The Dallas Mavericks (44-27) and their fifth-ranked offense welcome the San Antonio Spurs (44-25) and their fifth-ranked defense. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 24 and can be seen on TNT.
The Mavericks are are expecting a better outcome after their 98-92 loss to the Suns on Sunday. Amare Stoudemire had a good outing, recording 16 points and four rebounds for Dallas. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off a 114-95 win against the Hawks on Sunday. Kawhi Leonard claimed his 12th double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
This showdown pits one of the league’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Dallas currently ranks fifth in the NBA in offensive efficiency and San Antonio is fifth in defensive efficiency.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Mavericks had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 99-93 win. In the victory, Monta Ellis led all scorers with 38 points.
The odds for Dallas and San Antonio are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Mavericks come into this game 44-27 Straight Up (SU) and 30-38-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 2-8 ATS. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of Dallas’s offense, which averages just 12.4 turnovers per game. At the other end, the Mavericks are the league’s top scoring team off turnovers with an average of 19.6 points per game.
Over on the other bench, the Spurs have 44-25 SU and 32-35-2 ATS records. San Antonio performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. Offensively, the Spurs have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 102.5 points per game by averaging 114.2 during that stretch. The Spurs convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking fifth in the league at .462. The Spurs are an unselfish team with an average of 24.3 assists per game, ranking fifth in the NBA.
In their previous meeting this season, Dallas beat San Antonio, but the win was not enough for them to overtake San Antonio in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. With a 7-3 record, the Mavericks have the advantage ATS. San Antonio held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice in the last 10 matchups. On the other side of the court, Dallas never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA, ATS Winner – SA
Notes
San Antonio has allowed an average of 97.8 points per game this season. Dallas averages 104.6 points per game, placing the team third in scoring.
Dallas and San Antonio are well matched, ranking third in points per home game and points allowed per away game respectively. Dallas puts up an average of 106.6 points per home game, while San Antonio gives up 96.3 points per away game on average.
In its last game, San Antonio won by a 19-point margin. Dallas is 14-5 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. San Antonio has a 9-2 record in blowouts.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the San Antonio Spurs are a superb 30-9. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Dallas Mavericks have a poor record of 8-16.
San Antonio is 14-16 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Mavericks have an outstanding 36-11 record when hitting triple digits.
The Mavericks have a defensive rating of 103.1 (ranked 16th), while the Spurs rank seventh for their offensive rating of 105.0.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking fifth in the league with a FG% of 46.2%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Dallas Mavericks have a poor 8-18 record.
The Dallas Mavericks average 26.2 three point attempts per game, and the San Antonio Spurs attempt 22.6 per game. When going for at least 25 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Dallas is 32-15 and San Antonio is 14-9.
Dallas has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.81 this season (ranked sixth), while San Antonio ranks lower at seventh with an A/TO of 1.81.
The Dallas Mavericks rebound 41.9 times per game and are ranked 24th. Ranked 17th, the San Antonio Spurs rebound 43.4 times per game.
Dallas is ranked 25th in defensive rebounds, while San Antonio ranks 26th in offensive rebounds.
Dallas is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 16.0% (ranked third). San Antonio is an even 10-10 SU when it has a TOV% of 16.0% or greater.
