Toronto @ Dallas preview
American Airlines Center
Last Meeting ( Nov 26, 2022 ) Dallas 100, Toronto 105
The Dallas Mavericks will strive to continue their torrid start when they host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
Dallas has won six of its first seven games and has the second-best record in the NBA behind the defending champion Denver Nuggets. The Mavericks' lone loss came against the 7-1 Nuggets.
After losing to Denver on Friday, Dallas notched consecutive comeback victories during a back-to-back.
The Mavericks overcame a 15-point deficit on Sunday to post a 124-118 home victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Dallas outscored Charlotte 74-56 in the second half.
One night later, the visiting Mavericks dominated the second half against the Orlando Magic. After trailing by as many as 15 points, Dallas outscored Orlando 64-36 after halftime to record a 117-102 victory.
Mavericks shooting guard Kyrie Irving said the comebacks are no accidents.
"When you're dealing with some type of adversity where the game's not going your way, or the basketball's not going in the rim, or guys are missing assignments, you've got to still be able to collect yourself," said Irving, who had 21 points and 10 assists against the Magic. "I think this year we're really galvanizing each other and holding each other accountable during those tough situations, which helps our chemistry."
Luka Doncic scored 29 points against Orlando despite missing the final 7:17 of the third quarter after bumping his head. He returned to play the entire fourth quarter and he and Irving (11 points) combined for 23 of the team's 31 final-period points.
"You've just got to pick your poison," Dallas backup guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said. "They're two of the best on the floor in a pick-and-roll situation. The other three guys just try to do our best to make their jobs easier when they kick it out to us to knock down a shot or make a play."
Doncic ranks third in the NBA in scoring average with 31.6 points per game.
Toronto is 1-1 on a four-game road trip that included a wild 123-116 overtime win over the host San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
The Raptors overcame a 22-point deficit and rebounded from a porous 35-point first half to score 88 after intermission.
"We didn't run different plays in the second half," Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said afterward. "It was just our intentions and how aggressive we were doing that in the second half that gave us a chance."
Scottie Barnes scored 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Raptors outscored San Antonio 39-24 to force the extra session.
Overall, Barnes had season highs of 30 points and three steals and also contributed 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.
Barnes is averaging a team-best 22.6 points while shooting 51.3 percent from the field.
"I just stay confident each and every single one," Barnes said of his shooting. "Knowing that I can make those shots, I work on it every single day. ... You just gotta have that confidence."
Dennis Schroder and OG Anunoby each scored 24 points against the Spurs.
The teams split two meetings last season, with Toronto's victory in the second matchup halting the Mavericks' four-game winning streak in the all-time series.
--Field Level Media