Mavericks vs. Suns: Game 21 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (15-5) vs. Phoenix Suns (11-8)
Fri. Dec. 5, 7:30 at the AAC
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavs by 5.5

2013-14 Matchups
Dec. 21 at Phoenix
Suns 123 Mavs 108
Jan. 17 at Phoenix
Mavs 110 Suns 107
Apr. 12 at Dallas
Mavs 101 Suns 98

All-Time Series
Suns 74 Mavs 66

Team Stats
Mavs
Off. Rating: 113.4 (1st)
Def. Rating: 103.3 (13th)
Point Differential: +8.4
Suns
Offense: 105.0 (13th)
Defense: 102.4 (11th)
Point Differential: +2.0

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler
Suns
PG: Eric Bledsoe
SG: Goran Dragic
SF: P.J. Tucker
PF: Markieff Morris
C: Miles Plumlee

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 20.7
RPG: Chandler, 11.9
APG: Ellis, 4.8
PER: Wright, 26.7
Win Shares: Chandler, 3.1
Suns
PPG: Dragic, Thomas, 15.5
RPG: Mark. Morris, 6.4
APG: Bledsoe, 5.8
PER: Thomas, 22.8
Win Shares:Thomas, Mark. Morris, Bledsoe, 1.6

Of Note

• The last time these two teams met, the Mavs clinched a playoff berth in game #81 thanks to 37 points from Monta Ellis.
• The Mavs have won 11 out of their last 12 home games against the Suns.
• Dirk is expected back after sitting out Wednesday's game to rest his injured back.
• Isaiah Thomas who has missed the Suns' last four games with an injured ankle is listed as questionable.
• In the past four games Monta is averaging 18.5 points per game.... in the second half.

Mavericks 107 Bucks 105: Game 20 Recap

The Lead
Coming off a double-overtime game and without Dirk, Mavs find a way to win with too much Monta at the buzzer.

Box Score 

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Ellis, 23
Rebounds: Chandler, 20
Assists: Ellis, 7
+-: Parsons, +13
Bucks
Points: Knight, 25
Rebounds: Pachulia, 9
Assists: Antetokounmpo, Mayo, Knight, 5
+-: Pachulia, +9

Game Balls
Monta Ellis
23 points, 7 assists, 3 steals
Tyson Chandler
18 points, 20 rebounds, 8-11 FG

X-Factor
Al-Farouq Aminu
13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks

Goat Horns
Larry Sanders
6 points, 3 rebounds, 5 fouls, -11

Play of the Game
With the game tied and the clock running down, Monta Ellis hits an insanely tough turnaround fadeaway jumper to give the Mavs a win and a perfect road trip.

Stat of the Game
The Mavs outrebound the Bucks 46-39 thanks to Tyson Chandler who had 20 rebounds, 10 of them on the offensive glass.

Of Note

• Dirk did not play after playing 42 minutes last night in Chicago. Even though he injured his back in the game, he rested only as a precaution.
• In Dirk's absence Al-Farouq Aminu and Richard Jefferson combined for 23 points.
• After allowing 64 first half points, the Mavs went zone in the third quarter and held Milwaukee to only 14 points in the period.
• Dallas was a perfect 4-0 on their season high four game road trip, all against the East.
• After trailing 98-90 with 4:23 to go, the Mavericks went on a 12-1 run to take the lead.

Grades
Parsons: B
Aminu: A-
Chandler: A+
Ellis: A
Nelson: A-
Jefferson: B+
Wright: B
Harris: C
Barea: C+
Crowder: B-

Quote of Note
"This is an incredible road trip. It was going to be good if we went back 3-1. But it turns into a great one going back 4-0.”
Tyson Chandler

They Tweeted It
 

Toooooo much MONTA!!!!
— Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) December 4, 2014

Next Up
The Mavericks return home to face the up and coming Phoenix Suns (11-8), Friday at 7:30.
 

Mavericks at Bucks: Game 20 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (14-5) at Milwaukee Bucks (10-9)
Wed. Dec. 3, 7:30 at the Bradley Center
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Mavs by 4.5

2013-14 Matchups
Nov. 9 at Milwaukee
Mavs 91 Bucks 83
Dec. 14 at Dallas
Mavs 106 Bucks 93

All-Time Series
Bucks 37 Mavs 28

Team Stats
Mavs
Off. Rating: 115.7 (1st)
Def. Rating: 106.6 (16th)
Point Differential: +8.7
Bucks
Offense: 102.7 (24th)
Defense: 104.1 (8th)
Point Differential: -1.3

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler
Bucks
PG: Brandon Knight
SG: O.J. Mayo
SF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
PF: Jabari Parker
C: Larry Sanders

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 20.6
RPG: Chandler, 11.4
APG: Ellis, Harris, 4.6
PER: Wright, 26.9
Win Shares: Chandler, 3.0
Bucks
PPG: Knight, 17.5
RPG: Sanders, 6.5
APG: Knight, 6.0
PER: Knight, 19.2
Win Shares: Knight, 1.8

Of Note

• The Mavs are 5-0 on the road against the East and have beaten all three division leaders.
• The Bucks led by new coach Jason Kidd, have been the biggest surprise in the league so far. Last year they were a team that was a league worst 15-67 and  now are above .500 at 10-9.
• The game features two shooting guards who were essentially traded for each other even though they were free agents. Let's just say the Mavs have gotten the better end of the Monta Ellis-O.J. Mayo swap.
• It's been pretty simple for the Mavs so far. They are 14-0 when scoring at least 105 points and 0-5 when they don't.
• The biggest reason for the Bucks turnaround has been a defense that has gone from worst in the league last season to 8th so far this year.

Mavericks 132 Bulls 129 (20T): Game 19 Recap

The Lead
In the best game of the year, Monta has it all and the Mavs finally pull it out after 58 exhilarating and exhausting minutes.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Ellis, 38
Rebounds: Chandler, 14
Assists: Nowitzki, 10
+-: Nowitzki, +18
Bulls
Points: Gasol, 29
Rebounds: Gasol, Noah, 14
Assists: Rose, 10
+-: Dunleavy,+7

Game Ball
Monta Ellis
38 points, 16-35 FG, 5-5 FT

X-Factor
Devin Harris
20 points, 8 assists, 6-6 3PT

Goat Horns
Kirk Hinrich
Fouled Ellis on a three with 1.2 seconds to left that sent the game to OT after Monta made all 3 free throws. 

Play of the Game
With 40 seconds left in double OT and the shot clock running down, Monta hits a three from well behind the line to put the Mavs up for good 130-129.

Stat of the Game
For the first time since 2011 the Mavs had four 20 point scorers in a game: Monta 38, Parsons 24, Dirk 22 and Harris 20.

Of Note

• Monta's 38 points were his Mavericks high as were his 35 shot attempts.
• Dirk's 10 assists gave him his third career double-digit assist game and the first that did not result in a triple-double.
• Both teams relied on a little bit of luck to extend the game. First there was the Hinrich foul that helped send the game to OT, then Derrick Rose banked in a one-handed runner three to send the game into a second overtime.
• The Mavs have now gone 20 games in a row with fewer turnovers than their opponents. The 02-03 Mavs had a streak of 33 games.
• After struggling from long distance recently the Mavs went 15-30 on threes led by Devin Harris' career-tying 6 makes without a miss.

Grades
Nowitzki: A-
Parsons: A
Chandler: A-
Ellis: A
Nelson: C
Wright: B
Harris: A+
Aminu: C+
Barea: A
Jefferson: B+

Quotes of Note
"In my 17 years, it was one of the dumber fouls I've ever seen."
Dirk on Hinrich's foul.

"S---, they gave Allen Iverson an MVP for being half as efficient as Monta is."
Mark Cuban

They Tweeted It

Monta definitely one of the most underrated players in the league...
— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) December 3, 2014

Next Up
The Mavericks (14-5) look for a perfect 4-0 road trip against Jason Kidd and the much- improved Bucks (10-9), tomorrow at 7:00.

Mavericks at Bulls: Game 19 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (13-5) at Chicago Bulls (11-6)
Tues. Dec. 2, 7:00 at the United Center
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Bulls by 2

2013-14 Matchups
Dec. 28 at Chicago
Mavs 105 Bulls 83
Feb. 28 at Dallas
Bulls 100 Mavs 91

All-Time Series
Mavs 33 Bulls 33

Team Stats
Mavs
Off. Rating: 115.8 (1st)
Def. Rating: 106.2 (14th)
Point Differential: +9.0
Bulls
Offense: 107.4 (13th)
Defense: 104.4 (11th)
Point Differential: +2.8

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler
Bulls
PG: Derrick Rose
SG: Jimmy Butler
SF: Mike Dunleavy Jr.
PF: Pau Gasol
C:Joakim Noah

Team Leaders
Mavs
PPG: Ellis, 19.6
RPG: Chandler, 11.3
APG: Ellis, 4.8
PER: Wright, 27.6
Win Shares: Chandler, 2.9
Bulls
PPG: Butler, 21.9
RPG: Gasol, 11.0
APG: Rose, 4.6
PER: Butler, 22.4
Win Shares: Butler, 2.8

Of Note

• Jameer Nelson is probable for the Mavs after missing the last three games with back spasms.
• For the Bulls, Taj Gibson is out with a sprained left ankle.
• Tyson Chandler earned honorable mention for Western Conference Player of the Week. He averaged 13.8 points and 14.3 rebounds in the Mavs four games last week.
• Derrick Rose last played against the Mavs on April 21, 2012, missing the teams last four matchups. In 6 career games against Dallas he has averaged 21.8 points and 7.7 assists.
• J.J. Barea has recorded an assist to turnover ratio of least 2 to 1 in every game this season. For the season he is averaging 4.4 assists compared to only 0.8 turnovers.

Power Ranking the Mavs

A look at where the Mavs stack up in leading sports websites NBA power rankings after the this past week.

ESPN.com:  4.
"One of the most surprising developments of the season's opening month: Dallas leads the league in dunks with 110. Even harder to process: Milwaukee is next in line with a mere 91. The far more important stat is that Rick Carlisle is manufacturing more rest for Dirk than he's ever gotten."

ESPN.com Hollinger Power Rankings: 5.

NBA.com: 5.
"Though they lost to the Pacers and almost lost to the Knicks, the Mavs' week was a positive, because they got their best victory of the season, winning in Toronto on Friday. Facing his old team put a spark in Tyson Chandler, who averaged 16 points and 16 boards in his team's three wins. His rebounding percentage (21.7 percent) is a career high."

Yahoo Sports: 5.
"The Mavericks have won three straight games and nine of 11, and average an NBA-best 109.1 points per game."

CBS Sports: 6.
"Lose to the Pacers, go to OT with the Knicks, beat the Raptors and survive vs. the Sixers without Dirk. There's no denying the Mavs (13-5) are good. But they're not consistently hitting on all cylinders. They're not a restaurant where the food is good every time, but when it is good, the grub is so good it keeps you coming back."

SI.com: 4.
"How deep are the Mavs? Monta Ellis is leading the team in scoring (19.6 ppg), but Dallas is actually scoring more points per 100 possessions when he's off the floor (119.3) than when he's on it (114.5), per basketball-reference."

SB Nation: 5.
"The Mavericks fell to the Pacers for their first two-game losing streak of the season, but responded by rattling off three wins to close out the week while getting a chance to rest Dirk Nowitzki against the 76ers. Dallas still isn't firing on all cylinders yet, but is still eight games over .500."

Mavericks 110 76ers 103: Game 18 Recap

The Lead
The Mavericks with Dirk resting avoid embarrassment as they send Philly to their 16th straight loss to begin the season.

Box Score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Chandler, 20
Rebounds: Chandler, 13
Assists: Parsons, 6
+-: Chandler, +29
76ers
Points: McDaniels, 21
Rebounds: McDaniels, 13
Assists: Carter-Williams, 16
+-: Grant, Covington, +4

Game Ball
Tyson Chandler
20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 7-9 FG, 6-7 FT

X-Factor
Charlie Villanueva
11 points, 4-7 FG, 3-4 3PT

Goat Horns
Brandon Davies
1 point, 0-3 FG, 5 fouls

Play of the Game
Midway through the second quarter, Chandler Parsons drives to the cup and then throws a no-look behind-the-back pass to a cutting Brandan Wright for the jam.

Stat of the Game
The Mavs were the first team since 2001 to win a rematch against an opponent after defeating them by 50+ points earlier. Six teams had tried and failed since, including the Mavs against the Knicks in 2010.

• Dirk got the night off on the second night of a back-to-back for rest while Jameer Nelson (back spasms) and Raymond Felton (ankle) agains sat out with injuries.
• The Sixers were without their leading scorer Tony Wroten who has a sprained right knee.
• Tyson Chandler has averaged 16 points and 16 rebounds in the last three games, all Dallas wins.
• Monta Ellis again was a second half player, scoring 16 of his 18 points after halftime.
• Philly at 0-16 is three games away from surpassing the 2009-10 Nets (0-18), for the worst start in NBA history.

Grades
Parsons: B+
Aminu: B-
Chandler: A+
Ellis: B+
Harris: A-
Wright: B
Jefferson: B+
Barea: B-
Villanueva: A
Crowder: C+

Quote of Note
"I just always want to make plays, especially down the stretch when my team needed me to. When (the 76ers) made a run there. I've seen them do it against Brooklyn, they kind of stick around. We just tried to get some stops and make plays and fortunately we were able to do that." 
Tyson Chandler

They Tweeted It

The West is just tough as nails pic.twitter.com/gxEKwl0e8G
— Bryan Gutierrez (@BallinWithBryan) November 30, 2014

Next Up
After two days off, the Mavericks (13-5) continue their road trip Tuesday in Chicago against the Bulls (10-6) at 7:00.