Tim MacMahon, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Big D back in Dallas, thanks in large part to Wesley Matthews

DALLAS -- The third quarter of Saturday night's 92-81 win over the Denver Nuggets was an extreme example of the Dallas Mavericks' newfound commitment to defense.

The Mavs have never given up fewer points in a quarter than the five the Nuggets managed to muster. Denver, thrown off by Dallas aggressively trapping every pick-and-roll, went nearly nine minutes before finally getting on the board in the second half. The Nuggets finished the frame with two field goals on 19 attempts and seven turnovers.

"That's a complete, total team effort right there," said Mavs shooting guard Wesley Matthews, who was right in the middle of the defensive chaos created by Dallas, the key factor in Nuggets star Danilo Gallinari missing all six of his shots in the quarter.

It's doubtful Dallas will ever have a defensive quarter that dominant again this season, but it doesn't necessarily mean it was a fluke. Sure, it helped the Nuggets are a subpar team playing the second game of a back-to-back, but the Mavs have quietly become a solid defensive team.

No, these aren't the same ol' Allas Mavs with no D, despite the facts Matthews is the only above-average individual defender in the starting lineup and the Mavs' lone real rim protector is JaVale McGee, who has played only 32 minutes all season.

"We might not be the best shot-blocking team, but it doesn't matter if you're in the right position, right spot," center Zaza Pachulia said. "If you help each other, it's good. I'll take it. It really works."

Indeed it does, unless the numbers are lying.

The 10-7 Mavs, who were coming off an outstanding defensive effort in an 88-83 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, make up in savvy and commitment what they lack in athleticism. Dallas ranks ninth in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 99.5 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com, although the Mavs had disappointing defensive performances in losses in Oklahoma City and Memphis during last week's 0-3 road trip.

That's the best by Dallas since a 60-win team in 2002-03 gave up a tenth of a point fewer per 100 possessions. By comparison, it's a drop of 4.2 points from last season.

"Wes has been a significant part of that," coach Rick Carlisle said. "When he walked out there on opening night and guarded [Markieff Morris], that sent a real message to our team that he meant business and that we were beginning a new era as a team in terms of our attitude."

Yeah, replacing Monta Ellis with Matthews in the starting lineup makes a major difference defensively, even with Matthews coming off of a ruptured Achilles tendon. The Mavs have gone to having an undersized liability prone to mental lapses at shooting guard to a big, physical dude who loves guarding the opponent's best player.

Dirk Nowitzki, the 37-year-old face of the franchise whose physical limitations must be masked with scheme, calls Matthews "our go-to guy on defense" and "our stopper" and "our fighter." There is no doubt Dallas counts on Matthews to set the tone for them defensively.

"I feel like I have to, and I embrace that," said Matthews, who has been assigned to guard every position except for center this season. "I think that when I do it, it gets everybody else going, it gets the mojo going, it gets the flow going of the game. It's added pressure to me, and I like that."

The Mavs all like their new defensive direction.

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