Having hit a rough patch of late, the Dallas Mavericks will set out to get themselves back on track when they welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers to the American Airlines Center on Saturday.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, head to Texas this weekend seeking to pick up a ninth victory on the bounce and continue their blistering start to the 2024-25 campaign.
Match preview
© Imago
Following a 110-100 defeat to the Sacramento Kings to close out 2024, the Dallas Mavericks began the new year on the back foot after Thursday's 110-99 loss against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center.
A six-point lead at the end of the opening exchanges offered some encouragement for Jason Kidd's men, who were blown away over the subsequent two quarters to render their fourth-quarter attempt at a fightback inconsequential.
Featuring in a more prominent capacity due to the absence of floor general Luka Doncic, Quentin Grimes racked up an impressive 17 points on 6-17 shooting, one more than Kyrie Irving's tally of 16 to lead the Mavericks in scoring.
Failing to go beyond the 100-point mark in four of their last five matches, last year's Western Conference champions have seen their offensive output significantly dwindle of late from their average of 116.6 points scored per game.
Dallas' blip in form has seen them drop to fifth place in the West despite having played the joint-most games in the conference (34) alongside the Memphis Grizzlies, the Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Going 1-3 over their recently concluded four-game road trip, Saturday's hosts will be keen to enjoy home comfort this weekend and avoid suffering four defeats on the bounce for the first time since mid-November.
© Imago
Just over 24 hours after making light work of the challenge of the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers were far too strong for the Los Angeles Lakers as they cruised to a 122-110 triumph at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.
Albeit by only a single-digit margin on each occasion, Kenny Atkinson's men emerged victorious in all four quarters of the contest to nip any attempt of a comeback in the bud in a largely one-sided affair.
Posting his 19th double-double this term, towering center Jarrett Allen racked up a season-high 27 points on 12-14 shooting from the field to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds in his 31 minutes of action.
Now five games clear of defending champions Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers are well on course to clinch the number-one seed for the first time since LeBron James's second stint back in 2016.
On that occasion, Saturday's visitors would go on to win the NBA championship, and their start to the current campaign has exponentially raised expectations regarding a second title in franchise history.
- W
- L
- W
- L
- L
- L
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
Team News
© Imago
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is currently out of contention with a strained calf and is not expected to be back available for selection for another four weeks at least.
Australia international Dante Exum is also unavailable for the home side here having not featured this season after undergoing wrist surgery in October.
Small forward Isaac Okoro remains ruled out due to a sprained acromioclavicular joint in his right shoulder but is drawing increasingly closer to a return to action.
Sam Merrill was unable to complete the visitors' last outing due to an ankle issue, and it remains to be seen if the 28-year-old will be fit enough to play any part.
Since signing a two-way contract with the Cavaliers last month, Luke Travers has missed all of his side's matches due to an ankle problem he picked up while on G-League duty.
Brooklyn Nets possible starting five:
Irving, Dinwiddie; Thompson, Washington; Lively
Cleveland Cavaliers possible starting five:
Garland, Mitchell; Wade, Mobley; Allen
We say: Cavaliers to win by 5+ points
Going up against arguably the best team in the NBA without the services of their talisman, the Dallas Mavericks have it all to do in this one.
While we can see the hosts putting up a decent fight, we fully expect the visitors to come out on top.
Adepoju Marvellous
