Nuggets vs. Mavericks Preview

Nov 23, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) fouls Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson (3) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 102-100. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets are in Dallas tonight to take on the Mavericks at 8:30 ET. These two teams are in the middle of a back-to-back as Denver took the first one at the Pepsi Center Saturday night, 102-100.

Denver is entering this game at (6-6) as they have won four out of their last six ball games. Many may say it’s the fact that Wilson Chandler is finally back in the lineup, as he sat out the preseason and first six games due to a nagging hamstring injury. But I believe this team is almost there, all they need to work on playing a complete game, and make their free-throws. Denver is sitting at 26th in the league in free-throw percentage, roughly around 69.7%.

Back to the game, Kenneth Faried played one of his best games of the season against Dallas, as he finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, going (7-7) from the field. Mavericks star forward Dirk Nowitzki would have a solid game of his own, as he tallied 27 points, 9 rebounds, but missed the shot at the end to tie it.

Denver has a tough task as they will be playing on the road, where they have struggled. They are currently 1-4 on the season, and are looking for their second win tonight. A key match-up to watch will be Nuggets guard Randy Foye and Mavericks guard O.J. Mayo.

Randy Foye nailed the game-winning three pointer Saturday night to propel the Nuggets to victory; he also scored a season-high 17 points. O.J. Mayo on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise for Dallas. On the season, he is averaging 23.6 points per game, shooting 49.4% which is a career-high. In Saturday’s loss, he scored 25 points, and added 6 rebounds.

If Denver can limit O.J. Mayo on the offensive end and cash in on their free-throws, I like their chances tonight on the road.