MAVERICKS (48-29) at WASHINGTON WIZARDS (33-43)
Time: 6 p.m., Friday.
Place: Capital One Arena, Washington.
TV: Bally Sports Southwest.
Radio: The Eagle 97.1 FM; Univision Zona MX 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Mavericks: Nobody would have guessed a few days after Christmas when they were 16-18 that the Mavericks would be in third place in the Western Conference, already having clinched a playoff berth by the end of March. But that’s where they are . . . The Mavericks have won three in a row, five of six and are 32-11 since New Year’s Eve to rise into a favorable spot in the standings . . . The incoming players in the Kristaps Porzingis trade have been solid additions. Spencer Dinwiddie has a streak of 13 consecutive games scoring in double figures. He’s averaged 17.2 points and 4.2 assists in 18 games since arriving. Davis Bertāns has yet to get on the sort of hot-shooting streak that he’s capable of, but he’s averaged 5.2 points in 17 games and is shooting 32.4 percent from beyond the arc . . . This is the second of a four-game trip that will complete the road portion of the regular season for the Mavericks. They opened with a sharp 120-112 victory at Cleveland on Wednesday. The trip moves on to Milwaukee Sunday afternoon and at Detroit next Wednesday, although the Mavericks will spend a couple nights in Dallas between the matinee event in Milwaukee and the visit to Detroit . . . Dorian Finney-Smith has wasted no time delivering on the new contract he signed on Feb. 12. Since then, he’s averaged 12.7 points and shot 40 percent from 3-point range. He’s also coming off a career-best 28 points on Wednesday at Cleveland . . . Luka Dončić has been consistently great all season but particularly so in the last four games, when he’s averaged 31.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.5 assists. He’s also knocked down 44.4 percent from 3-point land in that stretch.
About the Wizards: They made the trade for Kristaps Porzingis and his large contract on deadline day and the 7-3 Unicorn has started to show people in Washington what he can do. The Wizards are coming off a 127-110 smashing of Orlando on Wednesday in which Porzingis had 35 points and eight rebounds. Porzingis has averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in 13 games with the Wizards. Said Porzingis of meeting the Mavericks for the first time since the trade: “It’s not going to be like my first game with Dallas in New York. That one was just crazy. This one is going to be a bit more just me competing against my old team. We’ll see.” . . . The Wizards have won three of their last four games, although they are out of contention for any postseason action . . . They won’t know exactly what their team looks like until next season. Star guard Bradley Beal (wrist) is out for the remainder of this season and Kyle Kuzma (knee) sat out Wednesday’s game. The hope for the Wizards is that they can pair Porzingis and Beal for a dynamic combo with strong scoring punch from the perimeter . . . Guard Tomas Satoransky had one of the weirdest statistical lines of the season against the Magic on Wednesday, dishing out 13 assists, grabbing 10 rebounds – and scoring zero points. He took only two shots . . . Hard to believe the Wizards started the season 14-8. That start included a 120-114 win at American Airlines Center. In that game (in which Spencer Dinwiddie did not play for the Wizards) Kuzma and Beal combined for 48 points and center Daniel Gafford had 14 points and 10 rebounds . . . Since their hot start, the Wizards are 19-35.
Twitter: @ESefko
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