Mavericks: Dallas Can Make Statement With Win At Atlanta

The Dallas Mavericks have won three of their last four games heading into Monday night’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks at Phillips Arena.

The Dallas Mavericks eyeball the 5th seed in the Western Conference as they travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks. At 28-22, the Mavericks sit three games up on the Houston Rockets and just a game behind the Memphis Grizzlies.

A win against the Hawks would represent one of the bigger road wins on the season for a Dallas squad that’s still trying to prove exactly who they are. To this point, the Mavericks have shown they can play up to better competition while also playing down to lesser opposition.

The Mavericks actually have a better record than the Hawks, even if they simply have one more victory and the same number of losses. A win at Phillips Arena would at least avenge a previous 98-95 loss to Atlanta at American Airlines Center back on December 9.

A big key to this game is whether or not forward Dirk Nowitzki will play after taking Sunday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns off. His presence and scoring ability was obviously missed and the expectation is that he’ll play and help boost the scoring that wasn’t there against the Suns.

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In terms of other scorers, point guard Deron Williams and small forward Chandler Parsons are emerging as ‘go-to’ players for this Mavericks team that needs an identity moving forward. While the team has certainly exceeded the expectations of many before the season started, it certainly appears that the ceiling is a little higher for the Mavericks if they can get the entire roster involved on a nightly basis.

With Nowitzki expected to play in Atlanta, the Mavs will still be without the services of reserve guard Devin Harris, who’s already missed the last four games. His loss hurts the Mavericks because Harris is both a capable shooter as well as a player that can force the issue in the paint, often getting himself to the free-throw line.

In the first game between these two teams, the Mavericks held a decisive 20-6 advantage in offensive rebounds in a losing effort. Atlanta’s 18-7 advantage in fast break points was among the biggest deciding factors in the game.

Dallas certainly needs to hit the 3-pointer a lot better in this game. Nowitzki, Williams and Wesley Matthews combined for 21 attempts beyond the arc but could only sink five of those. It’s rare that Dallas shoots that poorly from downtown.

Finding a way to slow down Hawks forward Paul Millsap would be a great idea this time around. The All-Star veteran scored 20 points at AAC back in December and one would hope that a combination of Parsons and Matthews can slow him down while not allowing too much bleeding elsewhere.

Indeed, the Hawks are a good team that’s certain to make the Eastern Conference playoff bracket later this year. A Mavericks victory would go a long ways towards building up the confidence of this team heading into a badly needed All-Star break.

Next: Mavs Sweep Suns With Win At AAC

Dallas still has remaining games against the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies this week, so there’s not much room for error during this stretch of five games in seven days and also as lots of home games loom during the rest of the season.

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