Dallas Mavericks Set to Face Defending Champs

After an impressive win over the Spurs on Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks welcome the defending champs to town on the second night of a back-to-back.

With their stunning win over the Spurs on Sunday, the Mavs are playing with perhaps their highest level of confidence all season. The win improves the Mavs to 17-30, and gives them a much needed win against a team with one of the best records in the NBA.

Looking ahead to Monday’s matchup with the reigning champions, the Mavs face an extremely tall task and likely will not be at full strength. The Cavaliers will not be at full strength as well however, as Kevin Love did not make the trip Dallas due to back spasms.

Rick Carlisle will have to put heavy minutes on newly signed Yogi Ferrell tomorrow as Deron Williams, J.J. Barea, and possibly Devin Harris will be out due to injuries.

The Mavs situation with Andrew Bogut is becoming increasingly uncertain. Bogut is seemingly never on the court for the Mavs, who have been using the combination of Salah Mejri and Dwight Powell at center. Bogut left tonight’s matchup with the Spurs due to hamstring tightness, as his health overall seems to continue to deteriorate over time.

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Looking ahead to the Cavaliers, the Mavs are faced with not only having to defend LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, but the three point shooting ability of Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, and recent acquisition Kyle Korver.

The defensive schemes between Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews should be able to contend with the dense offensive schemes that the Cavaliers use on the court, but offensively the Mavs may struggle against a tough Cavaliers defense.

Sitting at 17-30 with some momentum built, this is a serious opportunity for the Mavs to continue to build towards a playoff spot.

Next: Yogi Ferrell is Ready for the Opportunity in Dallas

The Mavs will be tested by the defending champs and the league’s four-time MVP for a chance to build off of their impressive win against the rival San Antonio Spurs.