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(Reporting for the NBA PM was provided by HOOPSWORLD’s Bill Ingram and Derek Page)

Physically, Dallas coach Rick Carlisle reminds everyone of an older Jim Carrey until he opens his mouth and reminds us just how unflinchingly serious he is.

Even with his Mavericks holding a 2-0 lead over the flailing Lakers, and despite the fact that the next two games are in the Lone Star State, Carlisle’s press conferences have had the tone of a military debriefing. Carlisle doesn’t crack jokes like Phil Jackson and he won’t make a major statement like Stan Van Gundy. The Mavericks coach pretty much sticks to the script.

“We just got to continue to play our game, continue to attack,” Carlisle told the media at Friday’s shootaround. “Thinking about what the score of the series is, is insignificant. Right now our task is to stay on task and keep playing our game at a high level.”

For the first two games of the series, “staying on task” has included hitting 17 3-pointers while holding the Lakers to seven. “Staying on task” is getting 35 PPG from the bench. Miraculously, “staying on task,” has even meant taking more free throws than Los Angeles AT THE STAPLES CENTER.

What Carlisle chalks up as “tasks,” other teams would call “prayers,” when competing with the purple and gold.

The icing on the cake for Mavs fans would is Ron Artest’s absence for tonight’s Game 3, following his clothesline of Dallas point guard J.J. Barea in Game 2. But, being the even-keeled coach that he is, Carlisle doesn’t see the suspension as a major advantage.

“They’ve got plenty of capable players,” he said. “Who they’ll start, I don’t know. [Lamar] Odom will probably play more and he’s one of their best players. So that could be a positive thing for them. They got [Matt] Barnes and [Luke] Walton, all those guys are experienced players. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

More time for Odom means the Jackson will utilize one of the biggest frontcourts in the NBA for most of the game. What does that change for tonight’s Game 3?

“Rebounding because, it’s going to become a bigger and bigger thing as each game goes on,” Carlisle said. “They started their three guys that are 6-11 and over, that puts more emphasis on the importance of keeping bodies on people.”

When asked if he would change the strategy to account for the Lakers’ size in Game 3, Carlisle said “we got to play our game,” but added that Dallas could “adjust accordingly” as the game goes on.

One thing that won’t change is the way that Dallas defends Kobe Bryant. After the Lakers star scored 36 points in Game 1, Mavericks guards DeShawn Stevenson, Corey Brewery and even Jason Kidd helped limit Bryant to 23 points on 9-of-20 shooting in Game 2.

“When he’s on the floor, we have a plan for him,” Carlisle said. “I mean we’re very vigilant about help and keep fresh guys on him. We know how great he is, but we’re just going to have to keep plugging away.”

“In Game 2, I got over to Kobe a little bit earlier than expected,” Kidd said. “I spent a little bit more time on him than expected. We’re going to try and throw multiple guys at Kobe and hopefully wear him down.”

Fans and media alike are both expecting some sort of nuclear bomb option from Coach Jackson—who has never lost the first two games of a series at home as a coach—but there really isn’t one at the Lakers’ disposal. It’s not like Jackson has a magic bullet to defeat Dallas’ pick and roll.

“There’s a lot of different things that they could do,” Carlisle concluded. “I’m not going to get into what they might do because I’m not sure that that’s relevant to you guys. We know they’re going to be better, coming into this game. We’ve got to be ready for anything. We’ve seen virtually every pick-and-roll coverage there is, so whatever it is, we’re going to have to attack it decisively.”

“This is the two-time defending champs, so they’ve seen it all and they’ve been through it all so they’ll solve their problems,” Kidd said. “We can’t worry about what they’re talking about. We’ve got to go out there and play.”

{AUTHOR_BOX} What are the Mavs Doing so Well?

When you have Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Barea and Jason Terry on the same team, you’re going to make smart decisions with the basketball. The Mavericks have 50 assists through two games, and that’s a good sign that their offense—which is predicated on pick and rolls, drives and kickouts—is running smoothly.

“It’s been a carry-over,” Kidd said of Dallas’ ball movement. “I think in that Portland series guys were touching the ball. You don’t know who’s going to shoot it. Guys are penetrating, getting into the paint, working inside out. And that’s getting a lot of open looks.

“Spacing the floor and having guys that can knock down the three helps,” Kidd continued. “In this league you’re going to give up something. For us, it’s just a matter of trying to get into the paint and making things happen.”

Of course, having Nowitzki helps. The seven-footer followed his 28-point, 14-rebound performance in Game 1 with a 24-and-seven effort in Game 2. However Kidd says Nowitzki is giving Dallas more than just points and boards.

“With Dirk, you get him the ball and see how they’re going to play him,” Kidd said. “If they play him straight up, then you see them start to [inaudible] or run a double at him. This is a veteran club, so we all understand what our position is once that happens. He becomes the playmaker and he’s been doing a great job finding guys.”

The guy that hasn’t been getting as much credit is Barea, who has 20 points and nine assists in just 31 minutes of action over the first two games.

“J.J. is key,” Terry said. “Again, his penetration, his ability to get into the lane and create problems for their defense gives myself and Stojakovic and Dirk the ability to spot up. When he draws attention in the lane, we’re sitting out there ready, licking our chops to line up outside shots.”

Bryant was asked if the Lakers have spent too much time focusing on Nowitzki, but he thinks they haven’t spent enough time worrying about Barea.

"J.J. Barea kicked our ass," Bryant said. "It had nothing to do with Dirk. He just gave it to us. It had nothing to do with Dirk.

"Barea just wore us out," he continued. "He came through pick and rolls, it was one on one coverage, he blew by us and went in for layups. Stuff like that. We got to play him."

Perhaps the scariest thought for Lakers fans is that the Mavericks don’t feel they’ve played their best basketball.

So far in the series Dallas has more turnovers, fewer rebounds and has a comparable field-goal-shooting percentage to that of Los Angeles. So do the Mavericks have room for improvement?
“Plenty,” Terry said. “We still haven’t really played our best basketball yet for 48 minutes and that’s the encouraging thing for us.”

The Lakers and Mavericks will tip-off at 9:30 PM EST on ESPN.

Beilein Stays Silent With Morris

College coaches are expected to share their opinions when one of their players debates whether or not to turn pro. However, Michigan coach John Beilein wouldn’t do that for his star point guard Darius Morris—a possible first-round selection.

“I stayed away from that," Beilein told Mark Snyder of The Detroit Free Press. "I was giving them the facts as accurately as I could get them at the time."

Beilein spent time with Morris’ family while they made the decision to stay in the draft, but he never tried to sway them one way or another.

"Seeing his progression in the last month in individual workouts, I knew this was something he was going to consider (strongly)," Beilein added.

It will be interesting to see if more coaches take the fifth on this question going forward.

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