JEFF ALLEN GAME PREVIEW: GRIZZ at DALLAS
With less than a week left in the NBA regular season, 12 of the 16 playoff spots have already been claimed with
three of the remaining four virtual locks. Even the battle between Utah and Houston for the final spot in the West
is pretty much a formality after the Rockets inexplicable loss to the Suns last night. Still to be determined and still
up for grabs though in the next seven days are home courts and all important seeding. Tonight we look at two
teams headed in opposite directions as the Memphis Grizzlies take on the Dallas Mavericks at the America Airlines
Center. At this writing, the Mavericks are -6 point favorites with the total down a full three points to 191 1/2.
The Grizz limp into Big D losers of six of seven and scrambling to find healthy bodies to suit up after being decimated
with injuries. Leading scorer and top defensive big man Marc Gasol (16.6, 7.9) has been out since early February after
foot surgery. PG Mike Conley (15.3, 2.9, 6.1) was lost for the season Tuesday with a ruptured achilles. This pretty much
leaves Zach Randolph (15.3, 7.9, 2.1) and Tony Allen with any combination of Matt Barnes, Chris ‘Birdman” Anderson,
Vince Carter, Mario Chalmers and Lance Stephen to throw it up the rest of the way.
The Dallas Mavericks looked like they would miss the playoffs but have sucked it up in April to win their last five. The
Mavs have really turned it up defensively allowing just 88, 89, 89, 78, and 86 points over this current run which has
translated into five big wins. AgelessvDirk Nowitzki (18.3, 6.5) is having another Dirk like year and he’s been getting
help from players like Wesley Mathews, J.J. Barea and ZaZa Pachulia on both ends of the floor. PG Deron Williams
(14.0, 2.9, 6.8) will miss his ninth straight game here with a sports hernia but based on Dallas’ play the last ten days,
that might be addition by subtraction.
The series has been pretty much dead even the last three years with the Mavs holding a slight 6-5 (7-4 ATS) edge with
9 of the 11 going over the total. Because of injuries and what is at stake, this is a tough game to call. We like the Mavs
but not very interested in laying this type of points, especially with the Mavs on a current 0-4 run as home favorites. The
total might be a horse out of the barn already as well and the move is not consistent with the series history. The last game
on the floor was 97-88 Mavs and that would look to be the case again tonight. Perhaps a money line flyer on the Mavs
might be in order.