The Dallas Mavericks’ (23-16) three-game winning streak is on the line tonight traveling to Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers (26-13).
The Game At Hand
The Mavs have been on a roll lately, winning five of their last six games. Of those six games, the Mavs held their opponent under 100 points all of the five wins. Dallas in their previous game dominated for a 107-88 win against the Orlando Magic, led by Monta Ellis’ 21 points.
The Clippers are currently first in a tough Pacific Division. The Clippers are also on a three-game winning streak and won seven of their last eight games. Clippers guard Chris Paul is still out with a shoulder injury for six week. That’s no concern for the Los Angeles, as former Mavs point guard Darren Collison has made a huge impact. In the five-game stretch of Chris Paul’s injury, Collison has averaged 17.5 points per game and 6.5 assists. He’s also shooting 65.8% from the field and 60% from behind the arch.
Shawn Marion expects to play in tonight’s game after missing four games due to a bruised right shoulder.
Keys To The Game
1. Mavs’ Frontcourt Aggressiveness
Just two weeks ago, the Mavs lost to the Clippers 119-112. It wasn’t because of Chris Paul, the Clippers front court dominated. Both Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan combined for 50 points and 33 rebounds. Jordan’s 25 points was his career high. The Mavs have to be aggressive in defending the Clips’ starting frontcourt. Dirk Nowitzki could be beneficial in drawing fouls against Blake Griffin to get him in foul trouble as well. It is important to not like these two big men get in a rhythm.
2. Perimeter Shooting
The Mavs have averaged shooting a phenomenal 53% from behind the three-point during their three-game winning streak. Just last game, the Mavs were 13 for 27 (48%) behind the arch, which is huge for this team. Coach Doc Rivers has a defensive philosophy of not letting opponents penetrate to the basket. Dallas are a team full of streaky shooters, that should be used to their advantage in using the ball movement to get guys open looks.
When and Where
Tip-off starts at 9:30 CST and the game is shown on Fox Sports Southwest.
GO MAVS!
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