Cavaliers at Mavericks
As it makes a push toward locking up the second seed in the Eastern Conference, Cleveland begins a challenging four-game road trip Tuesday at Dallas. The Cavaliers have dropped three of their last four away from home but are coming off an 89-79 home win against Phoenix on Saturday, riding a balanced offensive attack and matching their second-best defensive effort of the season. LeBron James had eight assists and needs one more to pass Mark Price (4,206) and establish a new franchise record.
James was sidelined with knee and back soreness when Dallas strolled into Cleveland on Jan. 4 and walked away with a 109-90 victory, its fifth straight in the series. That win gave the Mavericks a 25-10 record but they are just 16-14 ever since, even after a 100-93 victory at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Monta Ellis scored 31 points as Dallas salvaged the finale of a three-game road trip.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (40-25): Cleveland is 4-8 on the road against the Western Conference but hopes that a couple of days off will give it some much-needed energy entering the four-game excursion. The Cavaliers were playing their fourth game in five days Saturday and it showed, as they lost much of a 32-point lead in the win over Phoenix before holding on late. "Obviously, four in five nights, you felt it a little in the fourth quarter," said James, who is averaging 10 assists over his last three games.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (41-24): Dallas welcomed back forward Chandler Parsons on Sunday as he returned from an ankle injury, but reserve Al-Farouq Aminu was the difference-maker along the front line. He had 13 points, a career-high six steals, five rebounds and three blocked shots in 20 active minutes, continuing a solid stretch on the defensive end. The Wake Forest product, who also had a season-high seven free-throw attempts, has tallied at least four steals in four of his last five games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Mavericks PG Rajon Rondo is averaging 6.2 assists in 30 games with Dallas after posting a 10.8 mark in 22 games with Boston before being traded in December.
2. Dallas is 20-7 against the Eastern Conference.
3. Cavaliers PF Tristan Thompson needs one offensive rebound to become the ninth player in team history to record 1,000 in his career.