(AP)
The afternoon before game 3, I was appearing on a sports radio talk show that originated from New Orleans and this question was posed: what surprised me most about the first 2 games of the series? I told them it was the lack of defensive intensity.

Dirk was great in that '06 run to the finals, but I'll always remember the Mavs ability to lock down teams in long stretches. Really good teams like the Suns and Spurs. And that was at the heart of what made Avery Johnson coach of the year. The ability to get his team to expend the defensive effort it takes to be a championship caliber team. By the way, the Celtics' Doc Rivers is doing the exact same thing this year. But here's the cold hard fact - the Mavs defense in those first two games looked like it would have trouble locking down my old high school team. Well, not that bad, but you get the picture.

Game 3 has been a completely different matter. With a couple of minutes left in the third quarter, its obvious the Mavs have committed to show some heart as they fight for their playoff lives. They're contesting every shot, rotating well, and look to be a step quicker that the Hornets. Jason Terry has done a really nice job on Chris Paul. I kept saying Terry's offense could make a difference in this series. Who knew his defense could have a huge impact, too? And now, a defense last looked slow and old in New Orleans looks energized on its home floor.

The Mavs still have a tough mountain to climb, but defensive intensity will make it easier to keep their footing.

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