Game Night: Mavericks Head Home, Look For Another Key Win

 

 

Dallas, TX – Rick Carlisle made a huge change on Monday night, when he decided to do something MFFL’s have been begging for all season — play the young guns. Justin Anderson and Dwight Powell showed what they can bring to the table, and did so on a night where Dirk Nowitzki shot just 4-17 from the field and Deron Williams was out for his third straight game.

 

Powell lead the way with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Anderson scored 11 points on 5-8 shooting. It was their athleticism that truly shined. The Mavericks youngsters were able to crash the glass and earn second chance points, which seemed to pump up the rest of the team along the way. It was one of their better defensive efforts and they did so in a tough environment in Denver.

 

Now the Dallas Mavericks (36-38) return to the American Airlines Center to look for another big win against the New York Knicks (30-45). With Deron Williams out indefinitely and no timetable for his return in place, the Mavericks will need to lean on their bench even more during these last remaining games. It will be interesting to see if Carlisle goes back to the same formula that seemed to work so well against the Nuggets on Monday night.

 

”I felt, right now, we’ve got to make the point that anything other than your best effort and your best energy is unacceptable,” Carlisle said. ”These two guys (Powell and Anderson) you know are going to go hard, unconditionally. They delivered (Monday). We still need everybody, each game is critical.”

 

This is a game the Mavericks should take. In doing so, they can take another step in the right direction, and hopefully continue to put pressure on the teams ahead of them.

 

Playoff Watch:

 

Place	Team	Wins	Losses	GB
5.	Memphis	42	36
6.	Portland	42	37	.5
7.	Dallas	39	38	2.5
8.	Utah	39	39	3
9.	Houston	38	39	3.5

 

What To Watch For:

 

Statistically, the New York Knicks are appalling. With that being said, they do do some things well. They are one of the better teams in terms of taking care of the ball, and also do a nice job on the glass. The Mavericks will need to do their best on the defensive end, because the Knicks flat out struggle shooting the ball. If they can keep them off of the boards, and step up defensively, the Mavericks shouldn’t have an issue getting win number 37.

 

Look for Nowitzki to get back on track tonight, as he returns home from a long road trip. He’s coming off a rough 4-17 shooting night. I think it’s safe to say we won’t be seeing that occur twice in a row.

 

How To Watch:

 

Game tips-off at 7:30 CT and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Southwest and for anyone that has the NBA League Pass.