Getting off to a better start will be the focus for the Dallas Mavericks when they host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
The Mavericks have trailed after the first quarter in five of their first seven games this season and were down 15-2 just over 3 1/2 minutes into what ended up a 134-127 loss to the visiting Indiana Pacers on Monday.
“I think that’s just kind of been our MO right now is the slow starts,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “We got to figure out how to get the ball moving, get everyone touching it (and) everybody moving. The energy has to be better. We’ve been flat here at home for whatever reasons, so we got to be better with our energy.”
Luka Doncic paced the Mavericks with 34 points, seven rebounds and 15 assists against Indiana. Kyrie Irving added 27 points, while Naji Marshall chipped in 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting off the bench.
However, Dallas was without center Dereck Lively II, who sprained his right shoulder while warming up for the game. He is questionable for the meeting with Chicago.
“I don’t know when he got hurt,” Kidd said. “He got scratched right before our (pre-game) meeting.”
If Lively doesn’t go, Marshall could once again end up anchoring the second unit.
“I was just getting more and more comfortable,” Marshall said of his outing on Monday. “Guys put me in the right position to be at my best. I was playing with energy.”
The Bulls, who have dropped two straight games and three of their past five, know about injuries all too well. Lonzo Ball hasn’t played since Oct. 28 because of a sprained right wrist, and Chicago was without two-time All-Star Zach LaVine (adductor) during a 135-126 loss to the previously winless Utah Jazz on Monday.
LaVine is questionable for Wednesday.
“We’re not where we need to be (defensively) to win games,” Bulls center Nikola Vucevic said following the setback against the Jazz. “(Monday) showed we never were able to get stops consistently. And then when we would get stops, we didn’t rebound.
“So as a team we have to be better defensively to give us a chance.”
Vucevic supplied 23 points and 10 boards against Utah. Coby White netted a team-high 28 points thanks in large part to a 6-of-9 shooting from 3-point range, and Ayo Dosunmu contributed 25 points.
“I know it’s early in the year, but he’s really playing well on both ends of the floor,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said of Vucevic. “He’s been great. He’s been great with the young guys. He’s shot the ball well inside and behind the line.”
But as Vucevic noted, Chicago’s defense has been dragging the team down. The Bulls are allowing the sixth-most points per game in the league (119.4).
That’s a welcome sight for a Dallas team that was held under 110 points in back-to-back games ahead of the Indiana loss.
The Mavericks beat the Bulls twice to sweep the season series a year ago.