Washington @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 7, 2017 ) Dallas 113, Washington 99

The Washington Wizards got off to a terrible start on their five-game road trip but turned things around over the last three quarters in Detroit on Friday. The Wizards will try to carry that momentum when they continue the trip with a visit to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

Washington dropped a 133-109 decision at Charlotte to begin the trip and was similarly terrible on defense while falling behind 29-19 after the first quarter in Detroit on Friday before locking down and earning a 122-112 win. The turnaround was sparked by reserve forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who not only played his customary strong defense in the win but continued a recent scoring binge by pouring in 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 31 minutes. The Mavericks endured a slow start in their last game as well but didn't have enough to overcome the deficit after falling behind 33-20 in the first quarter at Portland. "We're coming out too sluggish, too lackadaisical and too nonchalant," point guard Dennis Smith Jr. told reporters after the 117-108 setback. "Whatever word you want to use, we don't have the right disposition to start games out."

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

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (26-20): Oubre is averaging 19.5 points over the last four games and is 14-of-23 from 3-point range in that span. "He competes," Washington coach Scott Brooks told reporters of Oubre. "I always challenge him because at times he makes mistakes, but I'm not just going to let him make mistakes and chalk it up to he's young. I keep challenging him. I keep trying to get him better, and you get better day by day, by working, by showing effort, by watching film, by competing. You don't get better by not doing that. So he does that every night. Steps up and spaces the floor. His shot has been worked on. Give him credit. He's developed that." Oubre's hot streak comes as star guard John Wall is going through a slump while shooting 37.5 percent over the last four contests.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (15-31): Dallas allowed the Trail Blazers to go 18-of-36 from 3-point range in Saturday's loss and shoot 52.3 percent from the floor. "We had to take the 3-pointer out of the game. It's hard to win a game when a team makes 18 threes," Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews told the team's website. "You know, no matter what our defensive coverage is, we've got to commit to it, and we've got to go hard at it. We did that better in the second half, but what burned us was some loose balls and some tap-outs. Us guards, we've got to help our bigs rebound." Dallas is 20th in the league in 3-point defense entering play on Sunday, allowing opponents to shoot 36.8 percent from beyond the arc.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Mavericks PF Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting Saturday after totaling 12 points in the previous two games.

2. Wizards SG Bradley Beal is 8-of-13 from 3-point range in the last two games after going 7-of-31 from beyond the arc in the previous five contests.

3. Dallas earned a 113-99 win at Washington on Nov. 7 behind 31 points from SF Harrison Barnes.

PREDICTION: Wizards 106, Mavericks 103