Raptors at Mavericks
Toronto will have had little time to recover from a damaging loss when it continues a challenging four-game road trip at Dallas on Tuesday. The Raptors led by as many as 18 points against a shorthanded New Orleans team playing without three of its top four scorers before fading down the stretch in a 100-97 defeat on Monday. Kyle Lowry scored 22 points and Jonas Valanciunas tallied 17 points and 14 rebounds for Toronto, which dropped its second straight following a 10-2 stretch.
The Raptors are 8-4 in the second half of back-to-backs but were crushed in such a scenario at Houston on Saturday and will be playing a rested Mavericks squad that has a pair of 11-point wins thus far on its three-game homestand. Monta Ellis shook free from a slump to score 23 points and Dallas held Charlotte to 36.7 percent shooting in a 92-81 triumph on Sunday, improving to 19-5 against Eastern Conference teams. Ellis had 30 points in the Mavericks' 106-102 win at Toronto on Nov. 28.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN (Toronto), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (37-19): Toronto's bench was outscored 55-21 in New Orleans after a dismal showing at Houston in which eight reserves combined to shoot 6-of-27. Lou Williams sat out the loss to the Rockets with a sprained ankle and returned Monday, only to go 1-of-8 from the floor. Meanwhile, the absence of reserve forward Patrick Patterson (knee) against the Pelicans left the Raptors thin up front, forcing Valanciunas to put in 36 minutes - one shy of a season high - and Amir Johnson to play in 35, his highest total this month.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (38-20): An unsung hero on a team loaded with big names has been veteran Richard Jefferson, who has allowed Dallas to withstand injuries such as the ankle issue that currently has starting forward Chandler Parsons out for at least two more games. Jefferson stepped in for Parsons to record 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Charlotte, chipping in a season-high four assists. The 14-year pro is averaging 12 points on 52.5 percent shooting - including 50 percent from long distance - in five starts this season, compared to 4.4 points on 42.5 percent in his 47 games off the bench.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Mavericks PF Nowitzki needs four 3-pointers to tie Tim Hardaway for 20th all-time and will surpass Hakeem Olajuwon for 16th place if he plays 23 minutes Tuesday.
2. Lowry is 4-of-26 from 3-point range over a four-game span.
3. Dallas is 14-4 all-time at home against Toronto.