office will receive their commemorative ticket at that time. For those purchasing online or at a Ticketmaster outlet, commemorative tickets will be available to pick up at the American Airlines Center® North Box Office or on Playoff game nights at the Mavs ticket sales table on the main concourse near the North Box Office. Augmented Reality is available only on Android phones. For more information, go to http://www.nba.com/mavericks/ar/ar.html.

Individual game tickets are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the American Airlines Center box office, on Mavs.com or by calling 214-747-MAVS (6287). Get in on the action and be there for all the thrills!

Fans can visit Mavs.com or call 214.747.MAVS for more information and a complete listing of regular-season home games.