Dallas @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 28, 2019 ) Dallas 141, Golden State 121

The Dallas Mavericks weren't satisfied with a 3-3 homestand but at least leave home with a positive feeling after a strong second half and a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. The Mavericks will begin a two-game, back-to-back road trip when they visit the struggling Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

Dallas, which visits Sacramento on Wednesday to complete the back-to-back, dropped games against Western Conference contenders Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers and trailed at the half against Philadelphia on Saturday before soft-spoken assistant coach Mike Weinar delivered a rare locker room speech. "At halftime, we were flat and one of my assistant coaches who doesn't speak up very often, actually, had some fiery inspiration words for the team," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. "Mike Weinar felt strongly about a couple things in this game, and I really think those couple sentences, the way he said it, really kind of got our guys into it. The third quarter was spectacular." Dallas ended up outscoring the 76ers 68-41 in the second half and cruising to a 109-91 win, while the Warriors went the opposite way after the break in their latest setback. Golden State trailed by one point at the half at Memphis on Sunday before being outscored 35-17 in the third quarter and dropping a 122-102 decision - its eighth straight setback.

TIME: 10:30 p.m. ET. TV: NBA TV, FS Southwest, NBCS Bay Area, TSN1

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (24-15): Star guard Luka Doncic had a string of six straight games scoring 20 or more points come to an end when he was held to 19 points on 4-of-15 shooting on Saturday, though he still filled the box score with 12 assists and eight rebounds. The MVP candidate is 3-of-15 from 3-point range over the last three games but felt good about what the team was able to accomplish Saturday. "We played like a team," Doncic told reporters. "It wasn't just me. Every player stepping on the court (contributed). We had some tough losses, but we did a good job of moving to the next one. We needed it badly. We showed we can play. (The 76ers are) one of the top teams in the East. We showed we can play against anybody. We just have to do it constantly."

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (9-33): Golden State got guard D'Angelo Russell (shoulder) back from a six-game absence on Sunday and he delivered a game-high 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting - 5-of-9 from 3-point range - in 35 minutes but the rest of the team combined to shoot 33.8 percent from the floor in the loss. Former All-Star power forward Draymond Green struggled to three points on 1-of-5 shooting at Memphis and is averaging four points on 22.2 percent shooting in five games this month. The Warriors struggled on the interior against the Grizzlies, getting outrebounded 60-47 and outscored in the paint 62-26.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Warriors sent SG Damion Lee to the G League on Sunday as they work to convert his two-way deal into a multi-year contract.

2. Mavericks PF Kristaps Porzingis (knee) sat out the last seven games and remains questionable.

3. Dallas crushed the Warriors 142-94 at home on Nov. 20 and earned a 141-121 win at Golden State on Dec. 28, with Doncic averaging 33 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

PREDICTION: Mavericks 131, Warriors 113