The injury-plagued Dallas Mavericks are looking to build momentum in the weeks ahead of the All-Star break when the slumping Washington Wizards visit Monday.
Dallas, already without superstar Luka Doncic since late December due to a calf strain, added Maxi Kleber to its growing list of players sidelined with injuries. Kleber sustained a foot fracture in Saturday’s 122-107 loss to the Boston Celtics, an NBA Finals rematch.
“It’s tough, but we’ve got to keep going, one step at a time,” Daniel Gafford said following Saturday’s loss. “Rough to see (Kleber) go down like that. I don’t know what’s going on with it, but next-man-up mentality, honestly.”
The Mavericks increasingly have had to embrace that mentality of late. Dereck Lively II, an all-around contributor with his 9.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, missed the last six contests with a right ankle stress fracture.
Lively has no definitive timetable for return. Dallas could welcome back Doncic before the All-Star break, per a report from Marc Stein.
Until the Mavericks have their All-NBA guard in the lineup, they are trying to keep pace in a crowded Western Conference race. Dallas is 5-11 since Doncic’s Christmas Day injury and in ninth place in the West.
Washington, meanwhile, languishes in the cellar of the East with the NBA’s worst record. The Wizards complete a six-game road swing with Monday’s contest riding a 13-game losing streak, their second-longest slump of the season.
With Saturday’s 119-109 loss at Phoenix, Washington has dropped its last four by double-digit margins and 10 of the 13 contests amid this streak have been decided by 10 or more points.
The loss in Phoenix was not without some positives for the slumping Wizards, however. Washington dug a deep hole in the first half, trailing by 15 at intermission, but won each quarter of the second half.
Wizards coach Brian Keefe said following the game that he hopes to see Washington build on that.
“We got tighter with our defense, turned them over, cleaned up some of the rebounding issues and that led to us getting transition baskets and playing the way we want,” Keefe said. “We’re starting to learn what we can do and what we’re capable of.”
Kyle Kuzma pulled out of a three-game scoring slump with 30 points on Saturday, and his 11 rebounds gave him his first double-double since Oct. 28.
At 14.6 points per game, Kuzma is Washington’s second-leading scorer behind Jordan Poole at 21.4 ppg. Finding consistent scoring has been a season-long struggle for a Washington offense averaging 107.8 points per game, fourth-fewest in the NBA through games played Saturday.
But Washington’s league-worst 122.1 points per game allowed has been especially vexing — and an area Dallas will look to exploit.
The Mavericks average 115.1 points per game for the season, but have fallen short of that mark in 11 of the last 17 games. Kyrie Irving is averaging 24.4 points per game, but with Doncic (28.1 ppg) out, Dallas has no other scoring option producing at least 14 a night.
P.J. Washington has been the next-most productive scorer at 13.8 points per game. Gafford, a former Wizard, is averaging 12.3 points per game.
–Field Level Media
