Mavericks at Rockets
The Dallas Mavericks have hit a bit of a skid, especially on the defensive end. The Mavericks will look to snap a three-game slide Wednesday when they visit the Houston Rockets, who are coming off back-to-back wins and some tremendous performances from James Harden. The NBA’s leading scorer has taken it up a notch of late and is averaging 37 points over the last four contests while shooting strong from the line and from 3-point range.
Dallas is playing the second night of a back-to-back after getting crushed by the Memphis Grizzlies 109-90 on Tuesday. That marked the third straight game in which the Mavericks allowed the opponent to score at least 102 points, and they have struggled to perform on the interior against the big front lines of Chicago, New Orleans and Memphis. The Rockets might not pose much of a challenge in that regard if Dwight Howard, who sat out Sunday with an ankle injury and reportedly tweaked it in practice Tuesday, is unable to play.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), ROOT Southwest (Houston)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (30-16): Dallas is enduring its first three-game losing streak of the season and is opening a three-game trip at Houston. Center Tyson Chandler is absorbing most of the contact down low and played Tuesday after banging knees with New Orleans forward Anthony Davis in the previous contest but was held to 10 points and five rebounds against the Grizzlies. Chandler put up 13 points and 13 boards with Howard out at Houston on Nov. 22, but the Mavericks still fell 95-92.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (31-14): Harden scored 32 points in that Nov. 22 victory and has put up at least 33 in each of the last four games while going 51-of-58 from the free-throw line. Harden averaged seven assists in those four games as well as he makes a bid for the starting spot on the Western Conference All-Star team that opened up when Lakers star Kobe Bryant went down with a shoulder injury. “It’s my job, not only to be a scorer but a facilitator, to make sure everybody’s happy and getting open shots,” Harden told reporters.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle will get his fourth crack at earning win No. 600.
2. Rockets F Terrence Jones (left leg) has been out since Nov. 3 but returned to practice Tuesday and could see limited minutes against Dallas.
3. Houston F Trevor Ariza is 5-of-23 from 3-point range in the last four games.