Via: AP Photo/LM Otero
Coming off a loss in Miami yesterday, the Dallas Mavericks are back in Dallas to take on the Utah Jazz on Superhero Night!
What to Watch for:
The Mavs are playing the second night of a back-to-back tonight and have played in back-to-back games seven times so far[note]This will be the 8th time[/note] this season. In back-to-back games, the Mavs are 4-10 and 0-6 on the second night of such games. Consequently, tonight’s game happens to be the third game in four nights for the Mavs and the Mavs are 0-5 in games of that type.[note]Once this season, Dec 26-30 the Mavericks played four games in five nights and went 1-3, losing to NOP, HOU, and GSW and beating LAL[/note]
Besides will the Mavs win, another big question on the second night of a back-to-back is will Dirk play? There is some evidence suggesting that the answer is yes. In the seven “second night of a back-to-back” games that the Mavs have played, Dirk has only played in one and it happens to be the only game of that type that the Mavs have played at home.[note]Dec 27th vs HOU, Dirk played 15min and scored 7pts[/note] Obviously, the game is in Dallas and even after rolling an ankle last night in Miami, Dirk is expected to play.
The Jazz are 2-0 against the Mavs this season and the second win came back in December in a thrilling game that ended with Rodney Hood‘s first game-winner of his life. Hood is not expected to play tonight, so at the very least that same thing can’t happen again…[note]right?![/note] But the Jazz are coming into this game 20-8 in their last 28 games and are ranked 2nd in Defensive Rating and 10th in Offensive Rating in the NBA. That’s good enough to be inducted into The 90% Club Rankings, where they have been all season.
Key Matchups
In what we’ve coined the “new starting lineup” [note]Super original…[/note] Dirk Nowitzki is starting at the center spot.[note]for lack of a better term[/note] This matchup is an odd paradox in the sense that most young centers are starting to look more like Dirk and step away from the basket to take jumpers. But Gobert is a young center that is more in the form of a traditional center that rarely takes shots outside of the paint and protects the rim.
Gordon Hayward vs Wes Matthews
Waiting to hear whether he’ll be apart of NBA All-Star Weekend, Gordon Hayward has had a career year with career highs in points per game (22.), rebounds per game (5.8), True Shooting Percentage (.605), and PER[note]Player efficiency rating[/note] (22.8). Harrison Barnes may play some time matched up against Hayward but expect Wes Matthews to receive the bulk of the workload against the potential All-Star.
George Hill vs D-Will
Hill has had several stints there season where he has missed multiple games in a row[note]8 games in Nov, 13 in Dec, 3 in Jan[/note] but when he’s on the floor the Jazz are 15-4, 10.1 points per 100 possessions better offensively, and 8.6 points per possession better defensively.[note]Dang.[/note] Wes Matthews may spend some time defending Hill if he gets hot but the onus is going to be on Deron Williams and the other Mavs guards.
Injury Report
Mavericks:
Dirk Nowitzki – Probable (Ankle)
Andrew Bogut – Doubtful (Questionable)
But here’s a video of Bogut warming up in Miami, so his return is coming soon.
Jazz:
Game Info
Everyone grab your capes because it's SUPER HERO NIGHT vs Jazz!
📍: @AACenter
🚪: 6:00PM CT
🏀: 7:30PM CT
📺: @FOXSportsSW
📻: @ESPN1033#MFFL pic.twitter.com/yfPhmJos4F— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 20, 2017
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