Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks

San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks

American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
December 20, 2014, 7:30 p.m. Spurs Time
TV: FSSW- RADIO: 1200 AM WOAI

The Spurs will take on the Mavericks in Dallas for the first time this season and they'll do it without Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili in the lineup. After back-to-back triple overtime games the veterans are getting the night off and will join Tony Parker (hamstring,) Kawhi Leonard (hand) and Patty Mills (shoulder) on the bench tonight.

The Mavericks just pulled off a big name trade by sending Brandon Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson and two draft picks to the Celtics for Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell. Check out Jesus Gomez and Michael Erler's takes on the move for the Mavs. This will be Rondo's Mavericks debut.

The Spurs have lost three in a row, four of their last five and somehow, all four of their overtime games this season. Add the rest of the December schedule (Mavs, Clips, OKC, NOP, Rox, Grizz, NOP) to that and the Spurs are in danger of falling well behind the top seeds in the standings.

The I-35 rivals have gone 4-3 over their last seven and are currently the fifth seed in the Western Conference, a full two games above San Antonio. The Mavs have yet to beat a Western Conference playoff team. That seems primed to change with the Spurs going without their Big Four on a SEGABABA.

I would love to see a game where the 10 men available sync and do the whole-greater-parts thing. A victory is pretty unlikely with the Mavs running the most efficient offense in the league, but with the Mavs adding a new primary ball handler there might be a small opportunity for the Spurs B-Team to steal this one while Dallas adjusts.

	vs.
Dallas Mavericks (19-8)		San Antonio Spurs (17-10)
December 20, 2014
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
7:30 p.m. CST
TV: FSSW Radio: WOAI 1200AM
Starters
Rajon Rondo	PG	Cory Joseph
Monta Ellis	SG	Danny Green
Chandler Parsons	SF	Kyle Anderson
Dirk Nowitzki	PF	Matt Bonner
Tyson Chandler	C	Aron Baynes

Game prediction: The fan in me wants to believe that the B-Team can put it all together and pull out an improbable win on the road, but I don't see it. The Mavs are too good. Dallas by 9.

Line in Vegas: Mavs by 11.

For the Mavericks fan's perspective, visit Mavs Moneyball.

As always, Tony must dominate Fisher, and you can get your San Antonio Spurs tickets from Daniel Farias with Spurs Sports & Entertainment: Tel: 210-444-5607 | dfarias@attcenter.com