The Mavericks offense has been a cause for concern as of late.  Luckily for Dallas, the struggle to find consistency on the scoring end hasn't necessarily translated into losses but the Mavericks know that as phenomenal of a player as Dirk Nowitzki is, the big man needs some help. 

Nowitzki received plenty of help Wednesday evening against the Oklahoma City Thunder with five Mavericks scoring in double digits, enabling Dirk to torch the Thunder for 34 points on 60 percent shooting, adding 14-of-15 from the line. 

Caron Butler has struggled to find his stroke throughout the first 13 games of the season but took the initiative early against the Thunder, racking up six  quick points to jump-start the Mavericks' offense.  Although Butler saw his minutes disappear in the second half, his enthusiastic toughness spread throughout the rest of the team. 

"We're just feeding off each other," Mavs swingman Shawn Marion said, who put up 12 points of his own and all but shut down superstar Kevin Durant in the fourth quarter. 

Dallas' 13-6 run at the end of the first half brought the Mavericks to within one, down 55-56 going into the break.  However, the momentum the Mavericks built in the first half wasn't carried over as Dallas went scoreless for nearly six minutes to start the third quarter.  But even with the inability to score in the third, the Mavericks scrappy defense kept them within striking distance. 

"The third quarter, we could have just easily folded," veteran point guard Jason Kidd said.  "But we have a lot of pride."

The toughness the Mavericks might have lost with Butler on the bench was replaced by Tyson Chandler who had a season-high in points and rebounds, recording 17 points and 18 rebounds.  Chandler was also 7-of-8 from the line, something Mavericks' fans aren't used to seeing from its' centers. 

"Every night I try to focus on bringing energy, being real active, setting good screens and defending the rim," Chandler said.  "Tonight, we stood together and were able to get the victory away from home." 

Nowitzki was harassed by a slew of defenders in the fourth quarter but managed to somehow, someway make greatly contested shots and get to the foul line. 

"What always helps in this league is making big shots," Nowitzki said.  "And we got hot at the right time." 

Nowitzki couldn't have put it any better as he scored seven points in less than a minute, part of a 10-0 run in the final minutes of Wednesday nights win.

There was something missing in the matchup against Oklahoma City but it was the reason Dallas came away with the victory.  There were no bystanders on the court watching Nowitzki carry the team on his back.  The Mavericks were hungry for a win and would settle for nothing less against one of the most talented teams in the league. 

Whether it was Nowitzki, Chandler or Marion, someone always managed to come up with a big play. 

"The thing that I like about this team is that it's the tightest-knit team that we've had since I've been here," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said.  "These guys are really close.  They never quit on a game, they never quit on a situation.  They keep encouraging each other, and we just look for good things to happen." 

The Mavericks will have Thanksgiving night off but it will be a quick turnaround against a San Antonio Spurs (13-1) team with the best record in the NBA.  With all of the media attention diverted towards the Miami Heat's struggles, San Antonio has managed to slip under the radar, going on a 12-game win-streak and not suffering a single loss in the month since October. 

Friday night marks the first of four meetings between the Mavericks and Spurs since a stunning first round defeat last season in the playoffs.  San Antonio is going to be a handful for the the Mavericks as the Spurs are ranked second in the league in scoring, averaging 108 points-per-game. 

San Antonio will be the final stop in a tough two-game road trip before welcoming LeBron James and the Miami Heat to Dallas on Saturday evening.