in the last four games before he turned 29 on Wednesday, Finley surreptitiously stood out, too. He averaged 27.3 points on 57-percent shooting and led the team in scoring three of those games. He also averaged 7.5 rebounds ? despite a switch to small forward, where he is undersized at 6-7 ? and 3.8 assists. The Mavericks were 3-1 in those games.

"He's the cornerstone of this franchise, and when he's playing well, it makes us all confident," guard Steve Nash said.

Tuesday's contest against Phoenix was Finley's first complete game since Dec. 20 ? just seven days before he sustained a hamstring pull that forced him to miss 13 games. That 48-minute contribution is one indication that Finley is back to where he started the season, even if he isn't sure.