GDT: Mavericks @ Cleveland 6:00 pm CST

[MavsFTR]

The injuries are piling up for both Dallas and Cleveland, but the absences of three key players can’t make the results any worse for the Cavaliers.

The short-handed Mavericks, meanwhile, have stumbled to a season-worst three-game losing streak they’ll hope to halt Sunday night in Cleveland - perhaps without Dirk Nowitzki(notes), Shawn Marion(notes) and Caron Butler(notes).

Dallas (24-8) hasn’t won any of its three games without Nowitzki, who suffered a sprained right knee during Monday’s 103-93 win at Oklahoma City.

The task got even tougher Saturday at Milwaukee, with Marion out due to a thigh bruise and Butler missing the final three quarters of a 99-87 defeat with a knee injury. The trio averages 49.9 points and 17.5 rebounds.

“We’re short on bodies now, having some injury problems,” Nowitzki said. “But we’ve got to fight through it. Hopefully I can get back soon and Marion can get back soon, and we’ll see how bad Caron is and we’ll just go from there.”

While it’s uncertain if Nowitzki or Marion will suit up Sunday as the Mavericks try to avoid their first four-game slide since Jan. 9-14, 2009, Butler is almost certainly out with an injury coach Rick Carlisle called “potentially serious.”

“We’ll find out (Sunday) where things are at, probably later in the day,” Carlisle said.

Guard Jose Juan Barea(notes) helped compensate with a career-high 29 points off the bench Saturday, but Dallas’ depleted frontcourt struggled. With power forward Brian Cardinal(notes) making his second start and playing a season-high 34 minutes, the Mavericks were outrebounded 51-31 and outscored in the paint 50-24.

That may not be as big of a problem against the crumbling Cavaliers, who were without two of their top three scorers and leading rebounder Saturday for a 100-91 loss at Chicago.

Anderson Varejao(notes) (9.8 rebounds per game) is recovering from a broken cheekbone and will miss Sunday’s game, while guards Mo Williams(notes) and Daniel Gibson(notes) - who combine to average 29.0 points - are day-to-day.

With little-used Leon Powe(notes) and Manny Harris(notes) in the starting lineup, Cleveland still managed an eight-point halftime lead against the Bulls with what coach Byron Scott called “a great effort by a team that is obviously depleted with injuries.”

But the Cavaliers (8-25) were outscored 32-9 in the third quarter en route to their 16th defeat in 17 games. They’ve sunk to the bottom of the Eastern Conference while dropping six in a row, but three of the last four losses have come by single digits.

“It’s not like we’ve been playing horribly of late,” forward Antawn Jamison(notes) said. “There have been a couple of stretches that dictate the outcome of the game. (Saturday), the third quarter was the difference.”

Jamison, averaging 19.9 points in his last seven games, has not faced Butler and Mavericks center Brendan Haywood(notes) since Washington traded the three former teammates away last season.

The Cavaliers have been successful against Dallas in recent years, winning four straight before a 102-95 road loss in the last meeting Dec. 20, 2009, but LeBron James(notes) made major contributions in all of those victories.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, overcame Nowitzki’s absence due to an elbow injury in last December’s win.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2011010205

[Kante]

Anybody else less excited to watch this game with all the players out due to injuries?

Varejao is also out for the Cavs, but still...

[12 Tone Melodies]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Jan. 2, 2011
Dallas @ Cleveland--Ron Garretson; Olandis Poole; Sean Wright

[Kante]

So we start with: Kidd, Jones, Stevenson, Cardinal, Chandler?

Off the bench then: Barea, Terry, Haywood, Novak, Mahinmi, Ajinca.

Hmm, ouch!

Give Jones as much as PT as possible! And try to reduce the minutes of Kidd, he logged in 38, 32, 38 the last 3 games...

[rabbitproof]

I wonder if we will actually see a Barea/Jones/Novak/Cardinal/Ajinca lineup... in the first half.

[41mvp]

Go Mavs!!!
I believe!!!

[fluid.forty.one]

We sorta need a win...

[FINtastic]

Originally Posted by rabbitproof

I wonder if we will actually see a Barea/Jones/Novak/Cardinal/Ajinca lineup... in the first half.

Will that lineup ever grab a rebound?

[mavs777]

any chance dirk surprises us and plays?

[Bayliss]

I doubt that Dirk plays, Mavs777.

Tonight (IMO) is a game where Jones should play 30+ minutes. Besides He who shall not be named, he is the only guy on the roster (that is healthy) that can get to the rim.

[ComeOnNow]

Is Marion out for tonight as well? If so we are gonna have a helluva time trying to score the rock.

Kidd / Barea
Jones / Terry
Stevenson / Novak
Cardinal / Ajinca / Mahinmi
Tyson / Haywood / Mahinmi

[mavs777]

Originally Posted by Bayliss

I doubt that Dirk plays, Mavs777.

Tonight (IMO) is a game where Jones should play 30+ minutes. Besides He who shall not be named, he is the only guy on the roster (that is healthy) that can get to the rim.

Im sure they will give Jones a chance, luckily Cleveland has 3 small PG's they will play so we will see some Kidd and Jones on the block I would guess. The question is whether he will be able to finish

[rabbitproof]

Time for a "welcome to Dominique Jones, NBA" game!

[fluid.forty.one]

I'm officially depressed.

edit: the good news.. we're still ahead of the Lakers.

[deamon]

Time to show what you can give us DoJo.

[MavsFTR]

Marion is a go for tonight.

[Bayliss]

Well, that's good news.

[sefant77]

But good chances he isnt at 100%...

[mavs777]

Get Hickson in foul trouble

[j0Shi]

This is your chance DoJo!

[rabbitproof]

Time to hustle and survive...

[vinylstar]

The Mavs have enough talent to beat the Cavs and many other teams without Dirk and Caron. I hope they start pulling out these games because it would be good indication of the mental toughness the non-Dirks will need to succeed in playoffs. The results haven't been favorable on that front so far.

MFFL

[BGMaverick9]

Kidd, Jet, Marion, Cardinal and Chandler...

late lineup change.

[Kante]

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

Kidd, Barea, Stevenson, Cardinal and Chandler are the starters

Yikes, Barea had one good game and now RC believes even more in him...

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by Kante

Yikes, Barea had one good game and now RC believes even more in him...

look at my edit..

[Rick41]

JET better f'ing show up.

I'm tired of his crap.

[fluid.forty.one]

any links?

[dalger]

Fourth time's the charm. Go Mavs!

Your menu for the evening:

http://atdhe.net/31776/watch-dallas-...land-cavaliers
http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-nba-4.html
http://www.firstrow.net/watch/43691/...mavericks.html
http://www.firstrow.net/watch/43691/...mavericks.html
http://www.firstrow.net/watch/43691/...mavericks.html
http://sportsrojadirecta8.blogspot.com/
http://tinyurl.com/kalintvv3
http://horaciotv8.blogspot.com/2010/11/4.html
http://zorrohd2.blogspot.com/

[LetsGoMavs]

Originally Posted by Rick41

JET better f'ing show up.

I'm tired of his crap.

this.

And if he decides to stink it up again, he should at least stop his showboating/ "woohoo, i just hit a late, irrelevant three pointer" bs.

[Kante]

Kidd, Terry, Stevenson, Marion, Chandler it is...

[LetsGoMavs]

Originally Posted by dalger

Fourth time's the charm. Go Mavs!

...

Thanks man

[Kante]

So Terry is the best jumpshooter in the league according to the announcers? Hell, he is not even the best on the Mavs...

[j0Shi]

Chandler inside on a non-ally-oop! More of that please!

[Rick41]

Great start to the game.

[LetsGoMavs]

Tyson is beasting early on (including an easy looking elbow jumper)

[NoTnERb]

first game I'll be able to watch the mavs play without dirk, curse my work hours! hopefully we win this one

[iella]

Carlisle looked really tired when they showed him at the beginning... tired and scruffy.

[LetsGoMavs]

b000m Tyson OOP!

[NoTnERb]

take that with you!!!!!!!

[LetsGoMavs]

Great pass by Jet