Preseason Preview/ Shootaround Report: Mavericks (0-1) at Thunder (1-0)

Earl K. Sneed reports from Oklahoma City, where the Mavericks will try to wrap up the preseason with a victory before turning their attention to the season opener on Christmas Day.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Although it’s just the second exhibition contest on their schedule, Tuesday night’s preseason matchup in Oklahoma City is the final dress rehearsal for the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks before they prepare for an encore performance of last season.

Hoping to build momentum heading into Sunday’s season opener against the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, the Mavericks will take the floor against a Thunder squad for the second time in three nights, after suffering a 106-92 loss in Dallas on Sunday. This time, however, the Mavs are expected to have the services of Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki and 10-time All-Star point guard Jason Kidd, after the two future Hall of Famers sat out the first showdown while resting for the upcoming 66-game sprint.

“This will be good to get out, play and then get ready for Christmas afternoon,” Kidd simply said.

But the Mavs will once again be shorthanded with star reserve Jason Terry staying behind in Dallas after leaving Monday’s practice early with an illness. That will once again keep the reigning titleholders from seeing their entire squad in action next to new pieces Vince Carter, Lamar Odom and Delonte West, who is also expected to be unavailable after missing the squad's Tuesday morning shootaround due to an illness.

Odom, who is coming off the best performance of the three in the first matchup, will look to duplicate his 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting and team-high seven rebounds in less than 23 minutes of action. But the Mavericks will also try to get Carter more comfortable in his new surroundings, after he and West combined to shoot 5-for-18 from the floor.

“I like the way that Lamar played. I thought for his first time out on the floor with us he does some special things,” Kidd said after looking on from the bench.

He added: “I think being a veteran ballclub kind of helps us in this shortened season with new guys. Understanding how to play the game doesn’t change. The goal is to put the ball in the basket and then on the defensive end help each other out and play great team defense. And so for that, we feel very comfortable with the veteran guys that are here.”

The Mavs also hope that their young talent, headlined by third-year guard Rodrigue Beaubois and second-year guard Dominique Jones, can replicate their performance from the first outing after posting 17 points a piece, respectively. According to Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, the young duo, along with big man Ian Mahinmi and young addition Brandan Wright -- who missed the first game due to a stomach illness -- will be called upon at some point during the condensed schedule. And the head coach hopes the stars of the future can continue to play at a high level, after sparking a 17-0 run in the fourth quarter before eventually coming up short.

“Roddy and Dominique did a good job penetrating and making things happen,” Carlisle said of their play Sunday night. “[Jerome] Randle is a kid that brings energy to the game, too. That group was a positive. [Brian] Cardinal was terrific, really a both ends, but particularly defensively. Ian is an energetic player as well. That was a positive part of the game for us.”

Meanwhile, the Mavericks will use the final preseason test as a tune-up for the Christmas Day matchup against the Heat, facing an Oklahoma City squad that is equally as athletic as the one they’ll face in a rematch of the championship series. With that said, the coach admits that his team will have to make several adjustments -- after allowing the Thunder to shoot 41 free throws and 56 percent as a team on Sunday -- if they are to come out victorious the second time around and successfully turn the page before welcoming in a Heat team hungry for retribution.

“There were a lot of things I did like, but again, our team defense is going to have to be tighter and better. Admittedly, these guys [the Thunder] are the kind of team that can just jump up over you after you’ve played good defense and make shots, and they did that some of the time. We’re going to have to be better than we were [Sunday night],” Carlisle explained.

The Mavericks-Thunder preseason matchup will tip off at 7 p.m. CT from the Chesapeake Energy Arena, airing locally on TXA 21. The Mavericks open up regular-season play on Sunday against the Miami Heat at 1:30 p.m. CT, in a matchup that will air nationally on ABC.

Single-game tickets are on sale and available at the American Airlines Center North Box Office, online at mavs.com, via phone by calling 214-747-MAVS or 1-800-4NBA-TIX and all Ticketmaster outlets (Fiesta Grocery Stores, Wal-Mart, Simon Mall in Garland and the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano).

Rivalry Pack: Aside from being a season ticket holder, the only way for Mavs fans to attend the home opener against the Miami Heat or either of the two Los Angeles Lakers games is through the Rivalry Pack. Tickets to the Dec. 25 game vs. the Miami Heat and the Feb.22 and March 21 games vs. the Los Angeles Lakers can be purchased as part of a three-game package that includes one (1) of the three premium games and two (2) additional regular season games.

RPL Nights: RPL Nights return for the sixth season and will feature special discounted tickets for 10 pre-selected games. Tickets normally priced $9 will be $2, $15 will be $10, $31 will be $20 and $42 will be $32.