Inside Report: Mavericks-Wizards preview — Red-hot Mavs march into D.C.

Earl K. Sneed reports from D.C. and previews the Mavericks' matchup with John Wall and the Wizards on Saturday night. The Mavs are beginning a three-game road trip.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Armed with a 19-8 record away from home and 14 wins in their last 15 games, the Mavericks head into the nation’s capital Saturday night looking to tack on another loss to the Washington Wizard’s four-game skid.

The Mavericks (41-16) also hope to start a three-game road trip with a victory, before making stops in Toronto and Philadelphia — three matchups that at least on paper would appear to lean in Dallas’ favor. But leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki says the Mavs must handle each game with importance, starting with not taking rookie standout John Wall and the Wizards (15-42) lightly.

“This league doesn’t work on paper. You’ve got to go out and compete every night,” Nowitzki said. “Washington played us down to the wire here … Toronto beat us here when I was hurt, so we definitely owe them one. So, we’ve got to take it one game at a time. Philly is very good at home, they’ve beat a lot of good teams. So, it’s three challenges, and 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.”

No letdowns are expected on Saturday night, after the Mavericks just barely escaped their home floor at the American Airlines Center with a 102-92 win over the Wizards back on Jan. 31. And after seeing Wall tally 17 points while dishing out 10 assists, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle says it’s vital that his team’s defense does a better job of getting back in transition to keep the young guard from taking over the game.

The coach also points out that his squad will see ex-Maverick Josh Howard for the first time, after the former All-Star forward missed the first meeting while battling back from a knee injury. And according to Carlisle, Howard only bolsters an already lethal and athletic Washington lineup, one that also recently added guard Mike Bibby after the Wizards’ deal at the trade deadline that sent Kirk Hinrich to Atlanta.

“We’ve got to do a better job containing John Wall in transition. And look, Josh Howard is now healthy and playing, and he’s a 20-point scorer,” Carlisle said. “Nick Young is having a great year. And Rashard Lewis has been coming off the bench for them, to tell you how much firepower they have. And so, they’ve got a lot of guys you have to deal with … They’ve got a bunch of other guys who are hard-playing guys. So, it’s gonna be a challenging game.”

But even Carlisle admits that challenge will be made easier if the Mavericks can take better care of the ball, after surrendering 19 turnovers in their 118-99 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

With Wall’s ability to score and facilitate in fast-break situations, Carlisle says it’s essential that the Mavericks not play into the Wizards’ hands. Still, Carlisle expects for his players to be aggressive, adding that the Mavs — like the Wizards — are also at their best when they can score in transition, as they look to sprint to a fifth straight win overall.

“They do a good job of forcing turnovers, because they’re athletic and they anticipate well. And when they steal the ball, they’re so quick, they convert very quickly. So, we have to take better care of the ball than we did in the Utah game, but that doesn’t mean we want to be robotic. We’ve gotta be aggressive, but we’ve gotta create space on the floor and make the plays that are there,” Carlisle explained.

And after the organization decided to stand pat at the deadline, choosing not to make a move with just 25 games left in the regular season, Nowitzki says each showdown going forward is just one step closer to the postseason. The Mavs hope to inch closer to the playoffs with a win Saturday night.

“We understand what time it is and we want to make this push towards the playoffs,” Nowitzki said. “So, there shouldn’t be any letdowns.”

Note: Starting a three-game road trip on Saturday night, the Mavs will head into the nation’s capital looking for a second win over rookie phenom John Wall and the Washington Wizards. The game will tip off at 7 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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