Mavericks at Wizards
The Washington Wizards will try to continue their best start in 40 years when they host the similarly hot Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. The Wizards, known as the Washington Bullets in 1974-75, began that season 7-0 and 11-2 before the K.C. Jones-coached team was eventually swept by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks have won four straight and come in leading the NBA in scoring (109.3) and point differential (+11.1).
Washington small forward Paul Pierce is off to a slow start and age could be catching up with the 17-year veteran. A career 44.7-percent shooter from the floor and 36.9 from 3-point range, Pierce is shooting 34.4 percent from the field and 25 percent from long range after converting just two of his last 21 attempts from deep. Dirk Nowitzki is just eight months younger than Pierce but the Dallas forward shows no signs of slowing down, shooting 54.7 percent from the floor and 44.4 from 3-point range while averaging 19.6 points.
TV: 7 p.m., FSN Southwest (Dallas), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (8-3): Nowitzki hasn’t had to go it alone on offense as Dallas has put five players in double figures in scoring in nine of 11 games this season. Tyson Chandler is having a good month in his second stint with the Mavericks, averaging 11.7 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 70.5 percent from the floor. He has been a big-time upgrade in the middle compared to last season’s starting center, Samuel Dalembert, who’s shooting 38.5 percent and averaging three points for the Knicks.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (7-2): Washington’s hot start is even more impressive considering last season’s second-leading scorer, shooting guard Bradley Beal, hasn’t played this season due to a fractured wrist but returned to practice Monday and is pegging a return for Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Wizards have been receiving exceptional play from their bench, most recently from small forward Rasual Butler, the last player to make the team out of training camp who is 6-for-12 from 3-point range in the last four games. He could begin eating away at Pierce’s minutes if he continues shooting the ball well.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks longest winning streak in the last two seasons is five.
2. Dallas has built leads of at least 25 points in six of 11 games this season.
3. Dallas PG Raymond Felton is serving the second game of a four-game suspension after pleading guilty to gun charges in August. He was not allowed to begin serving the suspension until he recovered from an ankle sprain suffered in the second preseason game.