Inside Report: Mavericks-Raptors preview — Vengeful Mavs race north of border for rematch with Raptors

Earl K. Sneed reports from Toronto, where the Mavericks will seek their sixth win in a row and 16th in a 17-game stretch, while also trying to avenge a December loss to the Raptors.

TORONTO, ON — Revenge is the sole thing on the Mavericks’ minds as they enter the Air Canada Centre Sunday evening.

No, it’s not the lone defeat — a last-second 121-120 loss in Denver — that the Mavericks (42-16) experienced during their last 16 games that fuels them. But instead it’s an 84-76 loss in Dallas to the Toronto Raptors back on Dec. 28 that boils in their brains, as the Mavs head north of the border looking for retribution.

The loss snapped the Mavericks’ 10-game winning streak over the Raptors (16-43) in Dallas. But much has changed since that December meeting, most notably the status of Mavericks leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki, after the 7-footer missed the first of what would be a nine-game absence with a sprained right knee.

Still, the scenario was virtually the same as it will be Sunday evening, with Dallas riding a five-game winning streak after 17 victories in an 18-game span at the time. Now, however, Nowitzki will try to lead the charge as the Mavs step into the Raptors’ home arena looking to return the favor.

“Toronto beat us (in Dallas) when I was hurt, so we definitely owe them one,” Nowitzki said of the matchup.

“We definitely owe those guys,” Mavericks center Tyson Chandler echoed. “But they beat us on speed, they beat us on getting up and down the floor. They outplayed us and they had more energy than us. So, we’ve got to make sure we get back on defense and force them into some tougher shots.”

The Mavericks will try to do all of the above while also hoping to keep their hot stretch going, entering the game once again on a five-game winning streak. To do so, however, the Mavs may once again have to rely on balanced scoring, after a 14-game stretch of at least five scorers in double figures came to an end in the team’s 105-99 victory over Washington on Saturday night.

While the Mavericks certainly weren’t hurting for offense in the first game of the back-to-back, getting a combined 49 points from the trio of sixth man Jason Terry, Nowitzki and Chandler, coach Rick Carlisle did admit that the team may need more, adding that each player will have to provide No. 41 with as much help as possible on a nightly basis in order to assist the squad in reaching its ultimate goal.

“I think with our situation we’ve got one mega star in Dirk, but we have to give him real solid support with the rest of the guys,” Carlisle explained. “And four or five guys in double figures means we’re playing good offensive basketball, and when we don’t we’re probably gonna lose.”

Behind balanced offensive production and suffocating defense, the Mavericks will try to run through the final two legs of their three-game road trip unbeaten, facing teams from Toronto and Philadelphia that would appear inferior to the Dallas squad when matching up on paper.

The team will also try to improve upon a 20-8 road record.

“This is a stretch where we have games where, let’s be blunt, we should win,” Terry said. “Toronto beat us earlier when we thought we should win, so we’re gonna have to go up there and get one … Our mission is set. We want to continue to play well on the road, and I don’t see why we can’t get it done now.”

But Nowitzki adds that the Mavericks must also have plenty of respect for their next opponent, knowing that even a struggling team can upset a championship contender on any given night.

“This league doesn’t work on paper. You’ve got to go out and compete every night,” Nowitzki said. “I think really every game is a challenge in itself. And we’ve got to be up for it, and we have the veterans to do it.”

Note: Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Mavericks will look for revenge in their rematch with the Raptors in Toronto. The game will tip off at 5 p.m. CT, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

The team will return to Dallas and host the Indiana Pacers next Friday, March 4, looking to avenge a 102-89 road loss on Jan. 12. That game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest. Great seats are still available and tickets can be purchased by visiting the American Airlines Center box office, logging on to Mavs.com or by calling 214-747-MAVS (6287).

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