PREVIEW
MAVERICKS (7-7) AT SAN ANTONIO SPURS (8-7)
Time: 7:30 p.m., Friday
Place: AT&T Center, San Antonio
TV: FSSW
Radio: ESPN 103.3 FM; Univision 1270 AM (Spanish)
About the Mavericks: This is the finale of a three-game road trip for the Mavs, who are 1-1 on this road trip. The trip started this past Monday with a 116-93 loss in Tampa, Fla., to the Toronto Raptors. The trip continued Wednesday when the Mavs beat up the Indiana Pacers, 124-112. . .Th is the front end of a back-to-back. The Mavs host the Houston Rockets on Saturday at 8 p.m. Dallas is 0-2 on the front end of a back-to-back with both losses coming to the Chicago Bulls – on Jan. 3 and this past Sunday. . .The Mavs will again be without Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Richardson, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. . .Luka Doncic continues to show why he was the preseason favorite by many experts to capture this year’s Most Valuable Player award. Over the past eight games Doncic has posted five triple-doubles and could easily have had seven during that period of time. But he missed a triple-double in the Jan. 7 game against Denver by one rebound, and he missed a triple-double in the Jan. 13 contest against Charlotte by one assist. Doncic is averaging 26.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 9.5 apg. . .Kristaps Porzingis is coming off his best game of the season when he had season highs in points (27), rebounds (13) and assists (four) during the win over the Pacers. Overall, Porzingis averages 20.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 1.8 bpg. . .Tim Hardaway Jr. is averaging 17.3 ppg and needs just six 3-pointers to reach 1,000 treys for his career. . .After missing four games because of the health and safety protocols, Jalen Brunson returned Monday and scored 13 points against the Raptors and followed that up with 15 points against the Pacers. Brunson is averaging 12.1 ppg. . .Trey Burke averages 11.1 ppg and is shooting 42.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. . .The Mavs are 5-5 on the road.
About the Spurs: Usually a tough out on their home court, the Spurs are just 2-4 at home this season. . .The Spurs have allowed more points (110.5 ppg) than they’ve scored (110.3 ppg) this season. . .San Antonio is coming off Wednesday’s 121-99 blowout loss at the Golden State Warriors. . .Before losing to the Warriors, the Spurs won six of eight games. The only losses during that eight-game stretch were to the Minnesota Timberwolves (96-88 on Jan. 10) and Houston Rockets (109-105 on Jan. 14). . .In a home game last Saturday against the Rockets, DeMar DeRozan poured in 24 points to lead the Spurs to a 103-91 victory. . .Seagoville native LaMarcus Aldridge returned to Portland – where he spent the first nine seasons of his 15-year career — and tallied 22 points in just 24 minutes as the Spurs walloped the Trail Blazers, 125-104, this past Monday. Rudy Gay (21 points, seven rebounds), Patty Mills (21 points) and DeRozan (20 points, six rebounds, 11 assists) also each scored at least 20 points in that game for the Spurs. . .A large portion of the Spurs’ offensive attack revolves around DeRozan, who leads the team with 20.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 6.8 apg. DeRozan also is the only player in the Spurs’ illustrious history to score 2,000 points, grab 800 rebounds and distribute 800 assists in his first 150 games with the Spurs. . . Dejounte Murray is averaging 15.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 5.5 apg, Patty Mills averages 14.1 ppg and is shooting 42.6 percent from 3-point land. Also for the Spurs, Keldon Johnson is averaging 14.1 ppg and 7.1 rpg, Aldridge averages 13.5 ppg, Lonnie Walker IV is averaging 12.5 ppg, and Gay averages 11.4 ppg and 5.7 rpg. Gay produced 11 points and nine rebounds in just 19 minutes off the bench during Wednesday’s game against the Warriors. . .The Spurs are 113-71 all-time against the Mavs. That includes a 64-28 record during games played in San Antonio.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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