For all you grouches who believe nothing the Mavericks do until the playoffs really matters, Monday night's delectable dose of November basketball was for you.

And if this is what the Southwest Division is going to be like for the next five-plus months, the regular season will be much more than just a preface to the playoffs.

The Mavericks overcame a manpower shortage and foul trouble, riding Jason Terry's masterful shooting night to a hard-earned 107-98 victory, handing the Houston Rockets their first loss of the season after three wins.

Terry had 31 points, but more impressively he had 16 of the Mavericks' last 37 points, taking up the slack left by the injured Devin Harris and foul problems for Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard. Terry also had three of his five assists in the fourth quarter.

It was the sort of game that makes a team forget about last season's early meeting between these teams, when the Rockets won by 31.

"This was a key win," Terry said. "They really put it to us in that November game last year. We are one up on them now, but ... they are a team to be reckoned with in this division."

Terry's seven points at the end of the third quarter put the Mavericks ahead, 77-75, but it wasn't until Howard (21 points) converted a three-point play and hit two free throws that the Mavericks moved ahead for good at 91-88.

ERIC KAYNE / DMN

The Dallas Mavericks' Jason Terry (left) scored 31 points in Monday's 107-98 win over Houston.

Jerry Stackhouse, celebrating his 33rd birthday, hit a 3-pointer, and Nowitzki slopped in a triple with 2:55 left that made it 101-92.

"It was not really my game," Nowitzki said. "I never really found my rhythm, but the team was great and kept us in it. That 3-ball was obviously a little lucky with that bounce, but sometimes that's what you need in this league is a little luck."

And enough warriors to bail out a team when things aren't going well. The Mavericks are one of the deepest teams in the league for a reason. And with the ranks thinned, Terry knew he had work to do.

"Obviously with those guys out, I have to be more aggressive and assertive with taking my shots and looking for openings," he said. "We were getting turnovers, getting stops, and that allowed me to get out on the break and create some early offense."

It gave Avery Johnson reason to applaud his sixth man and his entire team.

"Jet's playing some pretty good basketball for us," Johnson said. "He had that look in his eyes, and we're very surprised when he misses. And he competed defensively, also."

That was part of the reason why Mike James – Houston's equivalent to Terry off the bench – was 4-of-13 from the field. Tracy McGrady also struggled to 12-of-31, although he finished with a game-best 35 points.

Yao Ming didn't miss many shots, but didn't take many, either, going 9-of-12.

There were gritty moments of play throughout. In the second quarter, the Mavericks had four tip-in tries and couldn't get any of them to fall. But their perseverance earned them applause from their coach, who wanted to see a better rebounding effort.

At the end of the third quarter, Terry lit up like one of those Christmas trees that's going up too early in the malls.