Dallas Mavericks Look to Bounce Back Against Clippers

After an upsetting loss to the Brooklyn Nets two nights ago, the Dallas Mavericks will look to right the ship when the lowly Clippers come to town for an afternoon matchup.

The Clippers are reeling right now with injuries piling up, most recently the injury to All-Star forward Blake Griffin who will miss around two months, and the Mavericks will look to capitalize on that at home.

To kickoff the month of December Dallas will need to pick up wins where they can get them, and this game could be one of those as the Mavericks’ December schedule is less than friendly.

With their key stars out of the game, attention will be shifted to DeAndre Jordan, Austin Rivers, and Lou Williams.

More from The Smoking Cuban

• Mavericks: How to maximize Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis pairing
• Dallas Mavericks: Did they do enough this offseason to jump into title contention?
• Mavericks: What to watch for as Dallas faces Utah Jazz in summer league
• Dallas Mavericks rumors: Bulls want first round pick for Lauri Markkanen
• Mavericks: Teammates look to collect debts after Luka Doncic’s extension

Of the three, Jordan poses the most threat due to the lack of inconsistent interior defense by the Mavericks. Maxi Kleber and (probably) Salah Mejri will have their hands full down in the post, while Rivers’ ability to get to the rim, and outside shooting will be a tough task for rookie Dennis Smith Jr.

Speaking of Kleber, he is coming off a career night in the loss to the Nets, putting up 16 points and 7 rebounds. His ability to stretch the floor with his outside shooting opens up the floor for Dallas, so look for him to get more touches if his reliable shooting keeps up.

Smith Jr., and Wes Matthews are coming off of low games, combining for just 18 points, with the former dealing with a stomach virus the past few days, the tandem will try to get back on track against the 19th-ranked defense in the league.

Next: Roundtable: Most Likely Maverick to Get Ejected

Make sure to check back at The Smoking Cuban after today’s game for a post-game recap and follow us on Twitter for live tweets of the game. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. central time at the American Airlines Center.