Nuggets at Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are slipping down toward the .500 mark with six
defeats in eight games and will try to end their slide when they host
the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Dallas has struggled on defense during the
stretch by allowing an average of 110.1 points and sits just two games
above the break-even point.
The Mavericks lost 116-103 to Oklahoma City on Wednesday and are now bunched with Portland, Utah and Houston as part of a pack of four teams battling for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. "I don't look at the standings that much," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. "I'm looking at how we're playing." Denver certainly stepped up its play on Wednesday by delivering an 87-81 win over the Los Angeles after allowing an average of 117 points over the previous three games. "We have beaten some of the best team in the NBA when we defend," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters. "And this is the first game, post All-Star break, where we defended for four quarters."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (23-35): Power forward Kenneth Faried set the tone for Denver's victory over the Clippers by contributing 21 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the month. Faried had averaged just 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds over the previous four games before popping loose with 10-of-15 shooting despite playing just 23 minutes against Los Angeles. "We won, and that is all that matters," Faried told reporters after his team ended a six-game road losing streak in the series. "I'm happy. We got the monkey off our back."
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (30-28): Point guard Deron Williams should be in the lineup after X-rays on the left ring finger he injured Wednesday came back negative, but he certainly is aware Dallas needs to step up its play. "We're going to make the playoffs," Williams insisted to reporters. "We've got to get moving, though, because there's teams that are playing really well right now. We're not locked in. We're not a lock. We've got to realize how important every game is going forward." Power forward Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-best 33 points in the loss to Thunder and said the following in regards to the 1-1 start of a six-game homestand: "We've got to get some wins, and we've got to get some traction."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks have won four of the past five meetings, including a 92-81 home victory on Nov. 28.
2. Denver rookie PG Emmanuel Mudiay had just four points on 1-of-12 shooting against the Clippers.
3. Dallas SF Chandler Parsons is averaging 10.5 points on 7-of-20 shooting after averaging 24.7 points over the previous three games.