Nets at Mavericks
Dallas and point guard Rajon Rondo have a chance to hit the reset button Saturday night when they host road-weary Brooklyn in the opener of a two-game homestand. With Rondo suspended for his heated dispute with head coach Rick Carlisle during Tuesday's win over Toronto, the Mavericks put forth one of their sloppiest efforts of the season in a 104-87 loss at Atlanta on Wednesday. Rondo returns to action looking to bury the hatchet and improve upon his recent play.
"Everything is back to normal now," said Rondo, who has 17 assists and 14 turnovers in four games since returning from facial fractures, after practice Friday. Rondo had 14 assists, one turnover and two points on 1-of-13 shooting in a wacky stat line from the Mavericks' 96-88 win at Brooklyn on Jan. 5. The Nets fell to 2-5 on their current eight-game stretch away from home with a 102-98 loss in Houston on Friday.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE NETS (23-33): Going nearly a month between home games is not easy on any team, but losing the way Brooklyn did Friday night makes it that much more difficult to survive. The Nets blew an eight-point lead in the final three-plus minutes, finishing 1-of-6 from the floor and missing one big free throw in the closing seconds. Their road legs may be catching up with them, too, as Lionel Hollins' crew is shooting 25.9 percent from 3-point range over its last three games.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (39-21): Rondo was one of three starters missing in the loss at Atlanta, as center Tyson Chandler (hip) and forward Chandler Parsons also were absent. Chandler is hoping to play Saturday, while Parsons already has been ruled out for the fourth straight game. Bernard James had a career-high 11 rebounds while filling in for Chandler against the Hawks, but Parsons' absence was felt along the front line, with starting forwards Dirk Nowitzki and Richard Jefferson combining to go 5-of-17 from the floor.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nets have won their last three games in Dallas.
2. Brooklyn SF Joe Johnson, who averages 4.8 rebounds, has posted an average of 8.2 over his last five games.
3. Dallas is 20-6 against the Eastern Conference.