By Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Shootaround Report: Jazz (10-6) at Mavericks (11-8)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Carter went through the Mavericks’ morning shootaround and left a good impression on coach Rick Carlisle as he tries to return from a sprained left foot that kept him sidelined for five games. Meanwhile, West is a game-time decision for the matchup with the Jazz after suffering a strained right hamstring Wednesday night in a 105-90 home loss to Minnesota.
“I think there’s a good chance [Carter] will play tonight, so we’re optimistic,” Carlisle said. “It gives us another experienced guy that can score. He’s been a real good system player for us defensively and getting him back into the fray is a positive thing for us. We’ll see where we are tonight.”
With Carter possibly returning to action for the first time since injuring the foot on the final play of a 73-70 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 16, the Mavs could certainly receive a boost. But already down leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki for at least one more game while he battles a sore right knee, Carlisle admits that his rotation would take a hit if West is forced to miss time.
“That’s gonna be a game-time decision. We’ll see how he’s doing,” Carlisle said of the West injury. “It’s not serious, but we just don’t know right now.”
At the same time, the Mavs will try to bounce back from a disappointing showing in the second matchup during their current four-game homestand. And after losing a 14-point lead to the Timberwolves and eventually their three-game win streak and seven-game unbeaten stretch at home, the Mavericks will try to get back on track. Enter a Utah team Dallas has beaten five straight times, including a 94-91 road victory on Jan. 19, after the Mavs’ franchise-record 15-game stretch of holding opponents below 100 points came to an end Wednesday night.
“Each game is important and we’ve got a lot of home games during this period. We’re motivated to take care of home court, but it’s not going to be easy,” the coach explained. “Wednesday, we got beat. We got beat by a team that played better than us and we took some steps back defensively. We’ve got to get our defense back to where it was and that’s the main goal tonight.”
“We know what they’re gonna do. I mean, we just played them a few days ago,” forward Shawn Marion added. “They’re a young and energetic team and they’ve been playing very well. So, we’ve gotta make them work for everything and guard our guys, limit them to one opportunity and do what we do. That means make the extra pass, share the ball and take what’s given.”
The Mavericks return to action in the third matchup of a four-game homestand Friday night when they host the Utah Jazz. The Mavs lead the season series 1-0 after a 94-91 road win on Jan. 19. The Jazz-Mavericks game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-6287.
Single-game tickets are on sale and available at the American Airlines Center North Box Office, online at mavs.com, via phone by calling 214-747-MAVS or 1-800-4NBA-TIX and all Ticketmaster outlets (Fiesta Grocery Stores, Wal-Mart, Simon Mall in Garland and the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano).
Dr. Pepper Family Nights are here! Plans include four Mavs tickets and four McDonald’s extra value meals, starting at $49. Visit mavs.com or call 214-747-MAVS for a schedule of games and to purchase tickets.
