How it happened: Shawn Marion looked like the Matrix of old.

This was a performance reminiscent of Marion’s time as a four-time All-Star for the Phoenix Suns. He scored a season-high 29 points -- matching his most in a Dallas Mavericks uniform -- and dominated the third quarter to allow Dallas to turn a tight game into a comfortable lead.

Marion had 14 points in the fourth quarter. He made five of eight shots in the frame, including all three 3-pointers he attempted, a pair coming on consecutive possessions that pushed the Mavs’ lead to 15.

Marion was one of five Mavs to score in double figures, a quintet that included big men Ian Mahinmi (17 points, nine rebounds and three blocks) and Brendan Haywood (10 points, six rebounds).

It was pretty much a typical performance for the NBA's third-stingiest defense. The Mavs extended their streak of holding foes under 100 points to 15 games.

What it means: The Mavs have already matched their Dirk-free win total from last season. They were 2-7 without Nowitzki when he sat with a sprained knee a year ago. They’ve won both games that he’s watched from the bench so far this season.

Play of the game: Add another high-flying finish to Mahinmi’s highlight reel. This one came off a transition pick-and-roll with Jason Terry from the left wing. Terry drew big man Robin Lopez to the middle of the floor and dumped the ball to Mahinmi, who took off from near the block for a hard one-hand throwdown over helpless help defender Channing Frye to stretch Dallas’ lead back to double digits with about eight minutes remaining.

Stat of the night: Based on his production since joining the Mavericks, Shawn Marion made a season’s worth of 3-pointers in this game. Marion, flashing back to his days in Phoenix as a prolific 3-point shooter, was 4-of-6 behind the arc against the Suns. He was 8-of-52 from long distance during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.