Wizards at Mavericks
The Washington Wizards finally reached .500 for the first time this season and then dropped right back below it with a loss to Houston. The Wizards look to get back to the break-even mark on the second leg of the back-to-back set when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
Washington's three-game winning streak was snapped with Monday's 101-91 loss to the Rockets as it let a 12-point halftime lead slip away in dropping to 3-11 on the road. "At the beginning, they were dead, no energy, and I felt like we were going to win the game by double digits," Washington shooting guard Bradley Beal told reporters. "Just by the way they were playing, they had no rhythm and we were taking them out of everything they wanted to do. The second half was just a totally different game." Dallas is displaying signs of overcoming a 6-20 start, splitting its last eight contests as it begins a three-game homestand. "It's been a tough run because of a very difficult schedule and injuries and all the things no one wants to hear about," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. "But the new year is a new opportunity to go forward."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic Plus (Washington), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (16-17): Beal returned from a one-game absence due to a sprained right ankle and looked spry by making five 3-pointers as part of a 27-point effort. Beal and point guard John Wall fueled Washington's rise from a horrid 2-8 start and oversaw the stretch during which the team won nine of 12 to reach .500 before Monday's defeat. Wall registered 18 points and 11 assists against Houston after being named Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier in the day for averaging 24.3 points, 13 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals in three victories.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (10-24): Dallas is considering moving veteran center Andrew Bogut to the bench, but any move is predicated on power forward Dirk Nowitzki being able to stay healthy. Nowitzki has been plagued by Achilles tendon issues most of the season and still is working on getting his conditioning in top form. "We obviously want to find a mixture of winning basketball for us, and that's a veteran move. He's been around, won a lot, he's a champion," Nowitzki said of Bogut being willing to become a reserve. "I haven't been healthy all season, he's been banged up, but we just have to keep working. I still think once I'm completely healthy and on my normal minutes, we have to somehow play together and make it work."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Wizards recorded a 114-111 victory in last season's second meeting to snap an 11-game losing streak against the Mavericks.
2. Washington C Marcin Gortat has posted three straight double-doubles, averaging 15 points and 14.3 rebounds during the stretch.
3. Dallas PG Deron Williams (illness) missed Monday's practice and he is questionable to play against the Wizards.