Mavericks vs. Thunder Preview
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (AP) – The Dallas Mavericks haven’t had much trouble winning lately, no matter the location. With another victory away from home, they’ll accomplish a feat they haven’t duplicated in more than eight years.
Dallas ends a three-game road trip and brings an NBA-best 10-1 road record to Oklahoma City on Monday night searching for its 17th victory in 18 games.
The Mavericks (23-5) have won seven straight on the road after beating Orlando 105-99 on Tuesday and have won four straight overall since a loss to Milwaukee on Dec. 13 which snapped their 12-game winning streak.
According to NBA odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Thunder -2 point spread favorites for Monday’s game against the Mavericks. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 74% of more than 798 bets for this game have been placed on the Mavericks +2.
Dallas will try to win eight straight on the road for the first time since Jan. 15-Feb. 12, 2002, but will have to do it without coach Rick Carlisle, who was told not to travel after minor knee surgery. Assistant coach Dwane Casey will lead the team against the Thunder.
Dirk Nowitzki passed Larry Bird for 25th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list by scoring 17 points against the Magic, and Caron Butler added 20. The Mavericks haven’t lost a road game since a 99-97 loss Nov. 17 in New Orleans.
“We feel like we’re one of the best teams in the league, if not the best right now,” Butler said. “We’re playing great basketball, so we want to capitalize on every opportunity.”
Dallas has scored 100 or more points in 14 of its last 17 after hitting that mark only three times in its first 13. Nowitzki ranks sixth in the league averaging 24.5 points, but he’s well behind the 28.1 of the Thunder’s Kevin Durant, the NBA leader.
Durant scored a season-high 44 points Christmas night, eclipsing his previous high of 34, in a 114-106 victory against Denver.
James Harden scored 21 points for his first 20-point game since Dec. 3, and Russell Westbrook added 19. Starting center Nenad Krstic returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a lower-back sprain, but scored only four points in just less than 24 minutes.
The win brought Oklahoma City (21-10) to within one-half game of first-place Utah in the Northwest Division.
“Kevin was a special player tonight,” coach Scott Brooks said. “He was on fire. “He wasn’t even hitting the rim.”
Durant scored 21 points in the third quarter and shot 14 for 20 in arguably his best performance of the season for Oklahoma City (21-10), which has won seven of nine and six of seven at home. He was held scoreless for the first 10-plus minutes of the fourth quarter, keeping him just shy of his career-high of 47 points.
“I just didn’t want to force anything or mess up the flow of the game,” Durant said.
Durant scored 32 points against Dallas on Nov. 24, but the Mavericks outscored the Thunder 36-22 in the fourth quarter and got 34 from Nowitzki in a 111-103 victory.
Nowitzki has averaged 33.8 points in his last eight against the Thunder, while Durant hasn’t been as productive against Dallas. He’s scored 18.7 points on 37.4 percent shooting in 11 career games against the Mavericks.
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