What the Mavericks did well last week was make the playoffs. And that was a byproduct of doing some other things well.

Winning the battle for points in the paint doesn't always translate to a victory. But when you do it at this time of the year against a team like Utah, which thrives in the paint, then you have solid evidence that you're ready for the playoffs.

Of course, it's not like the Mavericks have a choice. The playoffs will start in six days, and the slow-down game, with a lot of shoving and bumping in the paint, will define whether the Mavericks have what it takes to make any noise in the postseason.

They also had a strong week getting production off the bench, but that could be a misleading stat. The bench for all teams will shorten up once the playoffs begin, with starters probably doing more of the heavy-lifting.