Suns at Mavericks
Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki will return to the lineup after missing a game to rest his back when the Mavericks host the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Nowitzki’s back flared up when he played 42 minutes in a double-overtime win against Chicago on Tuesday and he sat out against Milwaukee the following night. Phoenix is opening a three-game road trip and has been off since posting a 116-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Dallas will be looking for its sixth straight win after posting a 107-105 win over the Bucks without Nowitzki. “We’ve got some tough games and got a back-to-back next week that I obviously plan on playing,” Nowitzki told reporters, “so it was for the best, especially after double OT, to just take a night off and rest and get ready for Friday for myself.” Phoenix guards Goran Dragic (34 points) and Eric Bledsoe (27) combined for 61 points and eight steals while leading the Suns past the Pacers.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE SUNS (11-8): Dragic is averaging 28 points over the last two games as he scored over 20 points in back-to-back games for the first time this season. He is showing signs of finding last season’s form after a slow start and Bledsoe also has his game back in high gear. Bledsoe is averaging 20.4 points over the last five games after failing to reach double digits in two of the previous five contests.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (15-5): Guard Monta Ellis was the star of the unbeaten four-game road trip and climaxed it with an 18-foot fall-away at the buzzer to defeat the Bucks. “It was an amazing shot, amazing shot,” Nowitzki told reporters. “Played the clock all the way down, turned around, spun. I don’t even know if he saw the rim.” Ellis averaged 27.3 points on the trip to raise his season mark to 20.7.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks have won 13 of the past 16 meetings.
2. Dallas C Tyson Chandler is averaging 16.4 rebounds over the last five games, including outings of 25 and 20.
3. Suns PG Isaiah Thomas (ankle) could return after missing the last four games.