DALLAS _ The Mavericks have all the problems that you'd expect a team in the cellar of the Western Conference to have.
But one thing they don't have is a problem feeding off the front-row fans when those people are members of the U.S. military.
On Seats For Soldiers night, when the season-ticket holders on the front row give up their seats to wounded warriors, the Mavericks know how to bring the grit like the Statue of Liberty shaking her fist.
This was the 13th time that the Mavericks have hosted Seats For Soldiers and they crushed the Denver Nuggets early, then held tough for a 122-105 victory Monday night at American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks now are 11-2 when they have played in front of the real heroes. And while nothing the Mavericks do can compare to what the soldiers do, the Mavericks do feel the need to put their best foot forward on this particular night.
"Our players are aware. Part of this is my job to convey that this is a very special collection of people," coach Rick Carlisle said. "It's not necessarily a win or lose thing. It's just how you represent competitively. These folks have competed in the most dangerous forum that there is, with the stakes being the absolute highest and the sacrifices being the absolute greatest. And that's something we all must recognize."
The Mavericks won for the second game in a row to finish off a 2-1 home stand and take another step forward in their hope of getting back to respectability. They now are 7-17 as they hit the road for games at Boston, Milwaukee and Minnesota.
Harrison Barnes had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Dennis Smith Jr. also had 20 points. The bench, as it has been doing often of late, came up big with Devin Harris, J.J. Barea, Dwight Powell and Yogi Ferrell all making major contributions.
The Mavericks led by as much as 25 points and never let the Nuggets get closer than eight down the stretch.
