WASHINGTON WIZARDS (12-7) at MAVERICKS (10-7)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas.
TV: Bally Sports Southwest.
Radio: The Eagle 97.1 FM; Univision Zona MX 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Mavericks: They took two rest days to recover from a four-game trip and enjoy Thanksgiving before returning with a robust practice on Friday. They went 1-3 on the trip, but salvaged it with an overtime victory Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers . . . Luka Dončić returned from a three-game absence to roll up 26 points, nine assists and nine rebounds against the Clippers . . . So far, the Mavericks have done a good job of protecting their home court, going 6-1 at AAC. “If you want to be one of the top teams in the league, you have to protect home,” Jason Kidd said. “You’ll take the .500 on the road, or even better. It’s hard to be an elite team and not win at home. If you’re mindset is to protect home and then go out on the road and go .500, that puts you as one of the top teams.” . . . They have won the last five home meetings against the Wizards, who haven’t won at AAC since Dec. 12, 2015 . . . Kristaps Porzingis has been on a tear. Over the last seven games, he’s had at least 20 points in all seven and averaged 26 points and 9.3 rebounds. He’s also shot at least 54 percent from the field in six of the seven games. And he takes advantage of his easy chances. He’s hit 33 of his last 35 free throws (94.3 percent) . . . The Mavericks actually are in the bottom half of the league in both offensive (19th) and defensive (17th) rating. But they have managed to stay on the top side of .500 in part because they are best in the NBA at not turning the ball over, committing only 12.1 giveaways per game . . . They are going to be without Frank Ntilikina (calf) and Reggie Bullock (non-COVID illness).
About the Wizards: Unlike the Mavericks, who will have had three days without a game, the Wizards are playing their third game in four days to start a four-game trip. They lost Wednesday at New Orleans and won Friday night at Oklahoma City . . . If you’re looking for one of the best, and most surprising, stories in the league so far, it’s the Wizards. They changed a lot since last season with new coach Wes Unseld Jr. replacing Scottie Brooks and a slew of new players replacing Russell Westbrook (Kyle Kuzma, Spencer Dinwiddie, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope). Kidd coached Kuzma, Harrell and Caldwell-Pope last season in LA with the Lakers. “They’re playing at a high level,” Kidd said. “All three are playing great for Washington and that’s helped them be one of the best teams in the East.” . . . There is one thing that hasn’t changed, however: high-scoring Bradley Beal remains their anchor. But even he has found ways to reinvent himself a bit in the Wizards’ new world. After averaging 31.3 points last season, second most behind Golden State’s Steph Curry, Beal is showing now that even in the NBA, sometimes less is more as he is putting up a more human-like 23-plus points per game. Yet the Wizards are winning with more regularity . . . Kuzma has been averaging nearly a double-double and Dinwiddie remains one of the league’s most versatile guards . . . They have been without talented big man Rui Hachimura (personal reasons) the entire season, although he has returned to practice recently. They also are without center Thomas Bryant, who is out for the season after knee surgery.
Twitter: @ESefko
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