Spurs (5-8) at Mavericks (7-5)
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Place: American Airlines Center
TV/Radio: FSSW; ESPN, 103.3 FM, Univision, 1270 AM (Spanish)
About the Mavs: This is the second of a four-game home stand that started with an eight-point win over Toronto . . . They will be trying to win back-to-back home games for the first time this season . . . San Antonio has pretty much been poison to the Mavericks in recent years. The Mavericks have lost five in a row and 15 of the last 17 meetings with their I-35 rivals . . . Luka Doncic ranks in the top 10 in the NBA in points (28.5, sixth), rebounds (10.7, 10th) and assists (9.1, second). And, of course, he leads the league in triple doubles with five . . . Ball security is a major point of emphasis for coach Rick Carlisle and the Mavericks have risen to fourth in the league in fewest turnovers at 13.4 per game . . . Defensively, the best thing the Mavericks have done so far is keep opponents off the free-throw line. They are averaging only 19.9 free throws per game, third fewest in the league.
About the Spurs: They are on a five-game losing streak that is rooted in defense, or the lack thereof. They are giving up nearly 122 points per game in the skid and opponents are shooting 47.6 percent. They also are giving up more than 28 free throws per game during the downturn . . . The Spurs take fewer 3-pointers than any team in the league (25.1 per game), although they shoot a respectable 35 percent from beyond the arc . . . Point guard Dejounte Murray missed all of last season to injury, but has returned to average 10.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, despite playing less than 23 minutes per game as his load management is watched closely . . . Former Seagoville standout LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 18.5 points per game. For his career, he has averaged 21.7 points against the Mavericks, his second-highest average of any opponent . . . DeMar DeRozan leads the Spurs at 19.8 points per game.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment