Mavs vs Thunder NBA Handicapping
Good news/bad news for the Mavericks, and to be honest there isn’t much good news.
Dirk Nowitzki is back from injury, a bit earlier than expected, and he seemed to be OK in playing 20 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Dallas Mavericks (12-16) at Oklahoma City Thunder (21-6)
Thursday, Dec. 27
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
8 p.m., EST
Line: OKC -10
Total: 207.5 at SportsBettingOnline.ag
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Eight points, six rebounds and no knee pain. Everyone in Big D is breathing a sigh of relief about that.
The Mavs desperately need as much as Nowitzki can give them. Yesterday.
Dallas is 12-16 and sinking like a stone. In the Western Conference only the Kings and Hornets are worse. The Mavs have lost 6 of their last 7, one of the defeats by 21 to the Raptors. It’s been ugly squared. Dallas is 28th in the league defensively, and 32nd in the Association in rebound margin.
And the Mavs are coming off their worst game of the season, a 38-point loss to the Spurs (could have been worse – Dallas was down by 46 at one point), and all that awaits them tonight are the Thunder. Who are 21-6. And no doubt in a foul mood after losing to the Heat on Christmas Day.
At least the Mavs have their two big guns – Nowitzki and O.J. Mayo – together for this one. Maybe. Mayo has been fighting flu-like symptoms and couldn’t even make it through practice on Wednesday.[ad-6571516]
Dallas’ leading scorer is averaging just 8.3 points a game over the last three, shooting just 9 of 33 from the floor as defenses start to clamp down in him.
OKC will definitely be trying to make amends for that loss to Miami, when the Thunder had a few defensive letdowns and couldn’t knock down open looks in the final minute, and that was that.
Kevin Durant and the boys have four of the next five at home before starting a taxing stretch in which 11 of 13 will be on the road – with every game west of Oklahoma. In a scheduling quirk, the trip includes two games against the Lakers in LA.
OKC takes on the Mavs having lost back-to-back games (Timberwolves, Heat) for the first time this season.
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he Mavs have serious issues at the point, and when Russell Westbrook smells blood in the water, he attacks. OKC almost always scores in triple digits at home, and against one of the weakest defensive teams in the league tonight should be no different.
Making things even tougher for Dallas is the return of OKC reserve Kevin Martin, who is back after missing time with a quadriceps injury.
Martin has had big scoring games against the Mavs. Hard to see Dallas staying in this one much beyond halftime unless Nowitzki completely goes off in just his second game back.
THUNDER 117, MAVERICKS 97.
