What To Watch For: Following Big Road Win, Mavs Host Cavs

 

Sunday night saw the Mavs give fans their biggest win of the season so far: a 105-101 road win over the San Antonio Spurs.  The victory at the AT&T Center was the first regular season win in San Antonio for the Mavs since November of 2010.  How’d you like that, #TeamTank?

 

There isn’t much time for Dallas to celebrate though.  Monday night the Mavs will host the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back at the American Airlines Center.

 

The following three story-lines are the biggest ones  heading into Monday night’s matchup:

 

Who Will Have the Legs for the Fight?

Both teams will step on the court on the second night of a back-to-back with Dallas beating San Antonio on the road Sunday night and Cleveland taking down Russell Westbrook and the Thunder on Sunday afternoon at “The Q.”

 

LeBron James, the league leader in minutes player per game at 37.6, played just that even though the Cavaliers led by double digits virtually the entire second half.  

 

Kevin Love injured his back Sunday and will not travel with Cleveland to Dallas.  As of Sunday night, indications were that both James and Kyrie Irving would play for the Cavs.  Keep an eye on that as Monday rolls on.

 

For Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki only played 28 minutes Sunday night in San Antonio.  The last second night of a back-to-back for Dallas, Thursday night’s loss in Oklahoma City, Nowitzki sat out.  It’s likely that Nowitzki will play a home game of this magnitude.  Andrew Bogut left Sunday’s game early with a flare up of his recent hamstring injury and Devin Harris came up lame in the waning seconds of the game, there is no news of their status as of Sunday night.

 

Steph Who? January Belongs to Seth.

Seth Curry’s NBA career is strengthening by the game and that has only accelerated in the month of January.  After Sunday’s win in San Antonio, the Mavs are now 6-3 with Curry in the starting lineup.  In his last five games, Curry is averaging just under 17 points per game.

 

How will Curry handle the playmaking role with Deron Williams still out following his injury in last Wednesday’s game against the Knicks?  Recent signing Yogi Ferrell did pretty well in his first game with Dallas, 7 assists in Sunday night’s win over the Spurs, but will the same be expected of him against the likes of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James?  Curry did most of the ball handling in Thursday night’s game against the Thunder after now former Mav Pierre Jackson started the game before eventually exiting with an injury.

 

Can the Mavs Do Better Than They Did IN Cleveland?

The day after Thanksgiving, the Mavs found themselves on the road to face the Cavs.  It was arguably their worst loss of the year.  They trailed by 41 after three quarters and eventually lost by 38.  It dropped Dallas to 2-13 and there was no reason to be excited for the holidays.

 

Cleveland has won their last 4 games in Dallas with the lone match-up at the AAC last season was a classic that went to overtime.  The Mavericks have stepped up their play at home recently, winning three of their last four games in Dallas. 

 

Tip-off on Monday night is set for 7:30 and the game can be viewed on Fox Sports Southwest.