Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (26-13) at Toronto Raptors (20-20)
A five-game East Coast road trip could not come at a more inopportune time for the Dallas Mavericks.
After dropping the first two matchups of a three-game home stand, the Mavericks broke through with a 99-98 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Though the victory was by the narrowest of margins, getting a win and much-needed momentum was a necessity.
"It wasn't pretty, but definitely before you go on a big road trip you never want to leave with a loss," forward Dirk Nowitzki, who scored a game-high 32 points, said of the one-point win. "We found a way as a veteran team to grind it out and get a win."
Now the Mavs hit the road, amid the frigid eastern winter season, leaving the refuge of the American Airlines Center and the Dallas forecast.
"We've got some tough games on this trip. We've got to be ready...It's going to be cold, too. It's been cold here but it's going to be really cold on that East Coast. Get your coat and button up," forward Shawn Marion said.
(Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
The expedition away from home begins north of the border against the Toronto Raptors. Toronto just may be the perfect opponent for the Mavericks to match up against, after scoring one point shy of a season-high number of points in a 129-101 blowout home win against the Raptors in a Nov. 7 meeting.
That game, the season debut for swingman Josh Howard, was also the first time the Dallas squad showed how explosive they can be. The Mavericks shot a stellar 62 percent from the field en route to capturing the win.
"That's the first game I think everyone was clicking on the same cylinder. It looked good and felt good," Marion said.
But despite their .500 record, the Raptors sport a 12-6 mark at home and have won seven of their last 10 games.
The Mavs also found out how versatile the Raptors are, headlined by the frontcourt of Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. The duo combined for 48 points in the loss. According to Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, containing the two big men is no easy task for any team.
"They both shoot the ball really well. They both put the ball on the floor. It's an awareness thing. If you're a big guarding those guys you have to be ready to close out away from the basket and then be ready to move your feet when they put it on the floor. It's tough. It's one of the toughest matchups in the league, because they both shoot the ball so well. They both drive the ball so well," the coach said.
(Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Mavericks may have found their recipe for success, finding Nowitzki and sixth man Jason Terry continuously down the stretch against the Thunder. The newest member of the 20,000-point club and reigning Sixth Man of the Year combined to score 16 of the final 18 for Dallas in the win. Nowitzki finished with a game-high 32 points while Terry added 21 in his reserve role.
"That's Maverick basketball," Terry said. "Myself and Dirk, we take a huge responsibility at the end of the game. But it's all about effort, desire and the will to win."
Sunday, the Mavericks will enter Toronto with the will to win and a Western Conference-best 13-6 road record. The Mavericks-Raptors game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 11:30 a.m. CT.
Dallas returns home to host the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 26. 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.
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