Dallas Mavericks ready to take on the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night - NBA Preview
The Dallas Mavericks will take on the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night at ORACLE Arena, Oakland. The Mavericks are at number three spot in the Western Conference, but have lost two games prior. Even with their recent struggles
though, the Mavs are still a force to reckon with and have been one of the top flight teams this season, as compared to the Warriors who are not even among the top eight of the Western Conference. The Warriors lost their last game to the Sacramento Kings.
Coming into the game, the odds are heavily stacked against the Warriors. The Mavs are third in the league in field goal percentage at 47.7. While the Warriors have the third worst defence in the league, allowing 105.8 points per
game, they also hold worst rebounds allowed record in the league 44.7.
The Warriors turned in one of their best defensive efforts of the season Sunday, holding Minnesota to 36.6 percent in a 100-77 win, but that didn't carry over Monday against the West's worst team, the Kings. After winning two games
in a row at home, the Warriors suffered an obstacle in the shape of the Kings losing by 129-119. The Warriors started off sluggishly and trailed by as much as 25 points before Al Thornton dragged the Warriors back in the game. The team was struggling on the
offensive end, when Thornton came off the bench and counted 23 points. It was his best performance ever since he arrived in the Phoenix.
Five of the bench players made it to the double figures in that game for the Warriors. Neither of the Warriors’ past two games have been close though and the Head Coach Keith Smart was upset with his team’s performance.
Smart said, "I knew we were going to be flat. I was hoping that we wouldn't, but we didn't have the juice. We couldn't match up to the speed of the game. We didn't have the energy."
On the other hand, if the Mavericks get into their sharp-shooting groove, they are not easy to beat, as they have proved in the entire season. The Mavs shoots the ball better than any team in the Western Conference with Dirk Nowitzki
leading the way. All-Star Nowitzki averages 23.1 points this season at a shooting percent of more than 52. He is not alone as Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion and Rodrigue Beaubois formulate an attack that can posterize even the best defences
in the league.
The Mavericks are considered one of the intimidating teams in the NBA. But, the one problem that has often been associated with the Mavericks this season is that one they lose one they ultimately go on to lose a plenty. Being already
on a two-game wretched run, perhaps this is the one of the few things that might not go in their favour on Wednesday night. The other thing that can trouble them is the fouling trouble, particularly that of Tyson Chandler. Chandler had to sit out most of the
second half against the Portland Trail Blazers, a game which the Mavs eventually lost down the stretched, 104-101. That loss also allowed the Los Angeles Lakers to notch the second position from the Mavericks.
The Warriors lost by 105-100 to the Mavericks when the two teams met last time back in December, so this time the Warriors will definitely come out to take their revenge in front of their home fans. However, the might of the Mavs
may prove to be a little too much for the franchise from the Golden State.
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