W2W4: Balanced Mavs try to keep building vs. Jazz
On to the next one.
As pleased as the Mavericks were with their upset of the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s not as if they were in a celebratory mood. By the time the Mavs got out of the showers, their minds were already in Utah, where their bodies would arrive a little after 2 a.m.
The Mavs proved in the opener that they are capable of beating a playoff-caliber opponent with their balanced, gritty approach. Can they do it again less than 24 hours later against the Jazz?
“It’s a game that we need to build on,” coach Rick Carlisle said after Tuesday’s win. “That’s the kind of balance that we’re going to have to have to be successful. When you’re without a game-changer like (Dirk) Nowitzki, you’re going to have to have balance. We’ve got to have a collective understanding of what style you need to play to score enough points and then get back on the other end scrambling.”
Records: Mavs (1-0); Jazz (0-0)
When: 8:00 p.m.
Where: Energy Solutions Arena
TV: FSSW
Radio: ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: The top two focus areas for the Mavs remain rebounding and limiting turnovers. The rebounding is especially important against the Jazz’s bulky front line, which features 6-foot-10, 289-pound Al Jefferson, 6-foot-8, 258-pound Paul Millsap and 6-foot-9, 237-pound Marvin Williams. The Mavs were respectable in the rebounding department against the Lakers, getting beat on the glass by six boards. They have another huge challenge against the Jazz, who ranked third in the NBA last season in rebounding differential.
Key matchup: Darren Collison vs. Mo Williams – Let’s go with the matchup featuring the Mavs’ lightning quick point guard for the second consecutive game. The Mavs need Collison to push the tempo and exploit a defensively-challenged point guard again. He did a terrific job in the opener against Steve Nash, scoring a team-high 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting while keeping his teammates involved.
Injuries: Mavs – PF Dirk Nowitzki (knee) and C Chris Kaman (calf) are out. Jazz – PG Earl Watson (knee) is out.
Up next: vs. Charlotte Bobcats, 7:30 p.m., Saturday
Tim MacMahon
ESPNDallas.com- Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
- Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
- Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM
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Tim MacMahon
Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
Marc Stein
Marc Stein began writing for ESPN.com in 2000 and signed on full-time in 2002 as Senior NBA Writer. He also makes regular appearances on "SportsCenter," "NBA Shootaround," "NBA Fastbreak," "NBA Coast To Coast," ESPNEWS, ESPN "First Take" and ESPN Radio.
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TEAM LEADERS
| POINTS | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Dirk Nowitzki
|
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| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| Rebounds | S. Marion | 7.8 | ||||||||||
| Assists | D. Collison | 5.1 | ||||||||||
| Steals | D. Collison | 1.2 | ||||||||||
| Blocks | E. Brand | 1.3 | ||||||||||
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