Oklahoma City @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 31, 2017 ) Dallas 116, Oklahoma City 113

The Dallas Mavericks forgot they were supposed to be tanking on Monday and instead pulled off an impressive win with a 109-103 triumph over the Indiana Pacers. The Mavericks will try to make it two in a row against playoff-hopeful opponents when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

Dallas owner Mark Cuban was fined $600,000 by the NBA last week for suggesting on a podcast that it might be best for the franchise if the team continued to lose this season in order to improve its draft prospects, but the players are refusing to participate in the tank. "I think it's important for our young guys to learn how to compete and to compete all the time, play hard," Mavericks future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki told reporters. "You play your minutes hard. That's the only way to get better. That's the only way to play in this league, and whatever happens after the season, we'll just go from there. But for now, you play your minutes hard and you play to win." The Thunder are playing to win and bounced back from a loss at Golden State by beating the Orlando Magic 112-105 on Monday. Oklahoma City is among a group of teams clustered between No. 5 and No. 9 in the West and can't afford a loss to a team at the bottom of the standings.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE THUNDER (35-27): Oklahoma City got 48 points from its reserves in Monday's win and is counting on contributions from players other than Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George. "This is the way we have to perform for the rest of the year and throughout the postseason," reserve guard Raymond Felton told reporters. "That's something that we talked about. We talked about it with coach (Billy Donovan), we talked about it amongst ourselves. ... Everybody has a role. We have to continue to play the way we played (Monday)." Felton led four reserves in double figures with 13 points against the Magic.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (19-42): Dallas gets plenty of support of its bench from point guard J.J. Barea, who scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes on Monday. "I'm playing great basketball, I'm really comfortable with this team, I love my teammates," Barea told reporters. "My coaches, they put me in great situations. Whether I start or whether I come off the bench -- and I got great rhythm with this team and with my teammates -- it feels great to be out there." The Mavericks added to the bench at the trade deadline with Doug McDermott, who is 10-of-14 from 3-point range over the last three games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Westbrook is 11-of-41 from the floor in three games since the All-Star break.

2. Mavericks PF Dwight Powell grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds on Monday.

3. Dallas took two of the first three meetings this season, including a 116-113 win at Oklahoma City in the latest matchup on Dec. 31.

PREDICTION: Thunder 112, Mavericks 103