Under pressure?

The Mavs have made a point of locking up many of their key pieces over the last year. Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Devin Harris each signed extensions. Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse inked new free-agent deals when their contracts were up.

So does having security lead to added pressure or complacency?

“With that money comes a lot of responsibility,” Terry said. “You have to now go out and perform. There’s a little pressure there, but it’s healthy.

“It’s pressure that every player on this team has now. No one is worried about a contract. We all can go out there and play freely knowing what our ultimate goal is.”

So the money doesn’t get in the way?

“You go out there and you play like you don’t have any,” Terry added.

And should they feel the weight of added expectations, Avery Johnson said: “That’s my job to try to relieve them of that pressure.”