With Josh Howard sidelined by a sprained left ankle, Dirk Nowitzki has carried the bulk of the scoring responsibilities for the Dallas Mavericks, while Jason Terry has been indispensable off the bench. Still, Howard's contribution is sorely missed.
With Howard expected to remain sidelined, the Mavericks look to bounce back after having their five-game winning streak snapped when they visit the slumping Sacramento Kings on Saturday.Dallas (7-8) has gotten off to a slow start this season under new coach Rick Carlisle, but seemed to be improving recently, beginning a five-game winning streak on Nov. 16. Nowitzki was averaging 28.8 points during that stretch, helping the Mavericks get by without Howard, who sat out the last three of those wins with a sprained left ankle.
Howard also missed Friday's 114-107 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Terry continued his stellar stretch off the bench, scoring 29 points, boosting his scoring average to 24.0 points in the last six games. Nowitzki added 19 points and 12 rebounds.
However, despite Terry's solid contribution and Dallas going 13-of-29 from 3-point range, that wasn't enough on Friday. Nowitzki was held to his fewest total points in seven games - with only five in the first half - and the Lakers took control by using a 17-0 run in the second half.
Nowitzki said the absence of Howard, which has led to increased minutes for the bench, is hurting the team.
"We need John Howard back. It's not rocket science," Nowitzki said. "He's developed into a great scorer for us. We need him back healthy, slicing and scoring."
The Mavericks might be able to get by without him in their next few games as they play back-to-back contests against two of the Western Conference's worst teams. After Saturday's road game against Sacramento, Dallas returns home to open a seven-game homestand, beginning with the 2-13 Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
The Mavs are certainly facing the Kings (5-12) at an ideal time. Sacramento has lost five in a row, including a 120-94 loss to Utah on Friday. The Kings were outscored 44-17 in the third quarter after the game was tied at 50 at halftime as their defense continues to struggle.
Sacramento has dropped eight of its last nine overall.
"Losing like that, you should be angry at somebody," Kings coach Reggie Theus said. "That's just being a competitor. We've got to get our attitude right."
John Salmons scored 20 points and was one of only two starters to score in double figures while Spencer Hawes added 18 off the bench. The Kings are allowing 112.4 points per game in the last five contests. Saturday opens a four-game homestand for Sacramento, which has lost five straight at home.
The Kings have lost seven of their last eight against the Mavericks, including two of three last season. Dallas averaged 119.3 points in the three meetings last season, with Nowitzki averaging 26.3.
