Cavaliers at Mavericks
The Cleveland Cavaliers are cruising along with seven straight wins but the most difficult stops on a six-game road trip are still to come. The Cavaliers will begin the Texas triangle when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
Cleveland rolled past Washington, Minnesota and Philadelphia on the first three stops of its trip but now has to face a Dallas team that has won three of four, a San Antonio squad that has yet to lose at home and a Rockets team that seems to be coming together. None of that should intimidate LeBron James and company, who are surging with Kyrie Irving back in the lineup. Dallas just completed a three-game road trip with two wins, and got a vintage performance from Dirk Nowitzki in a 93-87 triumph at Minnesota to close it out on Sunday. The Mavericks aren’t exactly entering the easiest part of their schedule, either, with a three-game road trip to Oklahoma City, Chicago and San Antonio coming up after the Cavaliers leave town.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (26-9): Irving is still battling through some inconsistency as he rounds back into shape following a fractured kneecap but his presence has been an asset to the team. Cleveland is averaging 113.4 points in five games this month, with Irving starting all five after sitting out back-to-backs before the new year. The former No. 1 overall pick went off for a season-high 32 points at Washington to begin the road trip but slumped to 13 at Minnesota on Friday and was 3-of-15 from the field in 31 minutes at Philadelphia on Sunday.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (22-16): Nowitzki went 6-of-17 from the field in a loss at Milwaukee on Friday but found his shot on Sunday, going 12-of-22 while burying 4-of-7 from 3-point range. “The way (Nowitzki) played tonight was amazing,” Dallas point guard Deron Williams told reporters. “It was classic Dirk, hitting shots from everywhere and making big shots and big plays. That’s why he’s one of the greatest.” Nowitzki has scored 20 or more points in each of his last four starts.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. James is shooting 58.8 percent from the field in the last five games.
2. Williams totaled nine points on 4-of-15 shooting in the last two games.
3. The visiting team took each of the two meetings last season, with Cleveland earning a 127-94 win in Dallas on Mar. 10.