DALLAS _ It's amazing what a little confidence can do for a team, even one that's been at or near the bottom of the standings all season.
Especially when you mix in a lot of ball movement and passionate play.
Looking like a dominant team that has not only the drive but also the talent to pull out of this dreadful start to the season, the Mavericks rolled the Oklahoma City Thunder, 97-81, Saturday night.
The Mavericks have won consecutive games for the first time this season and also have won three of their last four to get to 5-15 on the season.
The Thunder aren't exactly tearing up the league at 8-11. But they do have a roster that was projected to be a solid contender in the Western Conference with Russell Westbrook being joined by Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.
They may yet do that, but on Saturday, they were powerless against the Mavericks.
Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki had an efficient 19 points and Salah Mejri, Dwight Powell and J.J. Barea all had strong nights off the bench as the Mavericks' reserves dominated the OKC bench.
The Mavericks even rebounded the ball better as Harrison Barnes ripped down 12 boards.
It was the 20th birthday for Dennis Smith Jr. and the rookie started celebrating early when his alma mater, North Carolina State, beat the North Carolina Tar Heels in football.
He got an unwelcomed present in the first quarter when he picked up two fouls in the first five minutes and had to take a seat.
But in the third quarter, Smith started having his cake and eating it, too. He got to the rim once and knocked in a 3-pointer as the Mavericks kept the lead in double figures throughout the period.
When the Thunder got within 63-53, the Mavericks called timeout. When they came back out, they scored the next nine points to open up their biggest lead of the game to that point.
The Thunder made a token run down the stretch and pulled within 90-78, but they would not make the Mavericks sweat any more as Wesley Matthews knocked in his fourth 3-pointer of the night with 1:50 to play.
The Mavericks had a good rebounding first half, limiting the Thunder to just six second-chance points and 35.9 percent shooting. That they were up 52-37 at the intermission was no surprise as they outworked the Thunder.
It was the second night of a back-to-back for Oklahoma City, but as Rick Carlisle said before the game, "It's not like they came across the country."
Indeed, the Thunder were in Dallas Friday night before midnight after losing by a point to Detroit in Oklahoma City.
Despite the relatively easy travel, the Thunder still looked like they were a step slow and the Mavericks took advantage.
The Mavericks also did a great job on Paul George, who had blistered the Mavericks for 37 points two weeks ago when the Thunder won 112-99 in Oklahoma.
George had just two points on 1 of 12 shooting. Westbrook led the Thunder with 28 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.
