Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks Preview: Time to step it up

Dallas Mavericks at Miami Heat
Thursday, 3/29/12, 8:00 PM EST, TV:  TNT
Opening Point Spread:  Miami -8.5
Current Betting Line:  Miami -8
Opening Total:  189
Current Total:  188.5
                                                                                                                                                                 

Dallas enters tonight’s 2011 NBA finals rematch on a two-game win streak that includes a 90-81 win over the Houston Rockets as seven-point home favorites on Tuesday night. The Mavericks will be looking to gain revenge from dropping a 105-94 decision as 4.5-point home underdogs to the Miami Heat in their season opener on Christmas Day.  “A bad taste in our mouth,” commented Mavericks guard Jason Terry about that result. The franchise has still managed to win 14 of the last 15 regular-season meetings in the series. Dallas is 10-5 ATS as an underdog this year and the “under” is 8-7 in that situation.

The Mavericks are still led by the offensive play of All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki, who scored 21 points versus the Rockets and leads the team in averaging 21.0 points per game. Dallas has registered a dismal 10-14 record on the road this season, but is 3-2 in that situation against Eastern Conference opponents. There’s no question that head coach Rick Carlisle is going to mention the previous meeting between these two NBA heavyweights before taking the floor tonight. “We’ve got to think back to Christmas Day because that was a miserable experience for us,” Carlisle stated earlier this week.

Miami returns home after dropping the last two games on a three-game road trip, including a 105-90 loss to the Indiana Pacers as 3.5-point favorites last time out. The Heat have gone “under” the total in five of their last six games, as the offense has sputtered. Since March 2, the team ranks 25th in the league in averaging just 93.1 points per game, which is far off from its 103.8 points it averaged before that point in time during the 2011-12 campaign. Miami is 4-1 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points this year.

The Heat will still have revenge on their minds from losing in the finals last year to the Mavericks despite winning the first meeting this year. Miami is 20-2 overall when playing at the AmericanAirlines Arena this year, including a spotless 5-0 mark versus Western Conference teams.  Star forward LeBron James will be playing with a minor injury to his non-shooting hand, as he dislocated the ring finger on his left against the Pacers.

Bettors will likely back the Mavericks due to their 13-3-1 ATS mark in Miami, while the Heat are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall.

Article courtesy of http://www.madduxsports.com
Image manipulation and restoration courtesy of Alex T Design

The boys have had a few bad games, probably a bad couple of weeks. Since All-Star break the team hasn't been seen to their full potential, tonight would be the perfect launch to get back where they belong, beating the defending champs. Tonight is the night!! ~ A.T.

NBA Rumors: Are the Mavericks Looking to Bring Back Steve Nash?

It is well documented that the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks have interest in signing both center Dwight Howard and point guard Deron Williams this offseason. If their attempts should be unsuccessful, however, a reunion with point guard Steve Nash is certainly possible. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Mavs could very well bring Nash, a two-time NBA MVP, back to the city where he got his start. Nash is reportedly great friends with Mavericks star forward Dirk Nowitzki, so it's likely that the interest would be mutual.

Nash bolted for the Phoenix Suns following the 2003-04 season, as Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was unwilling to sign him to the monster contract that the Suns were. While Nash hasn't brought a title to Phoenix, the signing has obviously been a great one for the Suns. Certainly Cuban has to realize his mistake and would love to rectify it by bringing Nash back, provided neither Howard nor Williams are attainable. Jason Kidd is clearly in the twilight of his career, so Nash would be a major upgrade for the Mavs as he continues to play All-Star basketball.

The Mavericks have played better as of late as they are 21-15 and in sixth in the Western Conference, but they could use a shot in the arm moving forward. Nash isn't an option this season, but the prospect of pairing him with Nowitzki once again next year has to be tantalizing for Mavericks fans.

Even at the age of 38, Nash is leading the league in assists with nearly 11 per contest, while shooting a career-best 54 percent from the field. Nash truly can do it all as he is a master distributor, a great three-point shooter, one of the league's best free-throw shooters and capable of driving to the basket as well.

It isn't often that an owner gets a chance to right a wrong, but it appears as though Cuban will have such a chance this offseason. It's understandable why Howard and Williams are the main priorities since they're younger players who can be franchise cornerstones for years to come, but signing Nash would be more of a feel-good move.On top of that, Nash may give them the best chance to win next year. Nash is the unquestioned master of the pick and roll, so it's crazy to think what he and Nowitzki could create together, especially since Nowitzki is now a wily veteran.

Not only would the signing be great for the Mavs, but it would work for Nash, too. I'm sure Nash wishes that things could have ended better for him in Dallas, but he has a chance to finish what he started. The Suns are clearly in rebuild mode, so signing with the Mavericks could be Nash's best and last chance to win a title.The Mavs have a lot of balls in the air as far as free agency goes, so it's unclear whether bringing back Nash is in the cards. If Dallas does decide to do it, though, Nash certainly won't disappoint.

Article courtesy of Bleacher Report 
By Mike Chiari (Featured Columnist) on March 1, 2012

Stay Down Dirk