Mavericks at Thunder
The Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder boast the most entertaining head-to-head series so far. The Mavericks will be looking for a better final result as they visit the Thunder in their third encounter of the season. The Thunder prevailed in overtime in each of the first two games, including a 117-114 victory in their last meeting Jan. 18. Oklahoma City is coming off a 115-110 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, while Dallas handled Phoenix 109-99 on Friday night.
The Mavericks received some good news Sunday when they learned that franchise power forward Dirk Nowitzki is expected to return against the Thunder. Nowitzki missed two games with a strained right adductor muscle but made it through a thorough practice Sunday and declared himself fit to play. "I feel OK," Nowitzki told the Dallas Morning News. "I went through most of the stuff, a little running, a little shooting. It was pulling a little bit, but as long as it doesn’t grab on me and completely tighten up, it’s fine.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Southwest (Dallas), Fox Sports Oklahoma, NBA TV
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (20-27): Nowitzki's return comes at a pivotal time for Dallas, which is running out of time in its quest to enter the Western Conference playoff picture. The Mavericks begin the week in 11th place in the conference, gaining precious little ground despite winning six of their last 10 games. The club's biggest issue - besides an abysmal 8-18 road record - is a porous defense allowing 102.9 points per game, third-most in the NBA. The Mavericks have been particularly generous when facing Thunder superstar Kevin Durant. The three-time scoring champion has torched Dallas for 92 points in their past two meetings.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (35-12): There's a chance Durant won't be around to victimize the Mavericks for a third time. The durable small forward suffered a back injury in the third quarter of the Cleveland loss and was seen wearing an ice pack after the game. Durant downplayed the injury, while head coach Scott Brooks was also encouraged. "He was good enough to come back," Brooks told the Oklahoman. "He's fine. We're not going to put him out there if he's not ready to play the way that we need him to play. But he was fine." Durant has missed just 14 games in his career.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Oklahoma City has won the last eight encounters.
2. Nowitzki has been ice-cold against the Thunder, shooting just 26.7 percent in their two meetings this season.
3. The Thunder have won 13 consecutive home games against Western Conference opponents and are 20-3 in Oklahoma City overall.
PREDICTION: Thunder 119, Mavericks 106