Mavericks at Hornets
THE STORY: Dirk Nowitzki is struggling due to some knee problems, though it was his temper that cost him in Utah on Thursday. The NBA Finals MVP was issued a technical foul before the half and instigated a skirmish in the third quarter. The Mavericks rallied behind Shawn Marion and snapped a two-game losing streak despite their star‘s struggles. Dallas has had to find other sources for scoring as Nowitzki has slumped to 13.9 points over his last nine games. Where the Mavericks have not struggled over the last 13 games in on defense. After surrendering over 100 points in each of its first three games, the Mavericks have yielded an average of 84.4 points since. That does not bode well for the New Orleans Hornets, who host Dallas on Saturday. The Hornets rank toward the bottom of the NBA in scoring, averaging just 86.8 points. They have yet to reach the century mark in any game and have dropped six straight.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSSW (Dallas), CST (New Orleans)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (9-7): Dallas suffered back-to-back losses on the last possession Monday and Wednesday, first to the Los Angeles Lakers and then to the Los Angeles Clippers. After blowing a double-digit lead on Thursday, it appeared as though the Mavericks were headed for their first three-game slide since the start of the season. But that defense stood up down the stretch in a 94-91 triumph. Dallas has lost 11 straight at the Hornets, with its last road victory in the series coming when the franchise was playing in Oklahoma City.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (3-12): This New Orleans team is not like the last 11 that have beaten the Mavericks at home. This edition is not only missing Chris Paul but is still without his primary replacement, shooting guard Eric Gordon. The lack of scoring - and particularly the absence of an outside threat - has allowed teams to sag on the Hornets, countering their size advantage with Emeka Okafor, Chris Kaman and Carl Landry up front.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Hornets rank 28th in the NBA in 3-point percentage (27.5).
2. Dallas beat New Orleans, 96-81, at home on Jan. 7.
3. Nowitzki went 2 of 11 in the first meeting but has averaged 22.5 points in 39 career games against New Orleans.