ATLANTA HAWKS (25-27) at MAVERICKS (30-23)
Time: 5 p.m., Sunday.
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas.
TV: Bally’s Sports Southwest, ESPN
Radio: The Eagle 97.1 FM; Univision Zona MX 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Hawks: After reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season, they have been one of the NBA’s biggest disappointments this year, languishing around .500 most of the way . . . They are coming off a 125-114 loss at Toronto on Friday when they allowed the Raptors to shoot 57 percent from the field and 63 percent (17-of-27) from 3-point range. That’s been a common problem for the Hawks, who are 24th in the NBA in points allowed and field-goal percentage defense. That combination adds up to being 28th in overall defensive rating. They have allowed 115 or more points in three of their last four games . . . Against the Raptors, they got 23 points from John Collins, who usually plays well against the Mavericks, and also 23 from Kevin Huerter. Point guard and all-star Trae Young had 22 points and 13 assists against Toronto and is averaging 27.9 points and 9.3 assists for the year. Young will start for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game. He and Luka Dončić are destined to be linked through their careers after they were traded for each other on draft night, 2018 . . . It seems a lot has happened since the Hawks waxed the Mavericks 113-87 in the season opener at Atlanta in October. In that game, Atlanta got 22 points from Cam Reddish. He was the player Atlanta drafted with the pick the Mavericks included in the trade to get Luka and now is with New York, having been traded the Knicks last month for Kevin Knox and a draft pick. Knox has played sparingly for the Hawks and not at all in the last four games . . . They needed a seven-game winning streak in January to dig out of a hole that bottomed out at 17-25.
About the Mavericks: Dončić was voted in by the Western Conference coaches as an All-Star and while it was no surprise that one of the biggest superstars in the league made the game as a reserve, it did not go unappreciated by the 6-7 point guard. “Oh, it’s amazing,” he said. “At the end of the day, you’re an all-star. Obviously, if you’re a starter or not, it changes something. But you’re an all-star. I don’t take it for granted. I’m really happy. I appreciate the coaches. Thank you for picking me. It’s just an honor to be an all-star.” . . . The Mavericks are coming off one of their most impressive wins of the season, when they overcame a 16-point deficit to knock off Philadelphia 107-98 on Friday in a game that didn’t end until early Saturday morning, thanks to a 9 p.m. tipoff and then a 44-minute delay to fix the basket that had gotten wonky . . . Dončić has been on a sensational run lately and Friday’s showing might have topped them all. He had 33 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds. It was the eighth time in his young career he’s had at least 30-15-10 in a game. He and Oscar Robertson are the only ones with that many. It also was Dončić’s 44th triple-double in his career, breaking the tie with Fat Lever for 10th most all time . . . Injuries continue to hound the Mavericks. Kristaps Porzingis (right knee bone bruise) will be out for the fourth consecutive games. Sterling Brown (left foot soreness) will miss his 10th in a row. Tim Hardaway Jr. (foot surgery) is out indefinitely. And Maxi Kleber (left knee) will also miss tonight’s game . . . Lost in the shuffle of the Mavericks’ comeback win on Friday was their revival defensively. After surrendering 33 points in the first quarter and 30 in the second to Philadelphia, they only gave up 35 in the third and fourth quarters combined.
Twitter: @ESefko
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