Dallas ? The way the Dallas Mavericks have won their last two games suggests they might have a special season.

The Mavericks, the NBA’s only unbeaten team, ran away with their first five games.

They then played Detroit, with its league-leading defense. Dallas scored 114 points, building a 25-point halftime advantage before winning by 39. Next came Portland on Monday night. The Mavericks fell way behind but fought back with tough play and good defense.

The result is a 7-0 start, the best in franchise history, and the realization Dallas doesn’t have to light up the scoreboard.

“I think you are seeing the product of our concentration and commitment since training camp,” point guard Steve Nash said.

Dallas’ bid for the league’s best start since Philadelphia went 10-0 two years ago continues today in Cleveland, Friday in Boston and Saturday in New Jersey. The Mavericks were the NBA’s best road team last season with 27 wins.

“Dallas is playing nice ball,” Portland center Arvydas Sabonis said. “They’re fun to watch – unless you’re on the other team.”

Defense has been priority No. 1 for the Mavericks since losing to Sacramento in the second round of the playoffs. A sign hangs above their practice court reminding them of their defensive failures in that series.

All the talk seemed like lip service when Dallas gave up 108 points to Memphis in the opener. Yet the Mavs have allowed 100 points only once since, and their last four opponents have been held to 92, 87, 75 and 73 points.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban celebrates Monday's 82-73 victory against Portland in Dallas. The Mavericks are the NBA's only unbeaten team, winning their first seven games.

The offense, meanwhile, keeps clicking. Dallas was averaging a league-best 109.5 before scoring a season low against Portland. That dropped the Mavericks to 105.6, behind only Orlando.

Backup point guard Avery Johnson said he was afraid of a letdown after the game against Detroit, and he was right. The Mavericks turned the ball over on their first two possessions and trailed by 13 in the second quarter. Their biggest deficit all season had been three points.

Then Dirk Nowitzki hit consecutive 3-pointers to start a 10-0 run. The Mavs were behind at halftime for the first time but started the third quarter so aggressively that Portland called time-out twice in the first three minutes. Dallas built a 15-point lead and won 82-73.

The comeback was keyed by the defense. The Mavericks pestered the Blazers into missing 13 straight shots during the middle two quarters, going 10:21 between field goals. Portland scored only 12 points in the third quarter and shot just 35 percent for the game.

Nowitzki continues taking big strides in establishing himself as a premier player.

Hours after being named the Western Conference player of the week, the 7-foot forward had 26 points, including four 3-pointers, with a season-high 17 rebounds, a career-high six steals and four assists against Portland.

Raef LaFrentz, a Kansas University product who started at center in the opener, is out another two-to-five weeks because of a high ankle sprain. He was joined on the injured list Monday by backup point guard Nick Van Exel, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to fix an injury that had been nagging him since training camp.