And a ripple in that one discipline that ended the Mavericks' franchise-high eight-game road winning streak also gave them a peek at the same old flaws that emerge from time to time: a lack of toughness and rebounding.

Namely, when the opponent pushes and shoves and finds a way to outrebound the Mavericks, 45-27, Dallas doesn't have much of an answer.

Except for the Mavericks' designated tough man, pint-sized Tim Hardaway. He had definite opinions Wednesday about why his team slipped in the second of a back-to-back series on the road, midway through a four-game road swing through the Western Conference.