Cleveland @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 30, 2017 ) Cleveland 97, Dallas 104

The Cleveland Cavaliers are losers of six of their last eight games and stand as one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. The Cavaliers will get a chance to get themselves right on the defensive end when they visit one of the worst offensive teams in the league in the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

Cleveland allowed its opponent to score at least 112 points in each of the last 10 games, capped by a 117-113 loss at Houston on Thursday that kicked off a four-game road trip. "I thought with the effort and the energy, if we play like that every night we'll be a lot better," Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters of the defense after holding the Rockets to 46.8 percent shooting in the loss. "They had us scrambling around early. ... Overall, I thought we were flying around defensively and trying to run guys off the 3-point line, contesting shots." The Mavericks had yet to reach 112 points in a game until breaking out in a 113-99 win at the Washington Wizards on Tuesday that snapped a six-game slide. "You know, I thought everyone did a great job chipping in," Dallas forward Harrison Barnes, who scored a season-high 31 points, told reporters. "It was a great win for us."

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

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (5-7): James missed most of the preseason due to ankle issues and rolled his left ankle in Thursday's loss. "It's been the story of the early season for me kind of turning my ankles," James, who plans to play on Saturday, told reporters. "Just lace them up tighter and get back out there." James delivered 33 points in 40 minutes in the loss and is averaging 29.3 points on 60.1 percent shooting, 8.9 assists and seven rebounds in 38 minutes -- second-highest minutes average in the league heading into play on Friday.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (2-10): Dallas hasn't had much reason for optimism this season aside from flashes of brilliance from rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who scored a season-high 22 points to go with eight rebounds and eight assists in the win over Washington. "Dennis Smith was a great basketball player tonight," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after the game. "He was great in all areas. He demonstrated aggression, poise, smarts and leadership, and it's great to see. He's worked so hard and it's been frustrating, obviously, at times, but to have it come together on the road in really a must-win game with where we're at is really great to see. Now, he's just got to duplicate it." Smith is averaging 18.5 points over the last four games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Cavaliers reserve F Jeff Green scored a season-high 27 points on Thursday -- his first 20-plus outing of the campaign.

2. Mavericks PF Dirk Nowitzki scored in single figures in each of the last three games.

3. Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with a 104-97 win at home on Jan. 30.

PREDICTION: Cavaliers 118, Mavericks 106