Don Nelson is not asking for much. The Mavericks coach actually has quite reachable requests for his Mavericks: 1. Win the remainder of the preseason games. 2. Come out even in the rebounding battle.

They'll take No. 1, that is a 94-88 triumph over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at the Pepsi Center. And Nelson will even walk away relatively happy with the Mavericks 42-39 rebound deficit.

Because most of all, both marked a significant change from just one night earlier, when the Mavericks' lethargic play resulted in a loss to the LA Clippers, and a 15-rebound deficit.

Nelson has placed in increased importance on the Mavericks' second half of the preseason to ready the team for the regular season, but his demands didn't yield immediate results. He was visibly angry after Friday's loss to the Clippers.