Mavericks at Thunder
THE STORY: If the Thunder are going to become the best in the
West, they’ll need to go through the reigning NBA champion first.
Oklahoma City has gone 2-1 in its three meetings with Dallas this
season, most recently taking a 95-86 road victory on Feb. 1. Both teams
snapped recent runs Saturday, with the Mavericks ending a four-game
losing skid with a win over Utah and the Thunder watching their
seven-game winning streak dissolve in a loss to Atlanta.
TV: 8 p.m., NBA TV, FS Oklahoma (Thunder), FS Southwest (Mavericks)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (22-16): The ongoing drama with reserve forward
Lamar Odom is over – for now. After leaving the team for undisclosed
personal reasons on Feb. 22 and being threaten with a demotion to the
Development League, Odom returned to the team Saturday and issued an
apology for his abrupt departure and the rumors that the reigning Sixth
Man of the Year is looking to get out of Dallas. Odom hasn’t been the
same player since being dealt by the Lakers this off-season, scoring
just under eight points per game after averaging 14.4 in Los Angeles
last season.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (29-8): Point guard Russell Westbrook looked
healthy as ever, scoring 25 points in the loss to Atlanta despite being a
game-time decision because of an ankle injury. Westbrook rolled his
ankle late in Thursday’s victory over Orlando and was seen walking with a
limp heading into the weekend. Westbrook was given nothing but praise
by his team, with coach Scott Brooks claiming he has the "heart of a
lion". Westbrook sets the pace for Oklahoma City, and is a big reason
why it ranks sixth in the league in fast-break points at 16.8 per game.
The Thunder outscored the Hawks 20-4 on the fast break Saturday.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Thunder turned the ball over 21 times
against the Hawks, translating into 22 points for Atlanta. Oklahoma City
ranks worst in the NBA with 16.9 turnovers per game.
2. Dirk Nowitzki didn’t show any signs of a bad back, scoring a season-high 40 points in the win over Utah.
3.
The Oklahoma City franchise leads the all-time regular season series
with Dallas 66-65, dating back to its time in Seattle. However, the
Mavericks own a 7-6 edge since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City.