They're back to having a chance. The Mavericks left Dallas for the West Coast with a renewed confidence and noticeable skip in their step. Exorcising a few demons does that for a team.

The next step is building on that 25-point stomping of Golden State and riding that momentum into a postseason that suddenly appears in better focus. As important as it was on several levels to beat the Warriors, the next steep isn't any less steep.

Friday night's visit to Staples Center was a possible first round preview, though there's still plenty to settle in the pairings with less than two weeks left in the regular season. Both entered the evening with seven games left.

"We're just trying to play them all out," Avery Johnson said.
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