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Following a disheartening 124-121 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night, the Brooklyn Nets will look to regroup when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Despite out-rebounding Atlanta by 13, Brooklyn faltered on the glass in the final two minutes, allowing a winnable game to slip away.
The Mavericks enter the matchup in an intriguing position. They are aiming to return to the playoffs for the first time in several years, and the talent on their roster suggests they have the tools to do so. On Friday night, Dallas secured a 112-100 NBA Cup victory over the Utah Jazz at home.
Game Information
Who: Brooklyn Nets vs. Dallas Mavericks
When: 7:30 PM EST (6:30 PM CST)
Where: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
Watch: YES Network, DAZN, NBA League Pass
Listen: WFAN radio
Injury Report
Brooklyn Nets:
OUT - Egor Dmin (right bone bruise)
OUT - Mikel Brown Jr. (back-to-back)
Dallas Mavericks:
OUT - Tarik Biberovic (right heel bursitis)
OUT - Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery)
OUT - Sergio de Larrea (right knee sprain)
The Matchup
Back-to-back games are always challenging, and traveling from Atlanta to Dallas adds an extra layer of difficulty. The Nets' performance in this one will be telling.
If Brooklyn hopes to win, they must contain a familiar face: Kyrie Irving. After missing last season with an ACL tear, Irving is back and averaging 21 points per game while maintaining strong shooting numbers. However, his shot profile has shifted—his share of attempts inside three feet is at a career low, while his three-point rate is at a career high. That trend may change as he continues to distance himself from the injury, but it's worth monitoring. Regardless, Irving remains a mesmerizing scorer and a joy to watch when he's on.
Speaking of being on, Nolan Traor continues to impress. The sophomore guard posted 19 points and a career-high five steals in just 22 minutes against Atlanta on Saturday. He did not play in the fourth quarter, but with Brown Jr. out on Sunday, Traor should see ample minutes. When Brown Jr. returns, it will be interesting to see if the coaching staff gives the young guards more time together. The Nets have little to lose by exploring that pairing further.
Brooklyn will also need to maintain their rebounding prowess for the full 48 minutes. They excelled for most of the night against Atlanta but faltered late. Dayron Sharpe and company will look to keep Daniel Gafford, Morez Johnson, and the rest of the Mavericks off the glass. Sharpe, by the way, recorded the first triple-double of his career with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 13 assists.
Player to Watch: Cooper Flagg
Hyperbole is usually best avoided, but an exception can be made here. Cooper Flagg is exceptionally talented for his age, and even in just his second professional season, he appears to be comfortably among the top ten players in the NBA. At only 19 years old, he has the potential to lead the next generation of American men's basketball for the next decade and beyond.
One area that will develop with time and experience is his ability to impact the end of games. In a recent game against the San Antonio Spurs, Flagg was relatively uninvolved in the Mavericks' crunch-time offense. That was surprising given his excellence, and David Trink of Mavs Moneyball offered further insight: "This is not to say that Flagg is incapable. We have seen him take over fourth quarters multiple times this year. If Dallas wants to be a serious playoff contender, however, they can't have weird nights from him like this. Even if his shots are not going in, he has to demand the ball, and he has to take them. It is his job to take the pressure off Irving late in games. He's young, so it is entirely possible he was in his own head after a poor shooting game. But learning to be the guy on a nightly basis and flushing the bad performances will be the next step in his evolution. And that next step is gonna be a doozy."
That said, Flagg has already been terrific, and it will be exciting to watch him play tonight.
Homecoming for Randle
Julius Randle returns to his hometown of Dallas, hoping to put on a show for friends and family. He has had his moments this season but must cut down on turnovers. Randle has committed at least four turnovers in five of the last six games, including a season-high six last night. The Nets cannot afford such miscues and need their All-Star to maximize every possession.
From the Vault
It has probably been a while since you watched some Dirk Nowitzki footage. Allow us to help with that.
More reading: Mavs Moneyball, The Smoking Cuban, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Nets Insider, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Steve's Newsletter.
Originally reported by netsdaily.