The Dallas Mavericks must be feeling pretty good about themselves right now. After handing the Lakers their heaviest loss in franchise history in a 122-73 beatdown, the Mavs defeated another iconic franchise in the Knicks, 103-95, last night.
Harrison Barnes bounced back from his worst scoring performance of the season against the Lakers (6 points, 3-12 FG) as he scored a team-high 23 points in the Knicks win. Seth Curry and Dirk Nowitzki also chipped in with 20 and 19 points, respectively.
Curry’s insertion into the Mavs starting lineup has had a very positive effect on the team. They’ve gone 5-2 in the seven games with him in the starting 5, and the offense is averaging 111.4 points per 100 possessions, 7th-best in the league during that span.
Curry has also had a profound effect on the Mavs’ ability to cover the spread. Dallas is an impressive 6-1 against the spread with Curry starting.
The Mavs have a dreadful record in Oklahoma City, winning just three times in their last 15 visits. However, they have been very successful against the spread, and have a record of 10-5 ATS during that span.
The Oklahoma City Thunder went just 3-3 during their recently-concluded road trip, but they ended it on a high. After going just 1-3 in their first four games, they won their last two games against the Jazz (97-95) and the Pelicans (114-105).
The Thunder had the good fortune of facing a Pelicans team which lost Anthony Davis midway through the game. The Thunder almost blew a 19-point halftime lead, but recovered just in time in the fourth quarter.
Russell Westbrook recorded his third straight triple-double and sixth in his last seven games as he had 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. However, he shot poorly once again, going just 7-of-22 from the field. Over his last seven games, Westbrook is shooting just 36 percent from the field.
Steven Adams and Enes Kanter were also instrumental in their win over New Orleans. The “Stache Brothers” combined for 37 points and 22 rebounds against the Davis-less Pelicans. The two will look to do similar damage inside against a Mavs team which has struggled controlling the paint with Nowitzki playing center in a small-ball lineup.
The Thunder have an impressive 15-6 record at home this season, and are 9-2 (8-3 against the spread) in their last 11 games at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Writer’s Prediction
The Mavericks give the Thunder another tough fight, but the OKC emerges victorious at home, 97-91.
