Bobcats at Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are reeling from four losses in the last five games and are staring at a four-game road trip through tough Western Conference teams. The Mavericks will get one chance to turn some positive momentum their way before the trip when they host the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday. The Bobcats are last in the NBA in scoring but come close to making up for it on the defensive end and have held their last 11 opponents under 100 points.
Defense was a key for Dallas on Monday as well, and coach Rick Carlisle made that the focus of his practice. “You know, keeping people out of the paint is a real priority right now, and we got hurt with that badly against Minnesota (on Saturday),” Carlisle told the team’s official website. “It’s been our most consistent challenge defensively and we’re working hard on that.” The Bobcats scored 38 points in the paint in a 99-98 loss at the Miami Heat on Sunday.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Charlotte), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE BOBCATS (8-10): Charlotte held a 14-point lead with just over nine minutes left in Miami but had its defense fall apart in the final minutes as the Heat put up 38 points in the fourth quarter. “It’s tough because we deserved to win that game,” Gerald Henderson told the Charlotte Observer. “We just didn’t finish.” The loss was the sixth in nine games for the Bobcats, who are finishing up a two-game trip in Dallas before playing five of their next six at home.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (10-8): Dallas was knocked around in a 112-106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday that left Dirk Nowitzki with a bloody nose and Carlisle concerned about a scoring defense that ranks near the bottom of the league. “We’ve got to continue to take pride in defense, keep guys in front of us and do a better job, starting with me and with all of us,” starting center Samuel Dalembert told the team’s website. “…It’s not just specific people, it’s all of us as a group and as a team.” The loss to the Timberwolves dropped the Mavericks to 8-2 at home.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Mavericks PG Jose Calderon (right ankle) missed Saturday’s game and is questionable for Tuesday.
2. The Bobcats beat Dallas for the first time in franchise history 101-97 in overtime in the last meeting, Nov. 10, 2012, in Charlotte.
3. Mavericks G Monta Ellis scored 26 points in the loss to Minnesota after stumbling to a total of 16 on 8-of-31 shooting in the previous two games.