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DALLAS -- As far as Kevin Durant is concerned, he was due for this kind of game.

Oklahoma City’s scoring machine was confident that he wouldn’t keep firing bricks. All due respect to Shawn Marion’s defense, but Durant considered his 34.1 percent shooting in the first two games of this series a fluke.

“I knew that if I’d just continue to work, they’d start to fall,” Durant said.

Shots kept falling for Durant in Thursday night’s 95-79 win over the Mavs that put the defending champions in danger of being swept out of the first round. The three-time scoring champion lit the Mavs up for 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting.

“He had a good game tonight,” Shawn Marion said. “I’ve got to give him credit. It’s frustrating to see him do that. As many times as he shoots, he’s going to have a good game here and there. S---, it’s bound to happen, he shoots so damn much.”

Durant really didn’t shoot that much Thursday, which is what made his performance so impressive. He attempted fewer shots in a game only 12 times this season.

Durant drilled a couple of wide-open 3s in the opening moments and stayed in a groove the whole first quarter, finishing the frame with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He was outscoring the Mavs by himself for much of the quarter.

“He’s the best scorer on the planet,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “Marion did a phenomenal job for two games, and then tonight Durant picked his level up a little bit. He was making some of those contested shots.”

As good a defender as Marion is, it’s virtually impossible for a scorer of Durant’s historic caliber to struggle all series. The Mavs messed up by not taking advantage of Durant’s off nights early in the series, although he deserves credit for hitting a game-winner jumper in Marion’s grill in Game 1 and the go-ahead free throws in Game 2.

“If you look at Game 1 and Game 2, the way we defended him, we’ve got to steal one of them,” Dirk Nowitzki said. “He shot 34 percent from the floor in the first two games. That’s a time where we’ve got to steal one and we weren’t able to.”

Then, the Mavs weren’t able to slow down Durant in Game 3.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mavs will not make the drastic move of switching defensive stopper Shawn Marion’s assignment in an attempt to slow down Russell Westbrook.

PODCAST
Senior NBA writer Marc Stein shares his thoughts on Game 3 between the Mavs and Thunder. Who needs to step up for the Mavs to win other than Dirk or Jet? Listen

At least, not at the beginning of Game 3.

“I’ve got the same assignment,” Marion said before Thursday morning’s shootaround. “It ain’t changed.”

That means Marion will continue to defend three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, who has averaged 25.5 points but shot only 31.4 percent from the floor as the Thunder opened a 2-0 lead in the series. Delonte West has opened the first two games defending Westbrook.

Coach Rick Carlisle left open the possibility of using Marion on Westbrook (28.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting) at points in the game.

“Possibly, but look, you’re talking about taking your best defender and a guy that was a real candidate for Defensive Player of the Year off of a guy off of a guy that he’s doing a great job on to put him on another guy,” Carlisle said. “We can look at it at different times of the games, but let’s not forget how great Durant is. He’s in the MVP conversation.

“They present a lot of problems, and we’re looking at solutions.”

Our weekly look at which Mavs' stocks have risen and fallen the most:

STOCK UP

Dirk Nowitzki – Dirk just keeps shooting one-legged fadeaways over Father Time. He doesn’t want to sit out any games in the final week of the regular season and doesn’t look like he needs any extra rest. All he’s done in the last two games is put up 40 and 35 points. Nowitzki’s performance in Wednesday’s comeback win over the Rockets was especially impressive, considering that it came off the heels of playing 96 minutes in a 36-hour span. Dirk’s legs didn’t look tired as he scored 31 points in the second half, including 21 in the fourth quarter.

STOCK DOWN

Shawn Marion – The Matrix had been on a tear, posting four double-doubles in five games and averaging 11.2 points and 12.6 rebounds in that span. But he wouldn’t have a double-double if his production from the two games this week was combined. He had four points and two rebounds in the triple-overtime loss to the Jazz, watching the last 27 minutes from the bench. He followed that up with a four-point, six-rebound performance in the comeback win over the Rockets, when he sat out the fourth quarter again. The four days of rest before the regular-season finale could benefit Marion as much as any Maverick other than Jason Kidd.

DALLAS – There is no crunch-time controversy at small forward.

No ranting about feeling like a rag doll.

No issue at all with Vince Carter playing every second of the fourth quarters (and three overtimes) in the last two games while starter Shawn Marion watched from the bench.

“We’re trying to win games right now,” Marion said. “They had a good rhythm going. I think that’s all it was.”

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was similarly dismissive to a question on the subject: “You guys are making too much of this. It’s not a big deal. It’s not a big deal.”

It’s not a big deal because Marion isn’t sweating it. Especially not after Carter played a critical role in Wednesday’s comeback win over the Rockets, scoring seven of his season-high 23 points in the fourth quarter.

“They had everything going and coach didn’t want to change it up,” Marion said. “That’s OK. It’s a matter sometimes of circumstances and the way the game is going.”

It’s also not a big deal because it isn’t likely to last long enough to become a trend. The Mavs probably won’t be able to afford to have Marion serving as a spectator when the game is on the line during the playoffs.

Maybe the Mavs can get away with it against the Clippers. But that’s about it among teams that they’ll see in the Western Conference playoffs.

PODCAST
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle dishes on the state of his team now that they've clinched a playoff spot. He also talks about Delonte West's "West willy" and why he's gone with Vince Carter over Shawn Marion in the last couple of games. Listen

They’ll need the man they’ve campaigned for as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate during crunch time against the other three teams they could face in the first round. All due respect to Carter, but it’s asking for disaster to give him the defensive assignment on Manu Ginobili, Kevin Durant or Kobe Bryant with a playoff game on the line.

A case can be made for using Carter in crunch time. He has a history of hitting big shots and ranks in a class with Kobe Bryant and a couple of teammates (Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry) among active players with the most career buckets in fourth quarters. His perimeter shooting spaces the floor, and his ability to create puts another offensive initiator on the floor for the Mavs.

However, there’s a shiny gold trophy in the case (or Mark Cuban’s kitchen) that gives credibility to Marion’s importance on the closing unit.

The Mavs’ miracle comebacks over the Thunder and Heat would have been impossible without the Matrix’s lockdown defense on Durant and LeBron James. He was a critical component for the best closing team in basketball last season.

For whatever reason, the Mavs have been mediocre closers this season. If Marion isn’t part of the solution, it’s a pretty safe bet that the Mavs will be making tee times in mid-May.

Our weekly look at Mavs newcomers:

Vince Carter’s role in the Mavs’ revamped, Lamar Odom-less rotation is clear. He comes off the bench at small forward, allowing Shawn Marion to slide to power forward when Dirk Nowitzki comes off the floor.

The question is whether Carter or Marion will join the Mavs’ closer committee of Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry during crunch time.

Coach Rick Carlisle’s answer in Utah was Carter, who played every minute during the fourth quarter and three overtime periods. That put three of the four most prolific active fourth-quarter scorers on the floor for the Mavs, as only Kobe Bryant has more career buckets in the final frame than Nowitzki, Terry and Carter. Carter also ranks below only Bryant and Nowitzki for game-winning shots made among active players.

Of course, it should be noted that the 35-year-old Carter’s production has dipped the most by far of that closer quartet.

Carter hit a couple of big shots – a pair of 3-pointers that were critical in forcing the first overtime – but those were the only shots he hit in the fourth quarter and overtimes of the loss to the Jazz. Meanwhile, the Mavs’ most valuable defender watched from the bench.

Carlisle, as tends to be the case, was vague about the reasoning for his decision to play Carter instead of Marion with the game on the line. He mentioned that Carter was playing well, leaving out the fact that Marion didn’t appear to have much in the tank, registering only four points and two rebounds in 23:51 during the Mavs’ fourth game in five nights.

Carlisle’s decision also could have been influenced by the Jazz’s lack of an elite wing scorer. It’s hard to envision Carlisle opting for Carter over Marion in crunch time when Dallas needs to defend someone like Bryant, Manu Ginobili or Kevin Durant during the first round of the playoffs.

DALLAS -- Shawn Marion will continue to be the only member of the Mavs to play in every game this season.

Marion sat out Wednesday's practice to rest a sore left knee, but he's expected to be in the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Mavs didn't have a shootaround this morning, but Marion came in early to get treatment on the knee. The Mavs' medical staff doesn't believe he's at any risk of aggravating the soreness by playing against the Bobcats.

"Indications are that he's fine," coach Rick Carlisle said. "He knows that if there's the least question of whether or not he should play, we wouldn't play him."

DALLAS – Shawn Marion, the Mavs’ starting small forward and defensive swiss-army knife, sat out Wednesday’s practice to rest a sore left knee.

Coach Rick Carlisle said Marion, the only Maverick to play every game this season, is day-to-day. Carlisle hopes that Marion will be available for Thursday’s game against the Charlotte Bobcats, but the Mavs won’t push Marion to play if he doesn’t feel 100 percent.

“We’d rather not sit our better players, but if there’s any need at all for it, it’s something that we’ve got to look at it,” Carlisle said. “If there’s any doubt, we need to sit the guy if there’s any question about whether a guy should play or not play unless we’re in a playoff series.”

Marion, who averages 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season, complained about feeling worn down before the All-Star break. His role has changed in the month that Delonte West has been sidelined by a fractured right ring finger, as the Mavs have routinely given Marion the assignment of defending dangerous point guards.

Chasing the smaller, quicker players and fighting through a plethora of picks for 30-plus minutes per night has taken a toll on Marion’s body, but the Mavs aren’t concerned about the knee being a long-term concern.

“His knee has been a little bit sore,” Carlisle said, adding that Marion doesn’t need to get an MRI on the knee. “He’s been logging a lot of minutes guarding smaller, quicker players, so he needed a day off today. Hopefully, he’ll be OK for tomorrow, but he’s been doing a lot of our grunt work defensively on the better players all year long.”

If Marion doesn’t play against the Bobcats, Lamar Odom will start at small forward.

DALLAS – Mavericks owner Mark Cuban considers it a no-brainer to make Shawn Marion a member of the All-Defense team for the first time in his 13-year career.

“Oh, man, I agree,” Lakers star Kobe Bryant said, cracking a grin that dripped with sarcasm. “I think tonight they should not double me at all or zone me. Just play one-on-one because he’s such a great defender that he doesn’t need any help.”

All kidding aside, Bryant has a ton of respect for a Dallas defense that played a major role in the Mavs’ West semifinals sweep of the Lakers last season.

Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson are earning paychecks elsewhere, but Dallas remains an outstanding defensive team. In fact, the Mavs have actually statistically improved since last season. They rank fourth in scoring defense (90.7 points per game) and first in field goal percentage allowed (.415) after finishing 10th and eighth respectively in those categories last season.

“They do a great job with their system and covering for each other,” Bryant said. “It’s really about their assignments and how well you execute those and your defensive strategy. Obviously, Tyson is one of the best big defensive players in the league by far, so you’re going to miss his defensive talent, but still you can plug someone into those positions and they’ll do a great job.”

Marion has done a great job guarding a variety of positions in the Mavs’ system all season.

But Kobe, in his not-too-subtle manner, made it clear that the Matrix will need a lot of help to contain him.

Our weekly look at which Mavs stock has risen and fallen most:

STOCK UP
Shawn Marion -- The Matrix averaged 13.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in four games over the last week, posting a pair of double-doubles.

But Marion’s biggest impact was made on the defensive end of the floor. The small forward’s versatility allowed coach Rick Carlisle to continue starting Vince Carter when Jason Kidd returned from a strained right calf.

PODCAST
Shawn Marion has been impressive on the defensive end. He is clearly the Mavs' MVP to this point; could he also be the NBA Defensive Player of the Year? Listen

Marion hasn’t just accepted the responsibility of guarding good point guards; he has excelled at it.

Marion’s length, physical presence and tenaciousness have bothered Ricky Rubio, Chris Paul and Ty Lawson, who all had subpar performances in losses to the Mavericks.



STOCK DOWN
Rodrigue Beaubois -- The third-year guard hasn’t played in the four games since Kidd’s return, sitting on the bench for three games before leaving the team after his father’s sudden death Wednesday.

It isn’t certain when Beaubois will return, but the Mavs will need him to contribute when he comes back because of Delonte West’s extended absence due to a fractured right ring finger. It’s important that Beaubois plays with aggression.

The Mavs can live with his mistakes if he’s trying to make things happen. It isn’t acceptable for Beaubois to be timid.

DALLAS – Good news, NBA officials: Mark Cuban has found another subject he’s deemed worthy of a crusade.

Cuban can’t believe small forward Shawn Marion, the swiss-army knife of the Dallas Mavericks’ defense, has never earned all-defense team recognition and is determined to do everything within his power to end that streak in the Matrix’s 13th NBA season.

Actually, Cuban won’t be satisfied unless Marion gets serious consideration as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

“It’s not a question if he’s first team,” Cuban said during his pregame stairmaster workout Monday evening. “The only question is, outside of the center position like a Dwight Howard, is he Defensive Player of the Year? I mean, it’s hard to overlook how Dwight Howard plays defensively, but beyond that, who’s better?

“Name one.”

While you’re thinking of an answer, consider the impact Marion made in the Mavericks’ 96-92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, one of the league’s most explosive teams. And Marion’s 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting were an afterthought.

The 6-foot-7 Marion guarded three different positions during the game, most notably doing a tremendous job containing All-Star point guard Chris Paul, much like Marion did against rookie sensation Ricky Rubio in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves a few nights before.

Most of Paul’s 16 points and nine assists came when he wasn’t being guarded by Marion. In the final 5:13, Marion held Paul to one bucket -- a falling-away 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining -- and one assist.

Marion also created two critical turnovers in the final two minutes as a help defender. He played the passing lanes perfectly to pick off a Blake Griffin pass and swiped the ball from Kenyon Martin as he slashed to the hoop.

Add this night to the list of phenomenal defensive performances by Marion. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who watched the Mavs’ magical championship run, when Marion spearheaded excellent defensive efforts against the NBA’s three most dangerous scorers: the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Miami’s LeBron James.

“I’m a competitor,” Marion said. “I’m built a different way. I have this inner dog in me that I feel like a lot of people don’t have. I’m just going to bring it like that. That’s how I come.”

It’s one thing to come like that against wing players. It’s something else to do while chasing the league’s premier pick-and-roll initiator all over the court, even with the Mavs’ bigs doing a commendable job showing on those pick-and-rolls. And Marion occasionally takes turns against high-scoring power forwards, too.

How many players can guard premier power forwards and point guards?

“Marion is the only guy who comes to mind,” said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, who has the freedom to start the offensively efficient geezer guard combo of Jason Kidd and Vince Carter because of Marion’s defensive versatility. “This is one of the unique weapons we have on our team.”

Added Dirk Nowitzki: “He’s our best defender. We stick him on 1, 2, 3, 4. He’s been phenomenal for us every since he got here. He’s still fast on his feet, he’s long, he’s strong, he’s got great, great hands on the ball. We stick him usually on the best player and he did a phenomenal job for us again tonight.”

Back to Cuban’s question: The wings widely considered better defenders than Marion include Bryant, James, Memphis’ Tony Allen and Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala. They got the spots on the first- and second- all-defense team last season.

Kobe has been a first-team selection nine times, including the last six seasons. LeBron has been voted a first-teamer the last few years.

“I’m just telling you what the reality is right now,” Cuban said. “There’s nobody who’s better defensively outside the center position than Shawn Marion.”

The Matrix backed up his billionaire owner’s bold talk against the Clippers.

DALLAS – At first glance, a backcourt featuring Jason Kidd and Vince Carter appears to be an ill fit at their advance age.

After all, somebody has to guard all the good point guards the Mavs will see. And almost all of the Western Conference contenders have one: Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, the Clippers’ Chris Paul, San Antonio’s Tony Parker, Denver’s Ty Lawson, Houston’s Kyle Lowry.

Shawn Marion can solve a lot of problems, including the mismatch issues with the geezer guard combo. At least, that's what the early evidence indicates.

We got a glimpse of how the Mavs might approach the opposing point guard problem on Friday night, when Kidd returned from a six-game absence. The Mavs stuck with Carter as the starting shooting guard instead of putting Delonte West in that spot and gave Marion the assignment of defending rookie sensation Ricky Rubio.

“This is nothing new,” coach Rick Carlisle said of Marion’s ability to be a defensive problem-solver regardless of position. “He’s been one of the most versatile players that we’ve had at both ends of the floor in the game in the last decade. It helps. He’s always up for those kinds of challenges, too.”

It worked wonderfully against the Timberwolves. Rubio had a so-so outing, scoring 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting and dishing out eight assists. Meanwhile, Kidd keyed a Mavs win, as Dallas outscored the Timberwolves by 23 points in Kidd’s 27 minutes.

Marion’s ability to defend point guards keeps Kidd’s lack of elite quickness from being exposed and limits the wear and tear on the 38-year-old. It allows the Mavs to continue starting Carter, who has by far the team’s best plus-minus this season, and ensures that West will be available to play all the backup point guard minutes.

It worked against Rubio. What about against an elite point guard like Paul? We’re about to find out.

DALLAS -- Lamar Odom's performances as a Dallas Maverick have been so underwhelming this season that on those nights when he shows a pulse, plays with a purpose and contributes to a victory, it gets bear-hug treatment from coach Rick Carlisle.

So when Odom played 23 minutes Saturday night with confidence, attacked and knocked down shots, contributing 10 points, five rebounds and no turnovers (and truth be told he was robbed of at least a pair of assists) in the wild 97-94 double overtime victory against Portland, Carlisle ranked the performance among the forward's best.

"I thought Lamar Odom played one of his best games of the year tonight," Carlisle said. "He had great energy, he was attacking, he was into the game. Dirk had some struggles early in the third, we went to Lamar, he made a couple big plays, hit a 3, it was stuff that kept us going during a tough spot."

At the 7:11 mark of third quarter, Nowitzki fouled Gerald Wallace for and-1, didn't like the call, made his feelings about it known and got hit with a technical. He sat down for the next five-plus minutes with Portland scraping and scrambling to try to get back in the game.

Odom immediately drained a 3-pointer and Vince Carter followed with his own to balloon the lead back to 14. Odom hit another 3 with 8:51 to go that increased a shrinking six-point lead to nine. Moments earlier he put a spin move on Nicolas Batum and put it in off the glass.

"I think right now it's important for me to play well and give the big fella a little bit of a break without us falling off too much. And when I say the big fella, I mean Dirk," Odom said. "He deserves a rest and deserves to be able to come out of the game and for the team not too fall off too much."

Odom finished 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 in the second half when the Mavs needed it most.

"My body is getting back to where it needs to be," Odom said. "I feel a lot more comfortable and confident making moves. And not just making a move, but coming up out of the move, making a move or two and getting out of it and being explosive, being able to share the ball and make the right basketball play.

"Now, If I could hit a free throw then I'll be able to finish these games."

Odom, 0-of-2 at the line and shooting a woeful 57.5 percent on the season, might not be closing out games anyway. He won't be bumping Dirk Nowitzki out of the lineup, and Shawn Marion, who grabbed five of his team-high 12 rebounds in the second overtime, certainly won't go quietly.

But it's one step at a time, and on Saturday night Odom took another one.

Here's three more things to consider after the Mavs won their third in a row to move back to a season-high six games over .500:

1. Big Brendan Haywood: LaMarcus Aldridge showed why he's an All-Star with his 33-point, 12-rebound effort Saturday night. He made 14-of-26 shots and split his rebounds evenly at both ends. But, give the Mavs' 7-foot center credit, too. Dallas uses its centers to guard Aldridge, a power forward, because the Blazers don't have an offensive threat at the 5. That's a big job for Haywood, who must cover a lot of ground against the far more agile Aldridge, whose bread-and -butter is a beautiful mid-range fall-away. Haywood made his younger opponent work for his points and Aldridge had to double-pump in mid-air just to get his first overtime game-tying attempt up, and it bounced around the rim before dropping. Hawyood logged 38 minutes, nine more than his previous season high, leaving Ian Mahinmi and new fan favorite Brandan Wright mostly to watch from the sideline. Haywood finished with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting and 10 rebounds, his sixth double-figure rebound game of the season.

2. Turnovers are weird: The Mavs were fortunate to escape Minnesota having committed 18 turnovers (mostly because the Timberwolves coughed it up a remarkable 28 times). So Dallas was even more fortunate to get away with 23 turnovers Saturday night against Portland. The return of Jason Kidd was supposed to help cut down turnovers, so 41 in the last two games is certainly a cause for concern. The Mavs were turnover-free after one quarter and then committed eight in each the second and third quarters. The Blazers converted the 23 turnovers into only 23 points. Carlisle noted his concern by saying, "We're doing some things that are just uncharacteristically weird out there with the ball, and it's not like us.''

3. Free Roddy B?: Well, the return of Jason Kidd has sent Rodrigue Beaubois back to the end of the bench -- the deep, deep end. In Kidd's two games back, Beaubois has not played a second, has not needed to remove his sweats. He had the nice bounce-back game at Denver, scoring 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting one game after it appeared his confidence was totally shot (again) at Cleveland. It's so hard to figure what Beaubois' future holds. With Delonte West playing well, the minutes are going to be limited and maybe reserved for garbage time or strategically placed during extremely busy portions of the schedule. As of now the latest Free Roddy B revival was a short-lived one.

DALLAS -- If the axiom, you play like you practice, is true then maybe the Dallas Mavericks snap out of their third-quarter funks that have turned three consecutive halftime leads into disappointing losses.

That's the focus during this rare three-day break as the Mavs nurse a three-game skid.

"We’ve got to be better over a full 48 minutes, without question," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. [Monday] we simulated a situation where the first part of practice was a hard, defensive-oriented practice, and then we took about a five- or six-minute break to shoot free throws. Really, talking about that, that’s simulating halftime. And then coming out of that break we’ve got to be able to pick it right back up. And so, we’re making a conscious effort to do that and it's got to be an emphasis for us."

Breakdowns have occurred on both sides of the floor. Take Saturday's loss at Cleveland as a prime example of a total meltdown after halftime. Dallas had five players combine to go 6-of-19 from the floor and seven players committed a turnover. Carlisle harped on the inability to stop numerous dribble penetrations -- more than 25 in the game. In the final 7:42 of the third quarter, the Cavaliers scored four of seven baskets at the rim and two more from within seven feet to turn an eight-point halftime deficit into a 70-64 lead.

Attention has also focused to Dirk Nowitzki and whether he's getting the ball when and where he needs it. He's heated up in the last two games, scoring 30 and 24 points on a combined 21-of-32 scoring. But, with Jason Kidd sidelined five games and counting with a strained right calf, it seems the ball, as Jason Terry sternly pointed out after Friday's loss to Indiana, has too often eluded Nowitzki's hot hand.

Nowitzki said 17 and 15 shot attempts are not necessarily too few. After going 5-of-5 from the floor in the first half at Cleveland, he put up five shots in the third quarter and missed all of them.

In this two-game resurgence, others have dropped off. Shawn Marion has just 12 points in the last two games and Jason Terry is a combined 9-of-25. There's certainly an adjustment without Kidd's savvy play leading the show, but in or out, the Mavs have to find their flow offense that gets everyone involved.

Dallas ranks 10th in the log-jammed Western Conference in scoring at 93.8 points a game, and only team below them, the Los Angeles Lakers, are in the playoff mix.

"We’ve got to keep some of those guys involved," Nowitzki said. "Jet has been good. 'Trix was great for us the first third of the season with his slashing and posting some. He only took five shots the other night. With me playing better, we’ve still got to find the other guys, keep them involved and keep them playing at a high level. We’ve got to be a good team to beat some of those teams."

DALLAS -- Rick Carlisle coached the Indiana Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals and through the much darker days during the aftermath of the brawl in Detroit.

He loves the way team president Larry Bird has re-built a team that has only Danny Granger and Jeff Foster left from Carlisle's years. The big addition in free agency for this season was former New Orleans Hornets forward David West, who initially appeared on his way to Boston before choosing the Pacers. With 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert emerging and Granger continuing to lead the team in scoring, the Pacers are off to a 15-6 start and they've done it despite playing 14 of 21 on the road, going 9-5.

PODCAST
Rick Carlisle explains what went wrong Wednesday night against the Thunder and why the Mavs can't overlook the Pacers and Cavs on their upcoming road trip. Listen

"They're now a championship-contending team," Carlisle said. "Now they're in a healthy place financially with their cap. Larry Bird has done a phenomenal job. That team would be second in the West with their record. That's the other thing, the schedule's coming back to them because they're going to be home a lot. Look, they have a really, really good veteran, young team. They can beat anybody."

Records: Pacers (15-6); Mavs (14-9)

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: American Airlines Center

TV: FSSW

Radio: ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: The Mavs expect to have Shawn Marion, Brendan Haywood and Lamar Odom back in the lineup tonight. Marion hyperextended his right knee in Wednesday's game, but he played through the pain and said he'll play tonight. Without Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki slumping, Dallas needs its top players in the game and that includes Haywood's interior defense and rebounding, and Odom as well. It's high time that the 6-10 Odom, one of the more versatile fowards in the game, comes through, not only for his production, to help ease Nowitzki's minutes. Nowitzki played 38 minutes in two of the last three games since his return and that's likely too many.

Key matchup: Roy Hibbert vs. Brendan Haywood
Haywood said Thursday that he expects to play and the Mavs need his 7-foot, 263-pound frame to man the middle against the 7-2, 260-pound Hibbert. The fourth-year pro out of Georgetown has quietly become one of the top centers in the league, averaging 14.0 points on 52.5 percent shooting and 9.8 rebounds. Haywood won't match his scoring, but he has to be a force in pushing Hibbert away from the basket as well as making his presence felt on the boards. Hibbert is a big reason why no team grabs more rebounds per game than the Pacers, who rank seventh in rebounding differential. Dallas ranks 18th.

Injuries: Pacers - G George Hill (left ankle) is out; F Jeff Foster (lower back) is out. Mavs - G Jason Kidd (strained right calf ) is out; F Shawn Marion (hyperextended right knee) is probable; C Brendan Haywood (lower back) is probable; F Lamar Odom (stomach) is probable.

Up next: Mavs at Cleveland Cavaliers, 6:30 p.m., Saturday

DALLAS – Shawn Marion ranted during the preseason about the Mavericks not getting the respect they deserve as defending champions.

A month and a half later, the Matrix welcomes all doubts about the Mavs’ ability to repeat.

“We’re all about proving you [expletives] wrong,” Marion said, punctuating the sentence with a laugh but dead serious about the subject.

Hey, whatever it takes to motivate a man.

Marion’s motivational level is obviously above reproach. With veterans rounding their way into shape around the league – and in neighboring lockers – Marion reported after the lockout in phenomenal condition and has consistently been the Mavs’ best player so far this season.

At 33, it would have been easy for Marion to relax a little after finally winning a championship ring. That’s just not the way he’s wired.

“I could have easily just rode off to the sunset, no problem,” said Marion, who is averaging 12.4 points and 6.3 rebounds while serving as the Mavs’ primary defensive stopper. “But, no, it wasn’t about that. I’m hungry. There’s things I still want to do and I’m going to do it.”