• E-mail

Before the game, they said all of the right things. Every single one of them.

Avery Johnson. Jason Terry. Erick Dampier. Jerry Stackhouse.

It's early, they said. Win or lose, playing San Antonio isn't a big deal, they said. After all, this is only the eighth game of the season.

They lied.

Every one of them.

All you had to do was look at the Mavericks' first-quarter performance, when they sprinted out to a 15-point lead, to figure out playing the Spurs was more than just another regular-season game.

Dallas 105, San Antonio 92.

Message sent. Loud and clear.

The Mavs quickly set the tone in this regular-season game they kept trying to insist was no big deal.

They dove for loose balls. And deflected passes. And played transition, half-court and pick-and-roll defense with intensity usually reserved for the playoffs.

The Mavericks finished the first quarter with six steals, 10 assists, 11 points off turnovers and 12 points in the paint.

Like I said, they lied.

At least Stackhouse didn't mind admitting it after the game.

"For all of the people who think we aren't in the mix, it was just a reminder that we're an elite team in the West," he said still scowling as he placed a fat diamond in his earlobe.

"They've got the proof because they have a championship, but in the back of their mind, they know they didn't go through us to get it."

Now you understand why this is the NBA's best rivalry. Don't think it's not, though Phoenix-Dallas is a close second.

The Spurs, the established champions, have everything the Mavs desire. For Dallas, the league's most talented team from top to bottom, it's about fighting through their well-documented failures the last two seasons to win a championship.

The bad news for San Antonio: The Mavs don't fear the Spurs.

Do they respect San Antonio? Absolutely. Do they envy their four championships since 1999? No doubt.

But do the Mavs believe they can beat the Spurs in the playoffs? Every day of the week and twice on Sunday as mama used to say.

You can tell from their body language. And from the way they attacked the basket Thursday, leading to 30 free throw attempts. More important, you can tell from the swagger they play with against the Spurs.

The tentativeness the Mavs displayed in the playoffs and last week against Golden State, despite winning, was nowhere to be found against San Antonio.

The Mavs don't hope to beat the Spurs; they expect to do it. You can't really blame them, considering they beat San Antonio in a playoff series a couple of years ago, winning Game 7 on the Spurs' home court.

They were 3-1 against San Antonio last year, including two road wins. The Spurs reportedly were so pleased they didn't have to deal with Dallas in the playoffs last year, that they placed congratulatory phone calls to a couple of the Warriors to thank them for eliminating the Western Conference's No.1 seed.

That's eight of 12 for the Mavs, but who's counting?

"They're arguably the best team in the league. I don't know what else I can say besides that," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game. "I just think at both ends of the court, they're the most complete team in the league right now.

"It's a heck of a group and probably more hungry than they've ever been. They didn't get depressed by it. It just fueled their hunger even more, I believe."

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

Josh Howard (center) and the Dallas Mavericks wanted to send a message Thursday night against San Antonio, Jean-Jacques Taylor writes.

The Mavs seized control of Thursday's game in the first half and never let it go as evidenced by Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker spending the last 3:14 on the bench.

The Mavs did it by playing with energy and urgency.

Scene 1: Early in the first quarter, DeSagana Diop overplayed Duncan and deflected a pass to midcourt, where surprise starter Moe Ager dove for it. The ball deflected off Michael Finley, and Dirk Nowitzki hit a jumper on the next possession that triggered a 17-1 run.

Scene 2: When San Antonio trimmed the lead to 12 early in the third quarter, Nowitzki drove to the bucket for a layup, even though he was sent sprawling to the floor. Then he grabbed a defensive rebound, brought the ball upcourt and hit Terry in the corner for an uncontested 3, pushing the lead to 17.

It's way too early to overreact.

It's one game. It proves nothing except Dallas can thump San Antonio, when there's nothing at stake other than pride.

At least that's what Johnson, who said he was already working on his Friday practice schedule a few minutes after the game, wants you to believe.

Don't believe him.