The Mavericks are like the Rolling Stones right now.

When they're on tour, they never seem to have a bad performance. But Dirk Nowitzki, who does a pretty slick Mick Jagger impersonation by the way, wants everybody to know that lately their secret to success has been lip-syncing.

That's right. The Mavericks have been faking it to get by. Which leads to the next question: is this team so good now that it can fake it better than a lot of other NBA bands can when they're actually at their best?

Nowitzki doesn't want anybody thinking the Mavericks are making their best music right now. Until they have centers Erick Dampier or Brendan Haywood back or both, they won't be completely in tune. Look no further, Nowitzki said, than the Mavericks, surrendering 228 points in two games on their recent road trip.

"We definitely need our big guys back for a little defense because in the long run, that's not going to cut it," Nowitzki said. "Small ball is just not going to win in the long run against the big boys, so hopefully our big guys can get healthy here soon and let's make this final push to the playoffs."

Yes, it's time for the push. There are 17 games left and the Mavericks have an excellent opportunity to run their 12-game winning streak deep into the teens with a soft home schedule over the next dozen days.

The Mavs' streak speaks volumes about their ability to survive short-handed situations. And while Nowitzki is right about needing the big fellows back to get playoff-ready, a dozen wins in a row doesn't happen without a team being good and playing well.

"I'm in absolute agreement with Dirk," coach Rick Carlisle said. "Right now, we've had to adjust to our personnel and we've had some success. But you just don't win big in this league without size."

However, Carlisle is quick to say that this run should not be diminished: "It's been a true team. Somebody's down? Somebody else picks them up. The guys are competitive in practices. But they cheer for each other in the games. To get on a roll like this, all sorts of things have to happen."

A prime example came early against Minnesota. Down to nine players, Nowitzki picked up his second foul a mere 99 seconds into the game. That meant Eduardo Najera became the Mavs' biggest player. While the Mavs fell behind by 10, they went on a 23-4 blitz to turn the game around before the first period was done.

"We played everybody on our bench and everybody contributed," Shawn Marion said. "If you help each other out on the floor, good things happen."