BROOKLYN — Tonight, the Dallas Mavericks (25-10) take on the Brooklyn Nets (16-17) at 6:30 pm at the Barclays Center in New Jersey (TV: Fox Sports Southwest). The Mavs, who are playing on the second game of a back-to-back, look to remain undefeated (10-0) on the road against the Eastern Conference, while the Nets are looking to get back into the win column after being narrowly defeated by the Heat (88 to 84) on Sunday night.
Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Rajon Rondo 9.8 PPG, 9.9 APG, 6.9 RPG
SG: Monta Ellis 20.7 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.2 RPG
SF: Chandler Parsons 15.9 PPG, 2.3 APG, 5.1 RPG
PF: Dirk Nowitzki 18.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.5 BPG
C: Tyson Chandler 10.8 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.3 BPG
Nets
PG: Jarrett Jack 10.4 PPG, 3.7 APG, 3.1 RPG
SG: Sergey Karasev 5.7 PPG, 1.4 APG, 2.4 RPG
SF: Joe Johnson 16.6 PPG, 3.9 APG, 4.7 RPG
PF: Kevin Garnett 7.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 0.2 BPG
C: Mason Plumlee 9.5 ppg, 6.5 RPG, 1.0 BPG
Match Up at Hand
Since joining the team, Rondo has continued to solidify his role as the Mavs new floor general. In eight games with the Mavs, Rondo is averaging 14.0 points and 7.5 assists while leading the team to a 6-2 record. However, as Rondo continues to blossom in Dallas, another Maverick hopes to get back on track tonight. Dirk, who has been in a mini-slump, is averaging just 15.0 points and 6.7 rebounds on 41 percent shooting; including 25 percent from three during his last three games. As a team, the Mavs will look to extend their Rondo-charged offensive momentum by tying their longest win streak of the season (6).
On the other side, the Nets are looking to get back on track with a win after winning six of its previous seven games. Remember when Deron Williams chose the Nets over his hometown Mavs for $100 million in 2012 to be the team’s starting point guard? Well, a lot has changed since then. Williams is now settling into his new role as the Nets sixth man. Off the bench, Williams is averaging 9.3 points on 36.2 percent shooting (45.5 percent from three-point range). It should be interesting to watch as Williams, who is probable for tonight’s game despite suffering an injury to his left side in Sunday night’s loss in Miami, is matched up against Rondo in a battle of what-could-have-been against what-is.
Series
The Mavs lead the all-time series against the Nets (38-28), who they will meet for the first time this season. Last season, the Nets swept the series against Mavs (2-0) and have won four of the last five meetings against the Mavs.
Milestone Night for Dirk
Tonight promises to be another milestone night for the Big German. Dirk is now only 13 points away from passes Moses Malone (27,409) for seventh on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Nowitzki, the top-foreign-born scorer of all-time and now only 1,201 points away from passing Shaquille O’Neal for sixth all-time scorer, continues to show us all why he is one of the best players in NBA history.
Jermaine O’Neal Update
By every indication, it appears that Jermaine O’Neal will be playing basketball again this season. He posted this photo to his Instagram account this morning from Germany, where he is undergoing treatment on his knees. While it still remains unclear which team he will actually be playing for, it appears that the Mavs are one of the favorites. O’Neal currently resides in the Dallas-area and has made it known he wants to play with a team that has a situation that is favorable for his family.
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