DALLAS -- As the Mavericks continue to buckle-down defensively, holding team's to an average of 92.3 points a game (fourth in the NBA) and 43.5 percent field-goal shooting (sixth), they're scoring average keeps slipping.

Entering Tuesday's home game against the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks rank 27th in scoring (96.2), yet are third in field-goal percentage at 48.0 percent.

"I don’t care about that. When I got here, the big issue was we want to play more of an open style offensively and all that," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "But, really we know that defense is our ticket to being the kind of team we want to be. Even if we’re not scoring that much, I’m looking at differential and I’m looking at our defensive numbers and right now our defensive numbers are the best they’ve been since I’ve been here and we need to continue to focus on that."

Still, in Friday night's home loss to the Chicago Bulls, the Mavs surrendered 88 points and lost by five. And they held Memphis Grizzlies to 91 points and lost by one. When Dallas has scored 100 points or more, it is 3-0 this season.

As in past seasons, much of the team's scoring has again fallen on the shoulders of Dirk Nowitzki. There have been a couple instances, notably Saturday's win at Atlanta, in which scoring has been spread throughout the roster. Nowitzkistill led the team with 21 points, but four others also scored in double figures.

"We’ve got to remind ourselves that we’ve got a lot of really good players on this team," Carlisle said. 'The more times we can get four or five guys in double figures that’s going to make us a better basketball team long-term."

Shawn Marion had 12 points in the win over the Hawks as his season scoring average has dipped in and out of double figures. When he gets his average into double figures, he becomes the fourth player averaging 10 points or more. The only teams not to consistently have four players averaging in double figures are the Los Angeles Clippers (three) and Minnesota Timberwolves (two).

"We’ve got to get some guys playing at a higher level and we’ve got to get Roddy Beaubois back, I’ve been saying that for the last couple months," Nowitzki said. "So, we haven’t really reached our full potential offensively. So we still need some weapons and Roddy is obviously a big part of what we’re trying to do."