Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (22-10) at Sacramento Kings (14-18)
The calender marks a new day for the Dallas Mavericks, after 2009 came to a screeching end New Year's Eve night in Houston.
After winning back-to-back games, the Mavericks ended the '09 portion of their regular season with a heart-breaking 97-94 road loss to the division rival Rockets. Falling behind by double-digits early against Houston, a late comeback attempt from the Mavs ran out of gas during the stretch run on the last day of the year.
"We just couldn't come up with enough plays down the stretch. We had a couple of good looks…We had our chances down the stretch, but just didn't have enough to get over the hump," forward Dirk Nowitzki said of the loss.
Now the Mavericks begin the new year by heading to the sunny West Coast for a back-to-back with two Pacific Division challengers, leading the season series 1-0 against both teams. It is the conclusion of four consecutive road games.
Dallas is not looking ahead to Sunday's matchup with the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, knowing that they first have a formidable foe standing in their way in the Sacramento Kings. The Mavs squeaked out a 104-102 home win against the Kings on Nov. 20, needing a total team effort to hold off a furious charge in the final minute. Playing without center Erick Dampier (illness) and swingmen Josh Howard (surgically-repaired left ankle) and Shawn Marion (left ankle), the Mavericks' bench played a big role in Dallas getting the victory on that November night, as the Dallas reserves outscored their Sacramento counterparts 52-14 in bench scoring.
(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Mavericks also saw plenty of rookie sensation Tyreke Evans, as the former Memphis standout finished with a game-high 29 points, albeit in a loss. Evans and the Kings are certainly on the Mavericks' radar in the second meeting between the two teams.
"They have a great rookie point guard," sixth man Jason Terry said. "They're a scrappy bunch, and if you don't come out ready to play, it's going to be a grind-it-out game."
"All the games are hard, we know that," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "There are no breaks in the West. Even the teams with lesser records, they're all improving. They all play with a lot of energy and they're all very good on their home court."
The Kings will come in especially hunger after coming just short of a road victory in L.A. on New Year's Day, that was before Kobe Bryant's buzzer-beating three swished through the bottom of the net to give the Lakers a 109-108 win. Evans was out of the lineup in the loss to the Lakers, sidelined with a right ankle injury, but the combo guard says he will be ready to play with the Mavericks in town. Also well aware of what Bryant and the Lakers are capable of, the Mavericks know that they must claim momentum with a win over the Kings before entering the Staples Center for a second time.
"We want to build momentum. That's the idea. And we want to make sure we don't have letdowns," Carlisle said.
The Mavericks open up the new year by traveling to Sacramento to battled the Kings on Saturday night, with the game airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 9:00 p.m. CT.
Sunday night the Mavericks head into Los Angeles to play the Lakers for the second time this season, as that matchup will air on KTXA and KTXA HD at 8:30 p.m. CT. Dallas defeated the defending champion Lakers 94-80 at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 in the only meeting between the two teams.
Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Jan. 5 to host the Detroit Pistons. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.
The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.
Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment