AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Dirk Nowitzki saw his string of 15 consecutive games with at least 20 points snapped Sunday.

It was another reminder that things are coming harder, not only because the Dallas Mavericks are going against the top teams in the Eastern Conference but because they are trying to function without point guard Devin Harris.

Nowitzki spent most of Sunday getting bounced around by the Detroit defense. When he was done, he had two points in the second half and only 15 for the game.

"We miss Devin," Nowitzki said. "He's really improved over the last couple years. We need his defense, his scrappiness and definitely his ability to get to the rim. We missed that today."

Added Avery Johnson when asked if he's learning just how valuable Harris is: "Already knew it. He was playing at a high level before he got injured. There was improvement every week, every day with him."

Nowitzki's dominance had been a big reason why the Mavericks had climbed into the top echelon of the standings recently. He has been the most consistent player in the league lately.

"He's stronger this year in every way," Johnson said. "He's a better passer. He knows when to really assert himself on the game. He doesn't give into double-teams as much. He can beat double-teams better than in the past. And that's because he's stronger and much more confident.

"And he doesn't let minor eruptions bother him as much as he did in the past."

That's what Sunday was for Nowitzki, he hopes – just a minor interruption of a solid run. Of the top 40 scorers in the NBA, only LeBron James and Allen Iverson had more than Nowitzki's 15 consecutive games of 20 points or more before Sunday.

Making progress: Harris has ditched the crutches and hopes to soon get rid of the boot he's been wearing to protect the bone bruise in his left ankle.

Johnson said Harris is making good strides and still is on target to meet the two- to three-week timetable originally set when he suffered the injury Jan. 27.

"He's in good spirits," Johnson said. "Hopefully we'll get him out of the boot here pretty soon. He's been working awfully hard on the underwater treadmill and riding the bike. Hopefully we can get him totally out of that boot really soon and get him back doing some more stuff."

In praise of a Piston: Johnson said he has a deep respect for the Pistons and the way they have been to the Eastern Conference finals five consecutive seasons.

The architect of this run is Joe Dumars, who had lots of battles with Johnson in their playing days.

"To be a two-time champion, an MVP [of the Finals] and to carry that success into the front office, and getting some of the players he's gotten, and to keep this team playing at a high level, five straight Eastern Conference championship appearances, that's pretty good," Johnson said. "He's to be commended."

Briefly: Moe Ager, a Michigan State product, had to scrape together 25 tickets for friends and family to attend Sunday's game. ... Devean George had missed practice Saturday with stomach problems but had shaken the problem by game time. However, he did not play until the final minutes of the blowout.