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DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks coughed up a 20-point lead and then gave way to the Boston Celtics' 10-game win streak and the Miami Heat's nine-game streak.

Dallas' 12-game streak -- tying the San Antonio Spurs' for the longest of the season -- was buried unexpectedly under the quick feet of Brandon Jennings and the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night 103-99, after the Mavs had plowed ahead by 20 points midway through the second quarter.

Perhaps the Mavs should have seen it coming. They got fast and loose with 20-plus-point leads in their past two home games to New Jersey and Utah, but hung on.

The Mavs couldn't get to win No. 13, however, despite leading 42-22 with 5:04 left in the second quarter against a Bucks team that looked as though it wasn't all that keen on playing. But a 28-12 run, which included an 18-8 dash to start the third quarter, got the Bucks back in it. Then a killer 14-0 run over a three-minute span late in the fourth quarter supplied just enough cushion.

Dirk Nowitzki had a chance to tie it with about 12 seconds left, but his off-balance 7-foot fallaway from the lane fell flat and hit off the front rim.

"They took it," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of the Bucks' effort. "We gave them opportunities and they took it."

The second-half stat sheet was ugly. The Bucks (10-13) -- last in the league in both scoring (91.5) and field goal percentage (40.7) entering Monday's game -- scored 60 points on a Mavs defense that ranks in the top five in scoring (92.6) and field goal percentage (43.2). Jennings outscored everyone, with 18 points. The Bucks' bench outscored the Mavs' reserves 30-18. The Bucks outrebounded the Mavs 22-19, and committed half as many turnovers.

Carlisle's assessment was blunt.

"They kicked our ass," Carlisle said. "I don't know any simpler way to say it."

And what does he make of the Mavs' recent theme of playing with fire in three consecutive games on their home floor?

"What I make of it is that we're not where we need to be yet," Carlisle said. "When you try to be a great team, taking care of home court and a take-care-of-business mentality is really important. We have yet to establish that on a consistent basis, and so there's going to be frustration until we get there. Look, we have work to do; it's as simple as that.

"I still have a great belief in our team. I know what our potential is, but this kind of slippage is something that we've seen all too often. I've got to coach harder. Players are going to have to be more conscientious."

At 19-5 and suffering their first loss since Nov. 19, the sky isn't exactly falling for the Mavs. Dallas recorded courageous wins with dominant fourth-quarter defensive efforts against Boston, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Utah. Offensively, production came from all over. Nowitzki was scoring plenty, but on many nights he did so with limited shot attempts because others were stepping up.

That wasn't the case against Milwaukee. Nowitzki needed 24 shots to score 30 points. He scored 31 against Utah on 12 shots. But no other starter had more than 11 points, and Jason Terry continued his trend of scoring almost exclusively in the fourth quarter, with 10 of his 12 in the final period in the loss.

But it's the defense that Carlisle will keep a close watch on. He has done plenty of forewarning when it comes to defensive slippage. After allowing 100 points three times in the first 19 games, the Mavs have given up at least 100 three times in their past five games. Even owner Mark Cuban on Saturday expressed his concern with this team's curious habit of letting down.

"This one is very disappointing," said center Tyson Chandler, who had 11 points and nine rebounds. "It's one thing to lose a game [when] you battle and go back and forth. This was not one of those games. It was a game we clearly should have won."

Carlisle has continually reminded Dallas of the slippage that occurred last season after the Mavs got off to a 19-7 start and then stumbled around for much of the winter.

"We gave up almost two quarters of 30 points [32 in the third and 28 in the fourth], which is 60, which is obviously not what we want," Nowitzki said. "That's not how we've been winning. So the defense definitely had a collapse there. We couldn't get stops in man-to-man, couldn't get stops in the zone, so we were in trouble."

Jennings had a lot to do with that. He was unguardable. DeShawn Stevenson and Terry couldn't do it, and the Mavs' excellent zone proved penetrable. Jennings, whom Carlisle tabbed as the quickest guy on the planet -- and he looked like it Monday night -- finished with 23 points and 10 assists. He had 10 points in the comeback third quarter and 18 in the second half.

So now the Mavs finally get to see what it's like to play coming off a loss again. The most recent time didn't go so well, with the Chicago home loss following a close defeat at New Orleans.

The Mavs will close out their six-game homestand against Portland on Wednesday and Phoenix on Friday. They'll look to put this one behind them and do a little soul-searching as to why 20-point leads at home -- where four of their five losses have occurred -- just aren't safe.

"When you're at home and you've got a team down 20 points, you can almost smell the blood," Mavs forward Shawn Marion said. "But they hit a couple of shots and they get confidence, and you miss a few, and next thing you know you've got a single-digit game. Twenty points is a lot at times, but it can be small at times, too."

Rodrigue Beaubois' five-game stint in Las Vegas will feature some still point guard competition.

The Mavs' summer league foes include Denver, Houston, Milwaukee, Washington and Sacramento.

Denver's Ty Lawson is one of the few players in the league who might be able to match Beaubois' quickness. And Lawson has a significant edge in run-a-team experience, having led North Carolina to a national title.

Washington's John Wall -- assuming the Wizards take the one-and-done Kentucky star first overall -- is the most hyped point guard prospect since perhaps Magic Johnson.

The slate is especially tough if the Bucks and Kings opt to have Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans participate in summer league again. Given the minutes played by the star rookies last season, however, that might not happen.

With or without Jennings and Evans, we'll get a good idea of how ready Roddy B is to run the point during his time in Vegas.

The Mavs' summer league schedule:

July 9 -- Denver, 3 p.m.

July 10 -- Houston, 9 p.m.

July 12 -- Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

July 15 -- Washington, 7 p.m.

July 18 -- Sacramento, 7 p.m.

Say this for Roddy Beaubois: Of the seven rookie guards whose teams made the playoffs, none came close to his rate of postseason points per minutes played.

OK, so the Dallas Mavericks' youngster from Guadeloupe logged 21 of his 31 total playoff minutes and 16 of his 21 playoff points against San Antonio in the desperation of Game 6. Beaubois ended his first NBA playoffs by averaging 5.3 points in 7.8 minutes a game, but with a vow from management to greatly increase his floor time next season.

The 2009 NBA Draft was the Year of the Guard. Of the 30 selections in the first round, 12 were guards. Beaubois was the least known and last of the group taken, 25th by the Oklahoma City Thunder and then traded to Dallas. The class actually shrunk to 11 when Ricky Rubio, drafted fifth by Minnesota chose to remain in his native Spain.

Of the 11 rookie guards, Beaubois' 56 regular-season appearances were fewer than only the 43 games played by Gerald Henderson, the 12th overall pick by the Charlotte Bobcats. And, Beaubois' average playing time of 12.5 minutes eclipsed only Henderson (8.3) and Jeff Teague (10.1 minutes in 71 games), the 19th pick by the Atlanta Hawks.

In Beaubois' limited playing time this season -- which did include 16 starts -- he produced some remarkable performances. He bombed Golden State for 40 points and nine 3-pointers. He blasted Chicago for 18 points in the third quarter on his way to 24 points. He scored 16 in the second quarter the night earlier against the Kings on his way to 22. He became the first rookie in league history to finish his first season shooting 50 percent from the field (51.8), 40 percent from the 3-point arc (40.9) and 80 percent from the free throw line (80.8).

However, his lack of substantial playing time, especially against the league's better teams, makes it impossible to judge the explosive, 6-foot, 170-pounder against the league's top rookie guards, starting with Sacramento Rookie of the Year and fourth overall pick Tyreke Evans (20.1 points, 5.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 37.2 minutes), Stephen Curry (17.5, 5.9, 4.5, 36.2), the seventh pick by Golden State, or Brandon Jennings (15.5, 5.7, 3.4, 32.6), the 10th pick by Milwaukee.

It's difficult to even measure Beaubois against the second and third tier of rookie guards such as the Thunder's pair of James Harden, the third overall pick, and Eric Maynor, selected 20th by Utah and traded to Oklahoma City during the season, or Ty Lawson, taken 18th by Denver, Jonny Flynn, picked sixth by Minnesota, and Darren Collison, the 21st selection by New Orleans who filled in impressively for the injured Chris Paul.

If the draft was redone today, Beaubois certainly wouldn't be the 25th pick. Where he'd land is a great debate, one that should have a much clearer answer this time next year.

A look at the guards selected in the first round of the 2009 Draft and their stats:
3. James Harden, OKC, 76G, 22.9 minutes, 9.9 points, 3.2 rebounds)
4. Tyreke Evans, Sac, 72G, 37.2 minutes, 20.1 points, 5.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds)
5. Ricky Rubio, Min, remained in Spain)
6. Jonny Flynn, Min, 81G, 28.9 minutes, 13.5 points, 4.4 assists)
7. Stephen Curry, GS, 80G, 36.2 minutes, 17.5 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds)
10. Brandon Jennings, Mil, 82G, 32.6 minutes, 15.5 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds)
12. Gerald Henderson, Cha, 43G, 8.3 minutes, 2.6 points)
18. Ty Lawson, Den, 65G, 20.3 minutes, 8.3 points, 3.1 assists, 51.5 FG%)
19. Jeff Teague, Atl, 71G, 10.1 minutes, 3.2 points)
20. Eric Maynor, Utah/OKC, 81G, 16.5 minutes, 4.5 points, 3.4 assists)
21. Darren Collison, N.O., 76G, 27.8 minutes, 12.4 points, 5.7 assists, 47.7 FG%, 40.0 3FG%)
25. Roddy Beaubois, Dal, 56G, 12.5 minutes, 7.1 points, 51.8 FG%, 40.9 3FG%)

Rodrigue Beaubois' nine 3-pointers Saturday night at Golden State didn't just establish a new Mavs single-game record for rookies.

It's an NBA record.

Four previous rookies, including Kidd, had drained eight 3s in a game. They are Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings (earlier this month), Juan Carlos Navarro (with Memphis in November 2007), Chris Duhon (with Chicago in April 2005) and Kidd late in the 1994-95 season.

The Elias Sports Bureau reports that Beaubois is also the first rookie to score 40 points off the bench since Sacramento's Walt Williams had 40 on Jan. 2, 1993, in a 154-98 rout of Philadelphia. The Mavs' rookie record is 42 points by Mark Aguirre in November 1981; Jay Vincent had games of 41 and 40 points that same season.

Everything you did not want to know about Andre Miller shredding the Mavericks for 52 points Saturday night in Portland’s 114-112 victory in overtime:

***Miller’s 22 field goals represent an American Airlines Center record and a new best for a Mavericks opponent. The previous opponent single-game record was 20 field goals, shared by two of my all-time favorites: Steve Nash and Bernard King.

***It was the league’s third 50-point game this season and the first since November, when Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings (55 points on Nov. 14 against Golden State) and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony (50 against New York on Nov. 27) uncorked their 50-pointers.

***It was the second-highest scoring output by any player in AAC history. Dirk Nowitzki has the record with his 53-point game against Houston in December 2004. Nowitzki is also third on the list with a 51-point game against Golden State in March 2006.

***Miller almost tied the league record for the fewest points scored in a game before a 50-point game. Orlando’s Nick Anderson went scoreless in April 1993 in the game before posting a 50-point game. Miller had just two points Friday night at Houston.

DALLAS -- Rookie guard Rodrigue Beaubois proved to coach Rick Carlisle that he's ready to play with his performance in Sunday's rout of the Knicks.

That was Beaubois' first significant playing time in about a month and a half. How long will he have to wait to get non-garbage minutes again?

"There will be opportunities where he can bring something to our game that no one else on our team can with his sort of different kind of athleticism and those sorts of things," Carlisle said. "But there are only so many minutes. There are going to be nights when he gets a shot. Some nights he may not. The key thing is that he stays ready."

With the Bucks in town, tonight might be a good time to get Beaubois off the bench again.

Beaubois made a major impact in the Mavs' overtime win in Milwaukee a couple of months ago. He had 12 points in that game, but his biggest contribution came in limiting then-red-hot rookie guard Brandon Jennings to two points in the extra period.

Monday means “The Come Up” – and this particular Monday is a day off for players and coaches after the Mavs concluded their longest road trip of the season by beating the Knicks by 50 yesterday.

50!

No J Kidd and No Big Damp meant no problem because NY plays no D. Isn’t it sweet? Will it be a springboard win like last year’s overtime victory at MSG? The Mavs won 10 of their next 12 after taking a 2-7 record to New York early last season. This year’s team has a great record, but the quality of play has been lacking since the Mavs smothered OKC back on Dec. 16.

The schedule is looking manageable the next couple of weeks leading up to All Star Weekend. It starts Tuesday against Milwaukee, and it go a ‘lil summin’ like this:

An OT win with a rookie doing damage

When the Mavs went to Milwaukee back in November, the NBA world was swept up in Brandon Jennings mania as the rookie was coming off of a 55-point explosion against the Warriors. That was also back during the Roddy Beaubois' glory days when the Mavs’ own rook was getting starts, but not heavy minutes, while Josh Howard was out with an injury. He’d start the game, start the second half, but the 15-minute neighborhood was the norm.

But he logged 24 minutes that night against the Bucks, and it was the final five that played such a pivotal role in an overtime road win on the second night of a back-to-back. Roddy B was in his normal fourth-quarter seat on the bench watching Jennings go nuts for 13 points in the quarter.

When Dallas dodged a last-second Jennings trey attempt to force OT, Roddy got the call to slow down his fellow rookie for the additional frame. He held him to two points in OT, including nicely contesting a late-game step-back bomb by Jennings who couldn’t get a better shot because Roddy B wouldn’t let him turn the corner. That stop set up late-game heroics from Dirk Nowitzki, and the rest is history.

Beaubois wouldn’t see that much burn again until yesterday, when he logged 24 minutes in the aforementioned 50-point destruction of the Knicks. After a dicey start (two turnovers in his first 3 minutes), Beaubois responded with 13 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

He may have only got the minutes yesterday because Kidd missed the game due to personal reasons. But with Jennings coming to town Tuesday night and Roddy B coming off a money showing, it just seems like the right time, doesn’t it?

In other news Jerry Stackhouse is now a Buck. So then there’s that.

You don’t want to be that team

Remember when Dallas started December by traveling to New Jersey and Mavs fans were trippin’ about being "that" team? You know, the team that would sport the badge of humiliation bestowed upon the first crew to lose to the Nets as they stumbled towards infamy. “Please, don’t be those guys,” fans worried. They shouldn’t have. Dallas rolled.

For the record, it was the Charlotte Bobcats who played the Hester Prynne role in that Nets soap opera. And the Bobcats are doing just fine since then, thank you. It’s actually the Phoenix Suns whose current trajectory looks like Demi Moore’s film career.

Truth is, not much was expected of this team, and most people figured they’d try and unload class of 2010 free-agent Amare Stoudemire before the trade deadline next month. But Steve Nash's game continues to age like Moore's looks, and he’s rolling out another statistical gem with 18 and 11 on 53 percent shooting.

But it probably will go for naught.

The Suns have lost five of their last seven games heading into tonight’s tip at Utah, and all the buzz they generated by rolling through a tough early-season schedule with lots of roadies has now been muted with Memphis, OKC and New Orleans all charging hard for those bottom of the bracket playoff spots.

Leandro Barbosa is set to miss the next month with a wrist injury. Combine that with a tough schedule before the break, and a stale yet still expensive Suns team may be facing that trade scenario everyone thought was inevitable anyway.

As for being "that" team? Dallas plays at Phoenix on Thursday night (TV: TNT). The Suns have lost their last 18 straight games broadcast on that network. That’s bad. And the Mavs clearly don’t want to be "that" team to let the Suns off the hook.

It should be noted that Demi Moore has three films slated for release in 2010. I know this because I looked up her IMDB page -- I honestly couldn’t remember any of her recent movies. I just knew she hadn’t been in anything good since Santiago suffered a Code Red.

She was in a movie called The Juror. Seriously, someone made a movie and called it The Juror and put Demi Moore in it. That’s a movie give-up of Nellie-sized proportions.

Now that's devastation

Who knows who else will be hurt by the time the Mavs host Portland on Saturday. Their injury report this year has been epic -- already 200 games missed due to injury. Their current mini-disaster is that stud Brandon Roy is nursing a sore hammy. He'll be reevaluated before they play Houston on Friday night. That’s right, Dallas will host a beat-up team on the second night of a back-to-back -- their fourth game in six nights.

Portland hopes to get Nicolas Batum back for the first time this week, which is good news for Martell Webster since he had to play all 48 in a win against Detroit on Saturday night. Rudy Fernandez has been back for the last six games, which is timely since Jerryd Bayless just messed up his ankle.

As I'm sure you're aware, it’s so bad that Juwan Howard is actually getting 21 minutes a night for these guys. Meanwhile, C Webb and Jalen Rose are already broadcast veterans. Decent minutes for old men is what happens when both of your centers sustain season-ending injuries.

All that, and Portland is still in fourth place in the Western Conference at 27-18. Dudes have heart. It’s a shame those hearts are beating in tore-up bodies.

A quick Mavs 3-pointer on the season’s first Friday night gameday at home:

1. Things change fast around here, especially when we’re talking about Mavs speedster Roddy Beaubois.

It was just three weeks ago that Mavs officials could not rule out sending Beaubois down to the D-League for a stint or two to ensure that the young Frenchman was exposed to critical game situations in his rookie season.

Now?

Beaubois is regarded as the starter at shooting guard for the foreseeable future . . . or at least for as long as Josh Howard remains sidelined from his latest ankle setback. Slotted in next to mentor Jason Kidd, Beaubois is averaging 10.8 points in nearly 19 minutes per game since moving into the starting lineup last Friday in Minnesota.

If he keeps getting meaningful minutes, pests like me won’t even ask the D-League question any more. One team official confirmed Friday that the new consensus expectation is that Beaubois will be active -- and utilized -- for every Mavs game from here as long as he stays healthy.

And I can tell you that in my travels around the league -- as well as in discussions by phone or electronic means with various coaches, players and league insiders -- Beaubois is always the first Mav that I’m asked about by NBA folks in other cities.

He’s no Brandon Jennings, but Beaubois is generating quite a bit of November hoopla for a No. 25 pick.

2. Looking for something Dirk Nowitzki hasn’t done in what might be his best-ever start to an NBA season?

Drain a 3-pointer in the first half.

I realize that’s some obscure Dirk trivia, but it’s true. The Elias Sports Bureau keeps track of such matters and reports that, after a dozen games, Dirk is still waiting to knock down his first first-half 3.

Bear in mind, though, that Nowitzki has only attempted 33 triples through 12 games, sinking 12 after halftimes for a success rate of .364.

The full breakdown: Nowitzki is 0-for-7 on 3s in the first half, 10-for-24 on 3s in the second half and 2-for-2 on 3s in overtime.

3. There is an ESPN.com presence in this handy oral history of Dirk’s Mavs career as assembled by local scribe Zac Crain in the newest issue of D Magazine. But you should be reading this handy recap of the past 12 years or so regardless.

With a knowing nod to a Dallas-Fort Worth newspaper legend, we're scatterhooping while wondering whatever happened to former Buck and former Mav Pat Cummings ...

That's how you wrap up five games in seven nights. With the entire NBA nation watching this game on NBATV so they could see rookie phenom Brandon Jennings -- a night with only three games on the schedule -- Dirk Nowitzki reminded us all that he's one of the best, most reliable dudes in the league.

The Mavs are 6-23 all-time in The Good Land. Seriously.That just doesn't make sense.

Jennings would have had to go for 35 points and hit a buzzer-beating game-winner to live up to all the hype, but he was more "really solid" than he was "spectacular" on this evening.

But he still made me nervous every time he hoisted up one of those treys in the fourth quarter -- even if several of 'em were ill-advised. ... I'm wondering if Rick Carlisle went to that zone late in the game because he didn't have the confidence that J Kidd, JET or Barea could keep Jennings in front of 'em. That's why I'm clamoring for more Roddy Beaubois -- he got invaluable OT minutes Monday night.

Neighbor Ben says that foreign guy with a facemask is a bad look. I generally concur, but to Ersan Ilyasova's credit, his 4-7 performance from behind the arc made me forget that I initially thought Jim Carey's character from Cable Guy was getting some burn.

The Internet told me that Ilyasova claims to be a "master" of PlayStation 2. Neighbor Ben (my resident video game expert) says that's like being a master of Atari.

Apparently film doesn't exist of that weak-side back screen to free Roddy for the oop.

This was a great last 48 hours for Drew Gooden. He was lively early, and his clutch tip-in to tie it up late gives Dirk a chance to win it at the end. So long as that energy and effort is there, I suppose I can live with some of that shot selection that gives me an ice cream headache -- and I'm having that thought on a night when Gooden goes 9-13 from the floor.

Four seconds into this thing I thought Shawn Marion was going to absolutely annihilate Carlos Delfino. A few seconds later I realized Marion's ankle was going to save Delfino.

And then there was the guy who couldn't stop saying Luc Mbah a Moute ... it really is hypnotic.

Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings is the clear Rookie of the Year frontrunner early in the season, but Dallas' Rodrigue Beaubois got the better of the matchup Monday night.

That's not clear from the box score of the depleted Dallas Mavericks' dramatic overtime win at the Bradley Center. Jennings (25 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) had better numbers than Mavs guard Rodrigue Beaubois (12 points, two rebounds, one assist).

But Beaubois, a rookie who has seized an opportunity opened by Josh Howard's return to full-time ankle rehab work, came up big when challenged to defend Jennings with the game on the line.

Jennings, fresh off a 55-point performance, put the Bucks on his back in the fourth quarter. With Beaubois watching from the bench, Jennings abused J.J. Barea for 13 points in the quarter.

Jennings' groove ended suddenly when Mavs coach Rick Carlisle inserted Beaubois into the lineup for the overtime period. Jennings' only points in the extra frame came on a pair of free throws with 4:26 remaining. Beaubois prevented Jennings from getting a good look with the score tied and three seconds remaining, forcing a missed 3-pointer and allowing Dirk Nowitzki to put up an 18-foot turnaround at the buzzer to beat the Bucks.

Beaubois is one of a handful of players in the league who can match Jennings' quickness. That, along with his 6-10 wingspan, made the Mavs believe that Beaubois could develop into a lockdown defender. We got a glimpse of that against Jennings, who had only one field goal in Beaubois' 24 minutes, a transition 3-pointer in the first quarter. The Mavs outscored the Bucks by 13 with Beaubois on the floor.

The Mavs needed outstanding performances to pull off this win. Start with their only two healthy starters: Nowitzki (32 points, 11 rebounds) and Jason Kidd (nine points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists). Drew Gooden had his second consecutive double-double (22 points, 14 rebounds) with Erick Dampier out ill. Jason Terry kept the Mavs alive during Jennings' flurry, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter.

Those are all experienced players the Mavs expected to perform well this season. Contributions from Beaubois were considered somewhat of a bonus. But the French kid keeps indicating that he's ready for a significant role.

There's been a lot of talk about all the teams that should regret letting Jennings fall to the 10th pick in the draft. Folks will soon start buzzing about how big of a steal Beaubois was 15 spots later.

Dirk Nowitzki was named the Western Conference player of the week after averaging 24.3 points ad 8.8 rebounds in four games for the Mavericks.

Nowitzki also averaged 3.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and went 26-of-27 from the free-throw line as the Mavs went 3-1, beating Houston, Minnesota and Detroit. Dallas' only loss came against San Antonio.

It was the 11th time that Nowitzki has won the weekly honor.

Nowitzki is seventh in the NBA in scoring (25.7) and free-throw percentage (.915).

Milwaukee Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings, who scored 55 points on Saturday, won the weekly honor in the Eastern Conference.

Dallas visits Milwaukee at 7 p.m. Monday.