The Dallas Mavericks pulled the trigger on the big trade that brought Rajon Rondo to Texas, but the Mavs have been winning more in spite of him than because of him lately. The NBA champion point guard has looked out of pace since returning from his facial injury, and has taken out some of that frustration on his head coach. The Mavs will need all hands on deck as they head into the imposing home of the Atlanta Hawks.
Can the Mavericks shoot down those high-flying Hawks? Read on below for our preview of this East vs. West showdown. Also, check out Wednesday’s other big East-West matchup with the Warriors vs. Cavs.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Dallas Mavericks vs. Atlanta Hawks Preview
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta
When: Wednesday, February 25, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Dallas Mavericks (+6.5) at Atlanta Hawks (-6.5); total 198.5 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Dallas Mavericks
It’s been home sweet home for the Dallas Mavericks this February. The Mavs have played seven of 10 games thus far at the AmericanAirlines Center, and have gone 6-1. They’ve won their last three in a row overall, with home wins over the Rockets (111-100), Hornets (92-81) and Raptors (99-92).
[sc:NBA240banner ]But their road assignments have been pretty tough, and they haven’t been good enough to pass those tests. They lost to the West-leading Golden State Warriors, 128-114, earlier in the month and to the surging Oklahoma City Thunder, 104-89, near the All-Star break. Now, they get the East-leading Hawks.
Monta Ellis has bounced back from a slow start back from the All-Star break with back-to-back 20 point games, but backcourt mate Rajon Rondo is still sorely lacking in production. Rondo is averaging just nine points and four assists in four games since returning from his facial fractures.
Rondo hasn’t helped his cause by getting into a shouting match with head coach Rick Carlisle during their win against Toronto. With things getting contentious between Rondo and his coach, Devin Harris or JJ Barea may see more minutes against Atlanta. Either guard is capable of scoring into double-figures, while their defensive responsibilities could be lightened with Hawks point guard Jeff Teague suffering from an illness.
The Mavs are already one of the best offenses in the league (they’re No. 3 in offensive efficiency), and have been helped by a suddenly improving bench. With timely contributions from Harris, Al-Farouq Aminu, and the recently-signed Amar’e Stoudemire, the second unit has chipped in with 41 points per game in their last three.
The Mavs’ added bench ammunition will be crucial against a very balanced Hawks team that can also get production from deep within its roster.
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Betting on the Atlanta Hawks
After losing three out of four games for the first time since the very first games of the season, the Atlanta Hawks got back to winning ways with a 97-86 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Paul Millsap paced six Hawks in double figures with 23 points and 16 rebounds.
Millsap’s numbers have been somewhat down this February. He’s scoring just 14.4 points per game, down from his season average of 17, and he’s shooting just 42 percent from the field. Kyle Korver’s numbers have dropped even more dramatically. The sharpshooter is averaging just 10 points, shooting 39 percent from the field and 37 percent from three. He averages 13 points and is a 50 percent shooter on the season.
Millsap and Korver will have some favorable matchups against Dallas to help them recover from their respective slumps. Millsap is fast enough to blow by Nowitzki and strong enough to bully Parsons in the front court.
Meanwhile, Korver should find some space to launch his trademark threes against a Mavs team that’s arguably the worst team at defending the three. Dallas allows 8.7 threes per game (29th in the NBA) at a 35.7 percent clip (25th in the NBA).
The Hawks are 18-2 in their last 20 home games, but are just 12-8 against the spread.
Writer’s Prediction
The Hawks come away with the win, but the Mavs’ bench helps Dallas stay close and cover.
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