The Mavericks last night beat the Magic 114-99 before another full house at American Airlines Center, "keeping alive a sellout streak" that began in '01 despite the team this year being a "long shot to make the postseason," according to Peter Dawson of the Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM. Affordable ticket prices, two "highly visible franchise players and approachable management have helped keep fans interested and engaged." Last night's game was the 727th consecutive home sellout, the "second longest streak in NBA history" behind just the Trail Blazers' 814-game streak from the '70s through the '90s. The "sellout" figure is "based on tickets sold, not the number of fans in attendance," but American Airlines Center "tends to be full with energized fans" most nights. The twilight of F Dirk Nowitzki’s career and the rise of rookie G Dennis Smith Jr. have also "contributed to the consistent turnout." Mavericks VP/Ticket Sales & Services George Prokos said that team Owner Mark Cuban’s focus has always been about "being affordable and creating an exciting environment." He said that Cuban "often shares the feedback he gets from customers" (Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/9).
