DALLAS • In their romp through the playoffs thus far, the Denver Nuggets have made only one mistake: Blowing Game 3 of their first-round series.

Up 2-0 on the Hornets and playing in New Orleans, the Nuggets jumped way ahead in the opening minutes – then wound up losing. They bounced back in a big way the next game and haven’t lost since.

Today, Denver gets another Game 3 on the road, again while up 2-0. This time it’s against the Dallas Mavericks.

Have the Nuggets learned their lesson? Denver coach George Karl is eager to find out.

“Game 3 always has a sort of home-court intensity that big-time pros know how to take advantage of, and I think Dallas is made up of big-time pros,” Karl said. “They’re going to have a home-court energy that’s going to be more than New Orleans was. It’s going to be hotter. It’s going to be a hot building where we’re going to have to keep 48 minutes of composure and focus and make sure we stay on track and on point to how to win the game.”

The Nuggets haven’t had much problem with the Mavericks so far, using their size and strength to bully their way to the basket seemingly at will. Both games have featured stretches when everything came easy for Denver and nothing was easy for Dallas.

Yet the Mavericks haven’t been total bystanders. In both games, they led early and got close with about a quarter left. The difference has been Denver pulling away and Dallas unable to stop it.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle and staff have had three days to come up with some new strategies.

There’s also been time for Josh Howard to rest his ailing ankles. And there’s the twin comforts of being home (where Dallas is 17-1 since mid-February) and being out of Denver’s altitude.

“Coming home is something that can help you, but it doesn’t guarantee anything,” Carlisle said Friday. “Our whole game’s got to get better. There are a lot of things we can do in the first three quarters that will help us be in better shape going into the fourth.”

Dirk Nowitzki is always Dallas’ main man, but perhaps more so today. He has spent the days since Game 2 dealing with the arrest of a woman who was living at his house and the fallout from it, including constant media attention.

Having a game to play should be a great release, and fans are likely to show him plenty of support.

“Watching him prepare the last two days, he looks like he’s focused, ready to go,” guard Jason Terry said.

The Nuggets are 6-0 against the Mavericks this season. They have won twice in Dallas, including the lone home loss by the Mavs in the last three months

GAME 3

Denver at Dallas, 3 p.m. Saturday, ESPN, 1580 AM (Nuggets lead series 2-0)

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