Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas, TX – The Dallas Mavericks (11-8) have had a couple of days rest as they get ready to take on the Houston Rockets (8-11) tonight at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks were able to pull out a late come-from-behind victory on Tuesday night, when they stormed back in the final two minutes, and ended up taking down the Portland Trailblazers in overtime.
The Rockets, on the other hand, have numerous issues. They were one of the top teams in the West last season, and figured to do much of the same this season. The Rockets fired Kevin McHale after only 11 games, and still haven’t managed to get things corrected. The Mavericks beat Houston 110-98 back on November 14th, and did so without the services of Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews, and Chandler Parsons.
The Rockets did beat the New Orleans Pelicans the other night, and should be ready to get some revenge on Dallas after that recent embarrassment, but this time around, the Mavericks will have their squad in full force, and one thing is for sure, Parsons has no lingering attachment with his former squad.
“It’s just another game by now,” Parsons admitted. “You know, that’s all in the past. I had a great time there, but many people play on different teams and move on. That’s what’s happened here. Those guys are still my friends, and I’m happy for J.B. You know, he was my guy when I was there, and I hope to see him do well and succeed there.”
What To Watch For:
Missing “Superman”
Dwight Howard will not be playing tonight as he was placed inactive for scheduled rest. Someone should notify J.B.Bickerstaff the damage Zaza has been doing on the court this season, because not having Howard out there could open up the possibility for yet another big game from Zaza.
Stop The Beard
The Mavericks have had success in limiting James Harden in the past, and the absence of Dwight Howard should allow them to focus even more on the All-Star guard.
“That was lightyears ago, and it doesn’t matter now, really. What matters is tonight, and [Harden] is putting up monster numbers in recent games,” Carlisle said while quickly forgetting about the previous matchup between the two teams. “He’s the hardest player in the league to guard — flat out. They lead the league in most four-point plays and most and-one plays, and the reason is him. You know, he’s almost impossible to deal with, so you’ve got to throw a bunch of guys at him. You’ve got to try to have schemes that make sense and you’ve got to hope he misses. At the beginning of the game last time, he missed some shots he normally makes, and we were lucky. We’ve got to hope to have a little bit of fortune, but we’ve got to do things right to give ourselves a chance.”
How To Watch:
The Mavericks host the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Game starts at 7:30 p.m. CT and will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest.
Quotes Via Earl K. Sneed (Mavs.com)
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