Preview: Rockets (32-29) at Mavericks (34-28)
Earl K. Sneed previews Wednesday night's home matchup for the Dallas Mavericks against division rival Houston as the defending champions go for the season series sweep after back-to-back overtime losses.
Preview: Rockets (32-29) at Mavericks (34-28)
DALLAS — After two heart-breaking losses to conclude a 2-2 road trip, the defending champion Dallas Mavericks return home not only looking to regain some late-season momentum but also attempting to finish strong while locked in a tight playoff race.
Having their three-game win streak snapped on Sunday with a 112-108 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers to complete a four-game sweep in the season series, the Mavericks (34-28) again saw themselves pushed beyond regulation one night late before eventually falling to a 123-121 triple-overtime loss to the Utah Jazz.
“It was a fun game to be a part of,” leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki said after matching his season-high output with a 40-point performance in the loss to the Jazz while playing nearly 53 minutes. “Both teams left it all out there, competed at a high level — big plays, big shots at both sides of the floor. … Being in two overtime games back-to-back, four in five nights, I still love how the guys kept coming and wanted to win. Just didn’t have enough left in the tank at the end.”
“We’ve gotta get ready for the next one,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle added. “There’s not a lot of time to bellyache over it. It was a phenomenal game, the competition was great but we fell short.”
Now, with the reigning titleholders sitting towards the bottom of a jam-packed Western Conference playoff picture, the Mavs will try to further separate themselves from the Houston Rockets when the two conclude their season series at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night as the Dallas team looks for a seventh straight when over its Southwest Division rival.
Claiming a 101-99 overtime victory over the Rockets (32-29) in Houston on March 24, the Mavs then turned around three nights later and handed the divisional foe a 90-81 defeat in Dallas. But with the two locked in a battle currently for the final two playoff spots in the West — with seventh-place Dallas 1 1/2 games up on Houston in the ninth position — all bets are off heading into the third and final matchup of the season.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks will try to change their luck in close ballgames after a rash of last-second losses and late-game meltdowns. And with an opportunity to right the ship at home, Wednesday night’s matchup figures to prove pivotal with just four games remaining.
Fortunately for the Mavericks, they catch a Rockets team stumbling to the finish line as well while sliding to a four-game losing skid.
“I definitely feel like we’ve had some misfortune in situations where in the past we’ve been the team to come out victorious,” sixth man Jason Terry said. “But we’ve got a lot of fight in us. And if this don’t get you ready for the playoffs, nothing will. … Just gotta shake it off. Houston is a big game. Back home and we need this win.”
“That’s part of the game. It’s coming down to crunch time and teams are playing to win,” new addition Delonte West added. “Everybody wants to be in the playoffs, nobody wants to lose. This season is coming to a close and guys want to make a statement. We played two dangerous teams. We played a team that’s hungry to get to the playoffs and a team that’s trying to hold position. It’s anybody’s game out there.”
Note: The Mavs return to the American Airlines Center to play host to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. The Mavs lead the season series 2-0 and will go for the sweep. The game will air locally on TXA 21 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.
Single-game tickets for the first two Mavs home games of the first round of the playoffs are now on sale. Tickets are available online at mavs.com, via phone (214-747-6287 or 1-800-4NBA-TIX) or at the American Airlines Center north box Office. Ticket prices start at $12 and up and there is a four-ticket limit per game.
Dates and times for the first two games have not been announced but will be posted on mavs.com by April 27th.
