Mavs @ Thunder GDT 7:00 PM CST - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

DevinHarriswillstart · 02-04-2013, 08:57 AM

Glad to see Dirk will play!

Quote:

Kevin Durant said his back is fine after he appeared to injure it in the Oklahoma City Thunder's last game.

Dirk Nowitzki looks set to return after missing the last two contests for the Dallas Mavericks.

Durant has been simply brilliant in two overtime victories over the Mavericks this season, and both superstars should be eager to meet in Monday night's matchup in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City (35-12) fell 115-110 at Cleveland on Saturday. Durant appeared to injure his lower back in the third quarter while hustling back on defense and left briefly, saying afterward he was fine.

Nowitzki, meanwhile, has endured an injury-plagued season in missing 27 games at the start after knee surgery. He returned to practice Sunday after missing the last two contests with a right adductor strain.

The German superstar has shown his rust in averaging 13.5 points on 26.7 percent shooting in two losses to Oklahoma City this season.

That hasn't been the case at all for Durant, who has averaged 46.0 points in the two wins, including a career-best 52 the last time these teams met in a 117-114 victory at Dallas (20-27) on Jan. 18.

Durant presents a tough matchup for a Dallas team allowing opponents to average 26.1 free throws for the Western Conference's worst mark. Durant is 31 for 31 at the line against the Mavs this season.

Russell Westbrook is averaging 23.5 points and 8.0 assists in the two victories for the Thunder, who have won eight straight in this series including last year's first-round sweep in the playoffs.

The Mavs will also have to worry about Serge Ibaka, who is averaging 15.5 rebounds against them to help the Thunder to a edge of 17 boards over the two games.

New Dallas point guard Darren Collison, a former UCLA teammate of Westbrook, is averaging a team-high 23.5 points in the season series.

Collison says it has been a learning experience in his first season playing for coach Rick Carlisle.

"Just because he's being hard on us or easy on us in a difficult way you can't take it too seriously," Collison said. "He's trying to make us better and help us become the players we need to be in this league and it's been good for me. I think we've had steady improvement."

The season series has been proof of how these teams differing fortunes in the clutch. The Thunder are 4-1 in overtime while the Mavs are 1-8.

Dallas will seek to salvage a split of a four-game trip after winning 109-99 over Phoenix on Friday. The backcourt of Collison and O.J. Mayo combined for 39 points as the Mavs used a 35-point fourth quarter to pull away.

The Thunder are happy to start a three-game homestand after playing 12 of their last 15 on the road. They have a bitter taste of the contest that ended that stretch as they blew a double-digit lead against the Cavaliers.

"We were up 12," Durant said. "We can't just come in and play nonchalant basketball. (When) we are up 12, we have to put them away."

Oklahoma City has won 13 straight at home against West foes.

http://espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400278432

saclare · 02-04-2013, 12:30 PM

40 views, 0 replies...

Huge game. Get this W and roll into a nice stretch before the break. We've played OKC tough this year and need to finally get over the hump.

I'm going for a Dirk 30+ effort and look for Westbrick to have another bad game, but Durant's efforts to cover it up, again, fall short this time.

SMC0007 · 02-04-2013, 03:31 PM

we are gonna get toasted tonight. I hope we don't.

Dirkadirkastan · 02-04-2013, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMC0007

we are gonna get toasted tonight. I hope we don't.

Probably not for the first 48 minutes anyway.

grndmstr_c · 02-04-2013, 04:18 PM

Vince is ill and missed shootaround.

DavidDaMonkey · 02-04-2013, 05:35 PM

My Mavs spirits are low and I have a cold. A win tonight could be really neat. Get 'er done boys.

SMC0007 · 02-04-2013, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidDaMonkey

My Mavs spirits are low and I have a cold. A win tonight could be really neat. Get 'er done boys.

Get well man. Go Mavs.... Heal this gentle man!

fluid.forty.one · 02-04-2013, 07:04 PM

Good time to turn the season around. Hope Dirk goes off for 30.

samoan-maverickII · 02-04-2013, 07:10 PM

We win in overtime.

DevinHarriswillstart · 02-04-2013, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Vince is ill and missed shootaround.

Damn. He had 29 points against OKC last time around. Would be a significant loss...

EricaLubarsky · 02-04-2013, 07:37 PM

Keep the lead under 30.

Make em feel like they have a chance with Dallas.

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:11 PM

The way the Mavs have played them.... they will lose ib a heartbreaker.

j0Shi · 02-04-2013, 08:12 PM

Dirk starts with a block!

Collison and Sarge with a nice P&R!

Woohooo

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:13 PM

Mayo with the stupid turnover. That is the theme of the season.

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:14 PM

Dirk with a bailout three....

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:17 PM

Dirk.... you had a five footer to a layup.... shoot the damn ball.

Terry played better defense than Mayo does.

jasonic · 02-04-2013, 08:20 PM

Matrix on fire, lol!

j0Shi · 02-04-2013, 08:20 PM

Despite those terrible 3-attempts we look decent.

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:23 PM

OKC is such a ref protected team.

Popeye · 02-04-2013, 08:25 PM

Random thought... what's the Mavs opponents FT%? It seems like teams never miss free throws against us.

Finally a miss by Ibaka as I type this.

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:26 PM

If Crowder would learn to not shoot every three he sees... he will be fine.

Stupid reach by Collison.

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:27 PM

Poor Roddy.

j0Shi · 02-04-2013, 08:27 PM

Mike fucking James again.

jasonic · 02-04-2013, 08:28 PM

I can't stand Mike James.
#FreeRoddy

BPo001 · 02-04-2013, 08:28 PM

Why did we sign Mike James again? Put in Roddy already. He was playing pretty well.

TNT · 02-04-2013, 08:31 PM

James against Westbrook looks like .....

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:32 PM

Smgdmfh at ot playing Roddy. Mavs are going no where. So play the kid.

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:36 PM

With that lineup out there why would you not run the offense through Dirk?

rmacomic · 02-04-2013, 08:37 PM

This team's inability to go to Dirk will keep costing games. Mercenary ball is killing us. It might be time to unload some of these one year contracts.

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:39 PM

Someone post a gif of Jones ever passing it to Dirk.

TNT · 02-04-2013, 08:43 PM

After Mike James Checked in our offense is around 0.

What are you thinking Carlisle??

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:43 PM

Dirk finally gets a chance to shoot... and he scores.

Bayliss · 02-04-2013, 08:47 PM

I think the Washington Wizards of a couple years ago had a higher collective IQ than the Mavs have now.

That is the biggest thing they miss about Kidd.

sylvestian · 02-04-2013, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TNT

After Mike James Checked in our offense is around 0.

What are you thinking Carlisle??

Rodrigue is certainly injured.

ReDirkulous Tyme · 02-04-2013, 08:48 PM

rick carlisle's insistence on playing Mike James is utterly infuriating. I'm not saying that Roddy will solve all/any of our problems by any stretch, but watching James play every single game is absolutely infuriating. I've almost broken my TV about 5 times over the last few games solely due to Mike James' play.