Mavericks In Town To Face Upbeat Heat
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – Records can sometimes be deceiving, as is the case for Thursday's game in Miami.
The Dallas Mavericks spent most of the first half of the schedule languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference but are finally beginning to make a move up.
The Mavericks will try to push their season-best winning streak to four in a row when they visit the Heat on Thursday.
Dallas pulled out a 99-98 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday in the opener of the two-game trip and is beginning to gain some confidence.
"Winning three straight is always good, especially after we had just lost three straight," Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki told reporters. "The frustration point was pretty high, so we recovered pretty good from that. I just think we're getting healthier, playing better together and making big plays when it counts."
The Heat are enduring a similarly frustrating, injury-plagued campaign and dropped 13 of 15 before pulling off a stunning 109-103 triumph over the Houston Rockets in their return from a six-game trip on Tuesday.
"You are pleased to see guys get the result from all the work we're putting in," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, get to work. Some of the things hurting us, we did better (Tuesday): defending all the way through a possession. Gang rebounding. Our offensive execution - we were really working at it."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (14-27): Dallas' three-game winning streak coincides with an uptick in production from shooting guard Wesley Matthews, who scored in single digits in each of a three-game slide before averaging 16 points over the last three contests.
Matthews, who buried the go-ahead 3-pointer in Tuesday's triumph, is also drawing raves for his defensive work and stopped Chicago star Jimmy Butler on the final play in Chicago.
"I think he's one of the best perimeter defenders we have in this league," Nowitzki told ESPN.com of Matthews. "When perimeter defense is being talked about, I don't think he's in the discussion enough. The job he's doing this year is incredible. ... Offensively, trying to make plays, making 3s. But defensively he is our workhorse. He has to guard the best player every night. He has to go to war every night."
ABOUT THE HEAT (12-30): Miami is getting a similar effort on the defensive end from rookie swingman Rodney McGruder, who continues to draw the toughest assignments.
"It's the world he knows — going against MVPs, future MVPs, All-Stars every night," Spoelstra told the Miami Herald of McGruder. "Whoever the big ticket player is, you get him. He absolutely has stepped up to that challenge. He makes you fight for every inch he gets. He has incredible perseverance, grit. It doesn't matter if he gets scored on. He will make you feel his presence."
McGruder helped harass MVP candidate James Harden into a 12-of-30 effort in Tuesday's triumph.
BUZZER BEATERS
- Mavericks SG Seth Curry is 9-of-16 from 3-point range in the last four games.
- Heat SG Wayne Ellington scored 18 points on Tuesday, two more than his total from the previous four games.
- Dallas C Andrew Bogut (hamstring) sat out the last three games and remains day-to-day.
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