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With the regular season drawing nearer the Dallas Mavericks will aim to continue improving on chemistry and consistency in their final preseason contest at 8 p.m. CST tonight on the road against the Denver Nuggets. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the Nuggets:
Record: 3-4 (preseason)
Last: Lost to Oklahoma City 97-87 on Oct. 16.
Against Mavs: Lost to Dallas 97-88 on March 28.
Recent history of success
Dallas is 6-4 against Denver in its 10 previous matchups. The Mavs have also enjoyed a stretch of recent success against the Nuggets, earning victories in three of their four matchups last season and controlling the overall series in both of the past two seasons.
Cold Nuggets
Nobody likes them. But seriously, Denver has endured a cold shooting spell throughout exhibition play early this season. Despite the fact that teams are shooting around 36 percent from long distance against the Mavs, the Nuggets are shooting a paltry 29.1 percent from three-point range in seven exhibition contests.
Changing of the guard
The rotation of point guards available for Dallas will likely be limited to Deron Williams, Devin Harris and Jonathan Gibson. J.J. Barea has been ruled out of tonight’s game against the Nuggets, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com, because of a left elbow injury that could also potentially keep him out of the team’s regular season opener against Indiana.
Team chemistry remains an integral focal point as the Mavs continue to work their way into regular season form. New acquisitions have struggled to establish offensive consistency on the bench and also within the starting lineup. Harrison Barnes is shooting 23.5 percent (12-for-51) during exhibition while Seth Curry’s production has also taken a recent dip. Curry is shooting 22.2 percent (4-for-18) after catching fire early, shooting 48.5 percent (17-for-35) over the first three contests in exhibition play.
Ball security could prove beneficial
The Nuggets have maintained statistical advantages over Dallas in all areas excluding perimeter shooting, free throw shooting, blocks and turnovers during preseason action. Denver is averaging nearly 18 turnovers per game (17.7) with Dallas turning the ball over 15 times per game.
With both teams averaging right around 100 points per game, those two extra possessions could be monumental in determining whether or not the Mavs will end their preseason with a stroke of good fortune or on a three-game losing skid.
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