DALLAS, TX - The Mavericks are trying to put a halt to their six-game at home losing streak tonight against the Warriors. The Mavericks are sitting at 9-14 on the season and have lost seven of their last eight games. The Mavericks are trying to get a win at home for the first time since January 9 against the Magic.
The Mavericks are coming into this game after getting blown out on Wednesday night in their own house by 30 points to the Warriors. The Mavericks had a positive first half before letting it all go in the second half. They shot 51 percent from the floor in the first half and hit 15 three-pointers, tieing a franchise record for most three-pointers made in a half. The second half was a different story, the Mavericks only shot 31.9 percent from the floor and made only 20 points in each quarter.
Offense wasn’t the only issue in the second half, the Mavericks defense was non-existent as they got outscored by the Warriors 70-40, 54 of those points were in the paint.
Tonight the Mavericks are trying to come out .500 in the two-game series between the Warriors. The Mavericks will have all their players in rotation giving the Mavericks the opportunity to create chemistry, something that has been hard to do when multiple players have been out with injuries earlier this season.
What can the Mavericks do to get a win over the Warriors?
Well first things first, defense. The Mavericks have to stop the Warriors strong presence in the paint and can definitely not give up 54 points inside in one half. Yes, the Warriors shoot well from beyond the arc, I mean they have Steph Curry, but forcing them to shoot the harder shots gives the Mavericks a better chance.
Another thing that the Mavericks can improve on is consistent shooting throughout the entire game. The Mavericks have struggled all season from beyond the arc, ranking dead last in the league, which is the complete opposite from a year ago. Last game you would’ve thought they were ranked no. 1 in that category. The Mavericks hit 15 three-pointers in the first half but it was short lived. The second half was a shooting disaster ultimately resulting in a loss. The Mavericks need to shoot consistently all game if they want a fighting chance.
The easy shots in the paint are sometimes overlooked in the NBA but it’s the one thing the Mavericks seem to do very well with. Capitalizing on points in the paint is what has and will keep the Mavericks in these close games with their opponents.
The Mavericks have had a rough start to the season but it's far from over. Their 9-14 record is not the prettiest but it can be fixed with healthy players and hard work. These two things will hopefully get them back to the team they were a year ago.
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