Mavericks at Spurs
THE STORY: The Dallas Mavericks come to the San Antonio for a Lone Star State showdown on Thursday. Dallas is apparently over its NBA championship hangover, having knocked off Oklahoma City and Phoenix in the last two games. The Mavericks are coming together as a team, with new members getting in rhythm on offense. Vince Carter scored 14 points in the win over the Thunder while Lamar Odom added a season-high 15 points in the victory over the Suns. The Spurs got through their first full game without shooting guard Manu Ginobili in the lineup, outscoring Golden State 101-95. Tony Parker picked up the slack for his fallen backcourt mate, scoring 21 points Wednesday. San Antonio improved to 4-0 at home this season. The Spurs have won three in a row over the Mavericks and are 7-3 in their last 10 meetings.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FOX SW/KENS 5
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (3-4): Dallas will be playing its fourth game in five nights Thursday, which would leave most veteran squads running on empty. However, rather than rest on their day off, the Mavericks took to the practice floor to fine tune their new-look roster. The added work paid off against the Suns, with the bench scoring 51 points. That depth will come in handy during these back-to-back outings.
ABOUT THE SPURS (4-2): San Antonio is doing serious damage from beyond the arc to start the season. The Spurs are shooting 40.2 percent from 3-point range – fourth in the NBA – and drained 10 of 17 from the perimeter in the win over the Warriors. While Ginobili was the team’s top outside threat, Richard Jefferson has the hot hand after hitting all five of his 3-point attempts Wednesday.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points in his 1,000th-career game Wednesday.
2. Ginobili has been ruled out for at least two months after undergoing surgery on his broking wrist.
3. Mavericks F Shawn Marion scored 13 points Wednesday – not bad for a guy who was too sick for shootaround that afternoon. Marion has scored 30 points in the last two games.