ESPN

J.J. Barea played a massive role as a young point guard in bringing the Dallas Mavericks their first championship in 31 years. As one of the senior-most veterans on a spiraling Minnesota Timberwolves team, Barea on Sunday night had all he could handle of losing.

After a 93-88 home loss to the rookie-laden Golden State Warriors, the Wolves' 12th loss in 13 games in this once promising season, the 5-foot-10 Barea, who played his tail off for the full 48 minutes, went off.

"We've got problems here," Barea told reporters. "We just got a lot of guys that don't care. When a basketball team got a bunch of players that don't care, it's tough to win games. It's going to happen until we get players in that care: care about winning, care about the team, care about the fans."

Barea, the only healthy point guard left on the team that was also without Kevin Love (concussion), had 14 points and 12 assists. He didn't shoot great, just 5-of-18 from the floor and 2-of-9 from 3-point range, but effort is never an issue with the hard-driving Barea, now in his sixth NBA season. According to reports, Barea's tongue-lashing went down in front of his locker and within earshot of teammates.

"They just come in here after the game like nothing happened," Barea said. "That's what happens to a losing team. ... There's a bunch of us, too, that care and play hard. "But there's a bunch that don't care, and we just got to change that. I've been noticing it. But today you can really notice it. It was a brutal second half. Nobody fighting, nobody getting mad at nobody. After a game like that you got to have problems. You got to argue with your teammates. But nobody cares so we've got to change that."

The Wolves have one game left and it will help decide Barea's former team's first-round playoff opponent. Minnesota plays host to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night as the Mavs will be wrapping up their season at the Atlanta Hawks. The Mavs and Nuggets are battling for the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds.

The results of those two games will decide the playoff pairings.

Lamar Odom's awful season will eventually be forgiven around here, especially if the Mavericks can put together a spirited title defense in a couple of weeks.

But it's likely it won't be forgotten for some time. That's how pitiful his four months in Big D turned out to be.

Odom was banished from the Mavs after last Saturday's game at Memphis, departing after averaging a career-low 6.6 points in 50 games this season. With the Lakers last season, the Sixth Man of the Year averaged 14.4 points in 82 games. The 7.8 points per game difference, according to ESPN Stats & Info is tied for the third-largest dropoff from last season to this season.

Stephen Jackson, now finding new life with the San Antonio Spurs, is the winner of the biggest scoring average dropoff at 8.4 points per game. Washington Wizards forward Andray Blatche is next, down 8.3. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley is tied with Odom at 7.8.

Part of Odom's offensive dip, ESPN Stats & Info discovered, has been a result of fewer attempts inside 10 feet of the basket. Odom took nearly 60 percent of his shots from inside 10 feet last season, but took just under 44 percent of his shots from such distances this season.

The most notable stat is that Odom had just five dunks this season compared to 45 last season.

How it happened: Dirk Nowitzki's efficient dominance and Jason Kidd’s steady hand -- two ingredients so key to the Mavs' championship run that had been missing much of this season -- were too much for the talented young Timberwolves to overcome.

Nowitzki kept his recent groove going with 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting. The 11-time All-Star has averaged 28 points on 61.4 percent shooting in the past four games.

Kidd made a triumphant return after missing six games due to a strained right calf with an eight-point, 10-assist, five-rebound, two-steal performance. It wasn’t perfect, as evidenced by Kidd’s eight turnovers, but he played a critical role in putting the game away.

The Timberwolves, who got a 32-point, 12-rebound performance from All-Star power forward Kevin Love, closed the third quarter with a 17-5 run while Kidd rested. Minnesota had trimmed the Mavs’ lead from 17 to three when Kidd got off the bench early in the fourth quarter.

On the next possession, Kidd made his first field goal of the game, knocking down a 3-pointer. That sparked an 11-2 run for the Mavs, crushing Minnesota’s comeback hopes.

What it means: The Mavs avoided being swept by the Timberwolves, a team that had lost 18 of 19 to Dallas entering the season, and pulled even with the Rockets for fourth place in the Western Conference at 16-11. The Mavs bounced back from a three-game losing streak by winning both games on this road trip.

Play of the game: Nowitzki pump-faked at the top of the 3-point arc, put the ball on the floor past a leaping Love and pulled up after a dribble, deciding at the last split-second to throw an alley-oop to Brandan Wright. The result was an uncontested two-hand finish for Wright, who flashed down the baseline and soared high above the rim.

Stat of the night: Nowitzki knocked down a season-high four of seven 3-point attempts. He had been 12-of-57 behind the arc this season.

After stringing together a few wins after the Dallas Mavericks stumbled to a 1-4 start following an embarrassing 15-love skunking to end their New Year's Day loss at Minnesota, Jason Terry had this to say:

"The loss to Minnesota was our wake-up call. Any time you lose to that ballclub it's not a good thing, not when you're a championship team."

And who could really blame him? That Minnesota win halted a nine-game losing streak to the Mavs, who had won 18 of the previous 19 meetings.

And then three weeks later those Wolves did it again, only in Dallas, thumping the Mavs by 15 points to spoil their championship ring celebration. A three-game win streak followed for the Mavs, but there were no proclamations about how losing to a perennial doormat served as another wake-up call.

Well, here we go again with a third and final meeting of the regular season between these two clubs, and Dallas is fully aware that these Wolves are young and hungry and pretty darn good. In fact, this one in Minnesota -- 13-10 since an 0-3 start -- is a pretty important one for both squads.

Dallas just snapped a three-game skid at Denver and must play Portland on Saturday and the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday and Denver again on Wednesday. Minnesota is at .500 for a second time and would close to within one game of Dallas in the standings as it fights to remain a legitimate playoff contender heading to the halfway point of the season.

It should be fun.

Records: Mavs (15-11); Timberwolves (13-13)

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Target Center

TV: FSSW

Radio: ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: J.J. Barea wasn't healthy with a bum hamstring the first time the Mavs played up north on New Year's Day, but he have it a go and scored eight points in 17 minutes. The hamstring (and ankle issues) kept Barea out of the Jan. 25 game at Dallas when he picked up his championship ring and then took a seat on the bench in a suit. Now, the diminutive guard is raring to go against his old mates in an important game for both teams. He's been back for five games and is coming off his best game of the season Wednesday night at Memphis with 17 points -- 6-of-8 from the free throw line -- and six assists in 23 minutes. Barea will be looking to remind his former team how to break down a defense.

Key matchup: Nikola Pekovic vs. Brendan Haywood/Ian Mahinmi/Brandan Wright
Surprised? Yeah, well Pekovic has been just that of late. Consider that in the first matchup on Jan. 1, he didn't get off the bench. In the second meeting, he had 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line, plus six rebounds. In his last five games, the 6-foot-11, 290-pounder from Montenegro has scored in double figures in each, has two 20-plus scoring games and three double-doubles while averaging 16.8 points and 10.2 rebounds. In a nutshell, the three-headed monster Rick Carlisle talked about at the center position has to enforce the middle and can't let Pekovic join the double-double lineup with All-Star Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

Injuries: Mavs -- G Jason Kidd (right calf strain) is questionable. Timberwolves -- C Darko Milicic (sprained right ankle) is questionable.

Up next: Portland Trail Blazers at Mavs, 7:30 p.m., Saturday

DALLAS -- Wanna find a bright spot after the Mavs got their butts kicked at home by a team with a losing record? Look no further than Brandan Wright.

Wright, the lottery pick-turned-Mavs reclamation project, had his second consecutive impressive performance in limited playing time.

The long-limbed, high-leaping Wright was a major reason the Mavs built a 14-point lead in the first half. He finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting -- included an underhanded alley-oop from Jason Terry that will get a lot of SportsCenter run -- with two rebounds and two blocked shots in 12:37. That comes on the heels of a five-point, three-rebound performance in 8:35 in Monday’s win over the Suns.

“He’s playing well in certain situations with certain groups of players,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve got to keep looking at him. He brings energy, he’s a different kind of athlete and he’s doing positive things.”

A few other notes from a 15-point loss that Shawn Marion called “[expletive] embarrassing”:

1. Celebration stinkers: The banner-raising ceremony was followed by the Miami Heat running the Mavs out of the American Airlines Center in the season opener. The ring ceremony, which featured brief, touching tributes to each player from Carlisle, was spoiled by the Timberwolves. “I think we’re all happy that we don’t have any more ceremonies for our championship,” Jason Kidd quipped.

2. Lopsided at the line: Timberwolves star Kevin Love attempted as many free throws (10) as the Mavericks. Minnesota enjoyed a 33-10 advantage on free throws attempted. Carlisle wondered aloud if Lamar Odom might have been fouled on some of his drives to the basket, but the coach certainly didn’t blame the officiating for the disparity. “The bottom line: Minnesota was more aggressive,” Carlisle said. “The more aggressive team is going to win most NBA games.”

3. Yi yo-yo: Forward/center Yi Jianlian, another lottery pick-turned-Mavs reclamation project, showed flashes of his intriguing potential by scoring six points on 3-of-5 shooting in six minutes before halftime. The second half offered a hint about why the 7-footer is playing for his fourth team in five NBA season. He missed five of six shots in the second half, all but one of which were midrange jumpers.

How it happened: Power forward matchups don’t get much more lopsided.

Minnesota’s Kevin Love, fresh off signing a four-year, $62 million contract extension, was awesome. Dallas’ Lamar Odom, who seems to just be waiting until the Mavs buy out the last season of his contract, was awful.

Love lit up the Mavs for 31 points and 10 rebounds. He made 9-of-16 shots from the floor, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, none bigger than one that capped an 8-0 run in the final minute of the first half.

Odom, making his third consecutive start in place of Dirk Nowitzki, was benched midway through the third quarter. He managed to jack up 14 shots in 16 minutes, making only two.

Dallas led by as many as 14 points in the first half despite Odom. But the Wolves seized momentum with the spurt at the end of the half, which was highlighted by a spectacular drive-and-kick by rookie phenom Ricky Rubio (17 points, 12 assists) to Love. The run continued in the third quarter, when the Wolves claimed the lead by coming out of the break with a 13-4 spurt.

Minnesota pulled away in the fourth quarter, spoiling a night that will be remembered for an emotional championship ring ceremony.

What it means: It isn’t alarming that the Mavs lost a game without Dirk Nowitzki to an upstart Minnesota squad. But Odom’s miserable performance is a major issue. The Mavs need him to be an impact player and he’s given no indications that it’s likely to happen.

Play of the game: What looked like a botched fast break turned into a thing of beauty. The Mavs had trouble getting a grip on the ball until Jason Terry scooped it off the floor just outside the 3-point line and tossed an underhanded lob to Brandan Wright in the general vicinity of the rim. Wright soared to slam it with two hands. “Shut it down!” Nowitzki screamed, serving as a guest on the Mavs’ TV broadcast. “Let’s go home!”

Stat of the night: The Mavs’ franchise-record streak of holding foes under 100 points is over. The Timberwolves were the only Dallas opponent to score more than 93 points during the streak, putting up 99 in a New Year’s Day win over the Mavs. The Mavs were 11-4 during the streak.

DALLAS -- The Mavs' franchise record of 15 consecutive games holding their opponent under 100 points in serious jeopardy. The Wolves got 99 in their last meeting are 22 away tonight and lead by six entering the fourth quarter.

Minnesota used an 8-2 run in the final 1:58. But, it was a 21-4 run spanning the final minute of the first half and nearly the first five of the third quarter to put the Wolves ahead 65-58.

Kevin Love had 19 points and Wayne Ellington finished a three-point play in the final seconds for 18 points.

Jason Terry (13 points) and Shawn Marion (10) are the only Mavs in double figures.

DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks opened the second quarter with Roddy Beaubois, Jason Terry, Brian Cardinal, Brandan Wright and Ian Mahinmi, and they started 9-of-11 from the floor and opened a 14-point lead.

With Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter injured and not playing, the revolving lineups continued and coach Rick Carlisle found combinations for success. However, after building a 54-44 lead with 1:05 left in the half, the Mavs let up too soon and Minnesota reeled off eight consecutive points, six on back-to-back 3s.

Ricky Rubio hit the first from up top and then with 5.8 seconds left, Jason Terry threw it out of bounds. Rubio got the inbounds pass three-quarters court away from his basket, raced up court, dribbled behind his back at the top of the arc, then pushed a pass to Kevin Love for a 3 at the left wing.

And, boom, a game the Mavs absolutely dominated is just a two-point game.

Want something to look for to start the second half? How about a new starter at power forward. Lamar Odom was awful, going 1-of-11 from the floor and 1-of-2 at the free throw line. The rest of the Mavs were sizzling, 24-of-39 from the floor, and even Jason Kidd had the hot hand with five points on 2-of-3 shooting, including a 3-ball.

Terry leads Dallas with 11 points and Shawn Marion, a perfect 4-of-4 has eight points.

Kevin Love leads all scorers with 14 points and five rebounds, and Rubio has 11 with seven assists.

DALLAS -- The ring ceremony didn't slow down the Dallas Mavericks, who shot 52 percent in the opening quarter, and that was with Lamar Odom starting off 1-of-7 from the field.

He did that with his wife, both sisters-in-law and mother-in-law in the building. Coach Rick Carlisle sat him down with about five minutes to go and then went to his you-thought-you'd-never-see-these-five-together lineups.

They included: Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Brian Cardinal and Ian Mahinmi, then Roddy Beaubois for Kidd. Then came Brandan Wright for Mahinmi when he the Frenchman picked up two fouls.

Terry leads Dallas with seven points. Shawn Marion, 3-of-3 from the floor, and Brendan Haywood each have six points. Kevin Love leads Minnesota with 11 points.

DALLAS -- Big surprise for Khloe Kardashian this afternoon when her sisters, Kim and Kourtney, showed up in Dallas to take in tonight's ring ceremony and game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"My sisters just surprised me in Dallas!!!!" Khloe announced to her nearly 6 million Twitter followers.

Somewhere in here there's a joke about if you put a million dollars worth of diamonds in one arena, the Kardashians will find it. But, I won't go there.

Khloe, the reality TV star and wife of Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom, has been a mainstay at Mavs home games, showing up with a variety of different friends and relatives, including older sis Kim two weeks ago. Tonight will be the first time that all three sisters will take in a game together in Dallas.

Earlier this evening, Khloe, who continued her love affair with this fair city by becoming a local daytime radio host, also announced via Twitter: "The game is going to be wild!"

Indeed.

DALLAS – Rick Carlisle said Wednesday morning that Minnesota rookie Ricky Rubio had attributes that reminded him of Steve Nash.

Carlisle had even higher praise for Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, comparing him to a monster-rebounding version

“There will be comparisons to Dirk because he’s become a great shooter,” Carlisle said, “but his tenacity going after the ball is just something that’s unique in a player that’s that skilled.”

Love, who signed a four-year extension worth a reported $62 million Wednesday, ranks second in the NBA in rebounding (13.9 per game) after leading the league last season. He’s also averaging 24.9 points and shooting .391 from 3-point range.

The Mavs found out firsthand how dominant Love can be during the New Year’s Day loss in Minnesota, when he had 25 points and 17 rebounds, hitting five of six 3-point attempts.

“He’s quickly becoming a household name,” Carlisle said. “He’s also quickly becoming a guy that you put in the category of guys that are great.”

DALLAS – The buzz from the Mavericks’ banner-raising ceremony quickly turned into a headache when the Miami Heat rolled to a season-opening rout.

The Mavs are determined to make sure that the warm, fuzzy feeling from their ring ceremony before tonight’s game against the Timberwolves won’t affect their intensity after tip-off.

“These kind of ceremonies can get you a little emotional and feeling good,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “And when that happens, if you sense any sort of competitiveness leaving you, you gotta check yourself and get back in the flow of what’s really going on. I’m not that worried about it because this is the third thing we’ve been through [including the banner-raising ceremony and trip to the White House]. It’s a game we got to have. I think our guys realize that.”

If anything, the pregame festivities will inspire the Timberwolves. Star power forward Kevin Love said the Wolves want to “spoil their ring night, their special night.”

As far as the Mavs are concerned, this night is as much about revenge as it is about the ring ceremony.

The Timberwolves embarrassed the Mavs on New Year’s Day in Minnesota, scoring the final 15 points to hand Dallas a 99-82 loss keyed by Love’s 25 points and 17 rebounds. The Mavs are using that night as motivation for their third consecutive game without Dirk Nowitzki.

“I’m anxious to play these boys tonight,” Jason Terry said. “A lot of emphasis on getting some revenge, the way they beat us up there. We definitely didn’t like that feeling. The ceremony’s going to be fun, but getting a win is definitely more important.”

DALLAS -- J.J. Barea appreciates the Mavericks scheduling the ring ceremony for his trip to the American Airlines Center. He’s excited to finally get his championship jewelry and visit with old friends.

But it will be a bittersweet experience for the former Mavs fan favorite, who desperately wanted to continue his career in Dallas.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who was determined to create as much salary cap space as possible, forced Barea to make a no-brainer business decision. Barea, who was offered only a one-year deal from the Mavs, signed with the Timberwolves for $19 million over four years.

“Things happen,” Barea said. “I’m a little disappointed it went that way. But to get to come here and get the ring with everybody and the fans, it will be nice.”

Barea won’t play against the Mavericks. He’ll miss his fourth consecutive game due to nagging ankle and hamstring injuries, which makes it more of a social visit for him.

“I’m excited to be here, excited to finally get that ring,” Barea said. “I’m just going to enjoy tonight. I wish I was playing, but now I get to talk more and say hi to everybody.”

After the Timberwolves finished their shootaround, Barea headed for the home locker room to say hello to former teammates and coaches, although some of the Mavs weren’t too interested in socializing.

“I just seen him as we walked by, so that was good enough for me,” Jason Terry said. “Now that he’s on the other team, that was good enough for me. A little 20, 30 seconds, how you doing, how’s the family doing and we’re ready to kick their butt tonight.”

UPDATE: The championship ring isn't the only gift Barea is getting from the Mavs in his return.

A high chair and baby rattle was waiting for Barea in the visitors' locker room when the Timberwolves arrived at the arena Wednesday evening. Barea can make good use of the items, as his former Miss Universe girlfriend is expecting, but it's also an old inside joke.

Clipper Darrell, the somewhat famous, extremely vocal fan of L.A's red-and-blue franchise, often referred to Barea as a baby while heckling the Mavs. It started a couple of seasons ago when Barea was shooting free throws during a lopsided Mavs win. Clipper Darrell shouted in the quiet, half-empty Staples Center, "Get that baby off the court!" The Mavs on the bench, led by Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, laughed so hard that they almost rolled on the floor.

"Old jokes," Barea said.

DALLAS -- When the NBA announced that it will allow teams to continue to suit up 13 active players for the remainder of the season, it's likely no team rejoiced more than the Dallas Mavericks. Coach Rick Carlisle has made full use of his roster this season and now without the services of Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter, he is going deep down the bench and throwing out some interesting lineups.

Carlisle has made a return to the three-guard lineup with a couple of different combos that include Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Delonte West, as well as Kidd, Terry and Rodrigue Beaubois.

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And then there was one of the more unusual lineups we've seen that Carlisle actually twice turned to in Monday's win over the Phoenix Suns that featured Terry, Beaubois, Brian Cardinal, Brandan Wright and Ian Mahinmi.

Just as you drew it up in training camp, right coach?

"We’ve got to be able to play a lot of different ways and right now, just the fact that we’re throwing a lot of different lineups out there i is something that we’ve got to view as something that’s going to help us going forward," Carlisle said. "It’s not very rhythmic. It doesn’t lend itself to comfort and those kinds of things with having a set rotation. But, what it is doing is keeping guys playing hard because you play til your tired, give me the hand or the fist to come out and we get another fresh guy in there.

"And that’s a big part of the formula for winning this year."

Records: Timberwolves (7-10); Mavs (11-7)

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: American Airlines Center

TV: FSSW

Radio: ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: The last time the Mavs had pregame ceremony prior to a game, it took the Miami Heat about 10 minutes to get the TKO. "I think we’re in a little bit better shape than in that game," Kidd said. Well, maybe, but Dallas will be playing a third consecutive game without leading scorer Nowitzki as well as Carter. Dallas' offense hasn't exactly performed like a well-oiled machine even with Nowitzki in the lineup, so the Mavs have relied on a defense that's allowed about 84 points over the last 15 games. The Wolves are the last team to even sniff 100 against Dallas in their 99-82 win in Minnesota back on New Year's Day.

Key matchup: Kevin Love vs. Lamar Odom
Minnesota's double-double machine is coming off a season-high 39 points against Houston and he's recorded a double-double in 16 of 17 games. Odom, starting for the injured Nowitzki, seemed so sluggish to start Monday's game against Phoenix was pulled in the first half and logged less than 10 minutes. He came back strong with 11 points in the second half. Love will keep Odom busy at both ends of the floor.

Injuries: Wolves - G J.J. Barea (hamstring) is out; F Michael Beasley (right foot sprain) is out; F Wesley Johnson (illness) is questionable; C Brad Miller (knee) is doubtful; G Martell Webster (back) is doubtful; G Malcolm Lee (knee) is out. Mavs - F Dirk Nowitzki (sore right knee) is out; G Vince Carter (sprained left foot ) is out.

Up next: Utah Jazz at Mavs, 7:30 p.m., Friday

Before Saturday's big announcement that Dirk Nowitzki will sit out four games while he pursues an overall conditioning program, the week ahead, with four home games and no back-to-backs, seemed like a great opportunity to put some distance between .500 and perhaps even take over the Southwest Division.

Now, with their leading scorer scheduled to miss the first three games of the homestand, the week becomes more about survival than targeting first place.

"We went through this last year when we lost him for nine games," guard Jason Kidd said. "We feel like we have a lot of talent here and we feel like our depth is one of our keys. Everybody just has to step up."

The Mavs went 2-7 without Nowitzki last season, and panic, if only temporarily, seemed to grip the masses. Dallas is 1-0 without Nowitzki after Saturday's 83-81 victory at New Orleans, one that certainly underscored just how difficult it might be for a team already struggling offensively to score points.

Dallas enters tonight's game against the Phoenix Suns ranked 22nd in scoring at 92.8 points a game. Their saving grace is a stubborn defense that will look to add to the franchise record set Saturday of holding 14 consecutive opponents under 100 points. Dallas remains the No. 1 defense in the Western Conference, holding foes to 88.4 points a game, and third in the league behind Chicago and Philadelphia.

"We had to get plenty of minutes from a lot of guys and we needed tough play from top to bottom," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after Saturday's win. "We actually played 11 [players] and all of them were a factor in the game."

It's the kind of full-roster effort the Mavs will need this week to gain ground. Remember, not only is Nowitzki out, but so is veteran swingman Vince Carter, who was the second-leading scorer off the bench and the team's most accurate 3-point shooter when he sprained his left foot Monday night.

The Mavs enjoyed a much-needed day off Sunday. Here's a look at the challenges of the week ahead:

Tonight: vs. Phoenix Suns (6-9), 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: Steve Nash's Suns come to Dallas on a bit of hot streak with two consecutive wins. They won at Boston on Friday night and haven't played since, so they should be well rested to give the Dirk-less Mavs a run. This is Phoenix's second trip to Dallas this month, with the Mavs winning fairly easily, 98-89, on Jan. 4. Dirk had 20 in that one and Suns center Marcin Gortat was a load with 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds.

Wednesday: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (7-9), 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: This should be a memorable night as the Mavs finally will collect their championship rings during a pregame ceremony. In a classy move, Mavs owner Mark Cuban scheduled it so J.J. Barea could join in the festivities after playing a key role in the championship run in his fifth season in Dallas. Hopefully, Barea will then be able to take the floor in uniform. He's struggled with a hamstring injury and has missed the last two games after trying to return on Jan. 18. He had eight points in the first meeting against his former club, a 99-82 Wolves win. Michael Beasley has been out since Jan. 6 with a sprained ankle and Minnesota is also patiently awaiting the season debuts of Brad Miller and Martell Webster, both of whom have joined practices, but their availability remains uncertain.

Friday: vs. Utah Jazz (10-5), 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: Last the Mavs saw of the Jazz, Devin Harris was coughing up a career-worst game, Derrick Favors was getting ejected -- and then fined $25,000 by the league for chucking the ball into the second row -- and Dallas pulled out a hard-fought victory at a venue where that's hard to do. The Jazz will want quick payback and they'll smell blood with Nowitzki sitting out what is expected to be his fourth and final game. Utah has played two-thirds of its games at home and is 2-3 on the road. The Jazz have wins at Denver and Golden State but have lost three in a row on the road. They play Toronto at home Wednesday after three days off, so the Jazz should be in fine physical condition. It's uncertain if Josh Howard (strained quad) will be ready. He missed last week's meeting.

Sunday: vs. San Antonio Spurs (10-7), 5:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: First, note the early start time. Just as the Jazz must be thinking payback, so too must the Mavs when San Antonio makes its first trip north. The Spurs spanked Dallas 93-71 on Jan. 5 with a barrage of 3-pointers. The game was never close and Nowitzki scored just six points. This is expected to be his return to action after a week-long training camp of sorts to get his ailing right knee and his overall body into better game shape. After sitting out four games it will be interesting to see how he fares. Since starting 6-2, the Spurs are 4-5 and continue to play without leading scorer Manu Ginobili (broken hand).