Avery Johnson's search for the right starting lineup to complement Jason Kidd might be finished.

In making his second consecutive start, Jerry Stackhouse provided the size and scoring punch at shooting guard that Johnson envisioned. Even better, Jason Terry gave the Mavericks instant offense as the sixth man. The results were clear.

But the Mavericks' 108-79 victory came at the expense of the New York Knicks, the NBA's equivalent of an asterisk – not that Johnson cared.

"Well, we're trying to draw some conclusions, OK?" Johnson said. "We need some small victories within these games. ... One of them is Jet shooting the ball well of the bench."

In this case, the focus has been finding a shooting guard to start alongside Kidd.

Fitting the pieces together has not come quickly or easily. The Mavericks are 6-5 since the acquisition of Kidd, although they have won their last two games impressively.

First, Johnson tried Devean George, who lacked the necessary offense. Then, he went to Terry, who had the scoring but lacked the size.

"We ran into some major issues with both Jet and Kidd starting together that we have to take a long look at," Johnson said.

Specifically, the pairing of the 6-2 Terry and the 6-4 Kidd forced Kidd to guard the Kobe Bryants and Manu Ginobilis of the Western Conference.

"We were too small," Johnson said.

So into the lineup went the 6-6 Stackhouse, who had developed into one of the league's best sixth men with the Mavericks.

"We're moving forward with this one at this particular time," Johnson said. "The only option we would have is Eddie Jones, probably when he gets healthy. But right now, I like Stack in there. I don't care who we're playing against, I like Stack in there."

Terry went back to the bench, where his mission will be to bring offensive punch.

"That adjustment has been all year long. It's been a process," said Terry, a starter throughout most of his career. "As a player, you relish whatever role you're thrust in, especially on a winning team. Right now, it's for me to come off the bench and be productive."

Stackhouse helped the Mavericks start the game on a 10-0 run and finished 4-of-9 from the field in 23 minutes.

Terry was 7-of-9 for 18 points in 26 minutes.

"He was catching-and-shooting," Johnson said. "He wasn't thinking about anything."

When Terry stole the ball and went behind his back to Brandon Bass for a dunk in the final minute of the first quarter, the margin was 32-13. It grew to 28 in the second quarter.

But the Knicks were accomplices in the Mavericks' success. New York, which has lost seven straight and fell to 18-46, opened both the first and second quarters shooting 1-of-13. The Knicks' 31 first-half points were a season-low for a Mavericks opponent.

And the Mavericks had no problem getting good looks en route to 52.6 percent shooting.

"Two games in a row we've played well, so something's coming together," Josh Howard said.

Even against the Knicks.