The Dallas Mavericks (9-16), winners of four of their last five games, welcome the Brooklyn Nets (6-17) to American Airlines Center on Friday after a full five days off since their last game. The Nets come into Dallas on the same five nights’ rest after winning three of their last four, including Saturday’s 119-111 win over the lowly New Orleans Pelicans. Michael Porter Jr. had a game-high 35 points and nine rebounds in that win and comes into the game averaging nearly 26 points and eight boards
a night.
Cam Thomas, the Nets’ second-leading scorer (21.4 points per game) this year, is out for Friday’s game with a left hamstring injury.
Three of the Mavs’ four wins in their last five games have come against some of the top teams in the NBA this year. After barely getting by the Los Angeles Clippers, 114-110, on Nov. 29, Dallas rattled off wins against the Miami Heat, the Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets, with an understandable, if not also somewhat deflating, blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in between. Brooklyn’s latest three wins, on the other hand, have come against the 4-16 Charlotte Hornets, the 5-16 Chicago Bulls and the 6-17 Pelicans.
Even if you believe the Mavericks’ latest run of success has been fool’s gold, their four latest wins have been far more convincing than the Nets’ have. Here are three more good omens for the Mavs’ continued success as they welcome the Nets to town.
Bad against bad, and good against bad
The Mavs’ offense has found new life with Ryan Nembhard at starting point guard. They’re turning the ball over less and are running out to quick transition scoring opportunities as Cooper Flagg continues to bloom in his rookie season. Though they’re still 29th in the league in offensive rating (108.6), they look much better on offense in their last six games. It helps that the Nets bring to town with them just the 27th-best defensive rating (119.8) in the NBA. The new-look Mavs should have no problem scoring against the flimsy brand of defense the Nets have been playing this year.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn is equally bad on offense. The Nets rank just 23rd in the NBA in offensive rating (112.3), while the Mavs enter the game with the seventh-ranked defensive rating (112.3). If ever there was a tailor-made opponent for a struggling 9-16 team trying to keep its head above water, it’s these Brooklyn Nets without Thomas.
Gafford’s health progressing
He may not ultimately be available for Friday’s game against the Nets, but Daniel Gafford is apparently making progress in his recovery from the ankle injury he re-aggravated in the win over the Heat last week. He was listed as doubtful to play against the Nets on Thursday’s 8:30 p.m. NBA injury report. The doubtful tag is an upgrade from his status for the last couple of games, and the additional “injury management” tag applied to his status bodes well in this case.
Both Gafford and Anthony Davis have been the subject of recent trade rumors. Davis, for his part, has been somewhere between solid and great in most of his games since returning from a calf injury that kept him out of 14 games earlier this season. Getting Gafford back soon would not only help the Mavs as they try to battle back from a lethargic start to the year — it would also help his perceived trade value, should the front office decide to tear it down and rebuild around Flagg and the Mavs’ young nucleus.
Flagg at full mast
Both teams come into Friday’s game after five days off, but the rest may be particularly beneficial for Flagg, who has been listed on the team’s injury report for the past few games with a right thumb issue. He’s been playing in a splint in recent games and at times has favored driving to his left as a result. He’s ultimately played through whatever is ailing him, and he’s had some of his best games recently, including a 35-point, eight-rebound explosion against the Clippers, a 24-point, eight-rebound game against the Nuggets and a 22-point, six-rebound performance against the Heat, so credit to the youngster.
But he’s still just 18 (for 10 more days). He’s already played 24 games in less than two months, after playing 37 all season in his only year in the college ranks. The thumb is part of the wear and tear that comes with the relentless NBA schedule. Getting the kid a five-day breather by bowing out early in NBA Cup competition may be just what the thumb doctor ordered. It may also mean another big night against a vulnerable Nets defense on Friday.
How to watch
Tipoff for the Mavericks’ game on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at American Airlines Center. The game will air locally on KFAA Channel 29 and on several regional sister stations in the Mavericks’ viewing area. You can also watch the stream on MavsTV or on NBA League Pass.
