Mavericks vs. Clippers Preview: 3 things as Dallas faces Los Angeles, again!

Whether or not Dallas gets reinforcements to the starting five, they have the depth to win

Dallas will get another bite at the apple as they face off against the LA Clippers in the second game of their two-game mini-series. It’s also the second game of a four-game homestand that runs through Christmas. Hopefully, the familiarity and conveniences of home can help the Mavericks get over the hump of the various illnesses and injuries the team has been beset with over the last month or so.

Lace ‘em up?

Dallas lost the first of this doubleheader but were without both of their all-star guards. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both sat out, but the news as of this writing is that Irving went through a full practice while Doncic was able to get on the floor and do some shooting, but was not a full participant in practice.

It certainly looks better for Irving than Doncic at this point, but there’s still a chance we may see both playing on Saturday night.

Defense is a team sport

Obviously the hope is one or both of Doncic and Irving will be available, but in the event they’re not, the Maverick’s path to victory becomes very narrow. Those two not being on the court means Dallas has to find some way to reproduce the roughly 53 points they contribute on an average night. Not easy, as shown by the 95 points Dallas managed on Thursday – the team’s lowest this season by a wide margin.

Shooting better than 23% from deep will help, but clamping down and playing some team defense will go a long way to keeping the Mavs in the game. Holding the Clippers below a team 50/40/90 would be a good start.

The Knife factor

It goes without saying that Dallas will need big nights from their bonafide scorers. The guys like Klay Thompson and Spenser Dinwiddie can always have big nights. PJ Washington is another guy who Dallas can count on for a bucket most nights. Though, with his defensive responsibilities, his contributions on the offensive side of the floor might wane.

Naji Marshall, on the other hand, is a player who, last time Doncic missed extended time, stepped up big. He had a four-game stretch scoring more than 20 points. On Thursday, he was getting those shots up, but went just 4-of-12 from the field. There’s room for improvement there. A little more on the fringes from guys like Kleber, Gafford, and Grimes and Dallas has enough depth to gut out a gritty win.

How to watch

You can broadcast or stream the game on NBAtv, Channel 29, or MavsTV at 7:30