The Dallas Mavericks are beginning to run out of time to make a playoff push. The Mavericks will be looking to move back within five games of .500 when they open a four-game road trip at the Detroit Pistons on Friday. Dallas seemed like it had some momentum going in the right direction for the first time in months with a strong start to February. Losses in four of the last six games have taken some wind out of the sails.The Pistons have dropped three straight and have been held below 80 points in each of their last two contests. Detroit will be trying to snap a four-game home losing streak against the Mavericks after suffering an 87-77 setback against the New York Knicks in its return from a road trip on Wednesday. The low-scoring Pistons will be trying to keep pace with a Dallas squad that has averaged 104.3 points in three games this month.TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSSW (Dallas), FSD (Detroit)ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (27-33): Dallas has drifted 4 1/2 games behind the Utah Jazz for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference and has to climb over the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers before getting directly behind the Jazz. The Mavericks are still trying to figure out the right pieces to put around Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and O.J. Mayo. Brandan Wright and Mike James made rare starts over Chris Kaman and Darren Collison in Wednesday's triumph over the Houston Rockets, and Rodrique Beaubois has been pushed to the end of the bench and out of the point guard rotation. Dallas responded to the latest lineup by shooting 54.2 percent in the 112-108 win over the Rockets. Mayo, who handed out a career-high 12 assists on Wednesday, led the way with 27 points in a 92-77 home win over the Pistons on Dec. 1.ABOUT THE PISTONS (23-40): Brandon Knight scored 20 points and Greg Monroe collected 15 rebounds but Detroit struggled to 34.1 percent from the field in that Dec. 1 meeting. Scoring droughts of that nature have been common this season for the Pistons, who have been held to 82 points or less in four of their last seven outings. Detroit has been without rookie Andre Drummond (back) for the last month and took another hit to its frontcourt when center Greg Monroe sat out Wednesday's loss to the Knicks with an ankle injury. Monroe, who has put up 23 points and 9.7 rebounds in his last three games, is expected to go on Friday. Another bright spot for the Pistons has been point guard Jose Calderon, who came over from Toronto in the three-team trade that landed Rudy Gay with the Raptors. Calderon has recorded double-digits assists in three of the last four games.BUZZER BEATERS1. Dallas has taken seven of the last eight in the series and won its last trip to Detroit 100-86 on Jan. 10, 2012.2. Detroit F Charlie Villanueva (hamstring) sat out Wednesday but is expected to return on Friday.3. James' start against the Rockets was his first since March 29, 2009, when he was with the Washington Wizards.PREDICTION: Mavericks 101, Pistons 89