Sports

Mavs may be rounding into form, and just in time

January 18, 2013 | Modified: January 18, 2013 at 6:48 am
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Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban yells at officials during the fourth quarter of a NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in Dallas. The Mavericks won 105-100. (AP Photo/John F. Rhodes)

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks are finally playing like the team they thought they built after Deron Williams spurned them in the offseason.

If they keep this up, it might not be too late to extend their playoff streak to 13 seasons.

The Mavericks have won a season-best four straight games since dropping 10 below .500 for the first time since their last non-playoff year in 2000. Dirk Nowitzki shows a new sign of his old self nearly every game as he recovers from knee surgery that sidelined him the first two months.

And owner Mark Cuban has declared the "Bank of Cuban is open" a year and a half after he chose financial flexibility over bringing back key pieces of the franchise's first championship team.