Mavs vs. Cavs Preview: Can Dallas Pass 'Good Test' From Well-Rounded Cleveland?
After losing two consecutive games, the Dallas Mavericks rebounded by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday to tipoff their three-game homestand. Now, they'll look to string together multiple wins, as they face a tough Cleveland Cavaliers squad that currently sits third in the Eastern Conference.
Cavs guard Darius Garland has always had success when facing the Mavs, as he's averaged 18.8 points and seven assists on 57.9-percent shooting from deep in four career games against Dallas. The Mavs will have to find a way to keep Garland, and his new backcourt mate Donovan Mitchell, in check if they want to keep their positive momentum rolling.
Wednesday night will be the first time Luka Doncic and the Mavs have faced Donovan Mitchell since defeating him and the Utah Jazz in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs last season. In 24 games with Cleveland, Mitchell is averaging career-highs with 29 points per game on 49.6-percent shooting from the field, including 41.9-percent shooting from deep. He's well on his way to not only an Eastern Conference All-Star nod, but an All-NBA selection as well.
"That backcourt puts a lot of pressure on your defense, and they're long," said coach Jason Kidd of his team's matchup against Cleveland. "Their bigs are mobile. They protect the rim and rebound the ball well. It's a good test for us tomorrow."
With Josh Green set to miss his third consecutive game due to an elbow strain, it will be up to Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock and perhaps even Frank Ntilikina to keep things locked down on the perimeter for Dallas.
Doncic, who is coming off a 38-point performance on Monday, will try to replicate that performance against a team he's had success against in the past. In seven career games against the Cavs, Doncic is averaging 27.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists while shooting 51.1 percent from the field, including 45.3 percent from deep and 79.5 percent from the free-throw line. Doncic is 6-1 against the Cavs.
Here's everything else you need to know about Wednesday's game.
RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (14-13), Cleveland Cavaliers (17-11)
WHEN: Wednesday, December 14, 2022 – 8 p.m. CT
WHERE: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV: Bally Sports Southwest, NBA League Pass
RADIO: 97.1 The Freak, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
ODDS: The Mavs are 2-point favorites over the Thunder.
NEXT UP: The Mavs conclude their three-game homestand against Dame Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Dallas defeated Portland on Nov. 17 at AAC, 117-112, with Doncic putting up 42 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
FINAL WORD: "I think you've seen everything — from box-and-one, to zone, to the blitz, the Red, going underneath and saying 'we're going to live with you shooting 3s,'" said Kidd of the many defenses that have been thrown at Doncic. "For him to be able to read the situation makes him that much better."
With the Cavs having the second-best defensive rating in the NBA, Doncic will have yet another opportunity to put on an impressive offensive masterclass.
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