Preview: Denver At Dallas
When: 8:30 PM ET, Saturday, November 28, 2015
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
The Dallas Mavericks attempt to end a season-worst three-game losing streak when they host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Dallas went winless on a road trip to Oklahoma City, Memphis and San Antonio and will look to get back on track against a Denver squad that has lost five consecutive games.
The Nuggets are struggling even more than the Mavericks and have suffered four double-digit losses during their skid. Denver scored its second-fewest points of the season in Friday’s 91-80 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs and embarks on a five-game road trip. Dallas recorded a season low for points in Wednesday’s 88-83 loss to the Spurs. Guard Deron Williams struggled with 4-of-16 shooting against San Antonio and is 7-for-24 over the past two games.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV, Altitude 2 (Denver) FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (6-10): Denver shot 40.3 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers in its latest lost and coach Mike Malone is miffed over the club’s consistency issues. “We look great in stretches and we look bad in stretches,” Malone told reporters. “Until we play 48 minutes, we will continue to stack up losses.” Small forward Danilo Gallinari had 16 points and 10 rebounds against San Antonio for his third double-double in four games but is a porous 17-of-64 from the field over the last five contests.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (9-7): Veteran forward Dirk Nowitzki has produced back-to-back double-doubles and has been his traditionally solid self by averaging 17.4 points and 7.1 rebounds. Even more impressive is that Nowitzki’s 3-point shooting (51 percent) has been a bright spot on a team shooting a lackluster 32 percent. “We believe that we’re a better shooting team from the outside than we were last year,” Nowitzki told reporters. “We’ve got to keep stepping into the ones that are there and take them with confidence.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks have won 26 of the last 36 home meetings against the Nuggets.
2. Denver PF Kenneth Faried (ankle) has missed three straight games but could return Saturday.
3. Dallas backup G J.J. Barea (sprained right ankle) will miss at least three games.
PREDICTION: Mavericks 97, Nuggets 88