<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Those who attended All-Star weekend might still be hurting today. What happens in Vegas... But if anyone needs a sobering thought as the league returns to work today, mull over what the Mavericks have done since starting 0-4. Or just ask them. "If you would have told us we'd be 44-5 in the last 49 games, that's crazy," Dirk Nowitzki said. "Obviously, we're happy where we're at, but in this league, especially in the West, you never can be satisfied. "You always want to keep that hunger, keep that heart, and we know it's still going to be a long run." In the sprint to the playoffs, the NBA-leading Mavs (44-9) have separated from the pack. For a franchise with just one outright division title, the Southwest Division might already be won. San Antonio, the Mavs' closest pursuer, sits nine games back at 35-18. The Mavs would have to go 20-9 (.690) to finish with 18 losses, with the Spurs going undefeated (29-0) to forge a tie. "They've played better," San Antonio point guard Tony Parker conceded. "We'll see what happens." The Mavs have gone 30-2 (.938) since Dec. 13. That stretch has built a solid 4 1/2 -game cushion over Phoenix (39-13) in the race for the Western Conference's No. 1 seed. For teams in the thick of it, the next two months make the season. "The first and last third of the season go a lot faster than that middle third," Mavs forward Austin Croshere said. "The last third you're really looking at the standings and the playoffs seedings, and there's that push to maximize yourself for playoff positioning. The last third of the season is the fun part."</div> Source
