Let's call it a draw.
Just before Christmas, Devin Harris dropped a 41-point, 13-assist bomb on his former teammates and the Mavericks took a miserable beating by the Nets in New Jersey.
On Wednesday night, the tables turned. Big time.
Jason Kidd was dishing out the pain this time. So was another former Net, Antoine Wright. They punished the visitors with a relentless third quarter that was good enough to spring the Mavericks to a huge lead and a coast-to-the-finish 113-98 victory over the Nets at American Airlines Center.
It was a dazzling bit of payback on Harris, who one year ago today was traded to the Nets in a package for Kidd, Wright and others. Kidd piled up 23 points, his second most this season, and 10 assists, almost all of that work coming in the first three quarters.
By then, the Mavericks were up by 22 points after a 35-11 blitz to close the third period. Wright continued his solid play since Jason Terry's injury and threw in 20 points as the Mavericks had four starters with 20 points or more.
Coach Rick Carlisle went with his starters throughout the third quarter and into the first two minutes of the fourth.
It proved to be a smart move as they dominated the Nets in the third frame.
Wright had 13 points in the third quarter alone, which was 13 more than Vince Carter had. He was 0-for-9 in the quarter after a 15-point first half, when the Nets had a three-point lead.
As dominating as the Nets were in December at their place, the Mavericks were overwhelming in the rematch, although you wouldn't have guessed it in the first half. They were lax defensively and the Nets shot 55 percent and were manhandling the Mavericks in the rebounding department.
That all changed in the third quarter, when the Mavericks shot 62 percent and hit all six of their 3-point tries, three by Wright and two by Kidd.
The Nets shot 26 percent and they made only one significant rally in the fourth quarter, pulling within 106-94 with 3:39 left. They missed three chances to get closer, the last on a missed 3-pointer by Harris. Josh Howard's layup with 1:48 to go pushed the lead to 14, ending any doubt.
Reality, or a sandbag? Jason Terry is an upbeat person by nature and he's been as positive as ever about the time he'll have to miss after surgery on a broken bone in his left hand.
That's why it was unusual to find him downcast on Wednesday about the news he got from a Tuesday visit to team physician Dr. T.O. Souryal.
"Six weeks,'' he said. "That's the first time they've given me a timetable.''
That would appear to be a worst-case scenario. But if it is six weeks since the surgery last week, that would mean Terry would miss 20 games, total.
Later, however, Terry was in a much better mood, prompting some people to wonder if he was padding the amount of time he is expected to miss. Last week, he was saying he hoped to return by Friday's game against Houston.
While that clearly won't happen, it seems unlikely that Terry is a full five more weeks from playing. He continues to wear a brace to support his hand and wrist.
The good news, Terry said, is that the surgery went well and all the pins and bones are in their proper place. All that's left now is the recovery process.
"Knowing his history, he's going to do everything possible,'' coach Rick Carlisle said. "He'll probably argue with the doctors and everything else. He may surprise us, too. Or it may go on for a month.''
That certainly clears it up.
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