Mavs vs. Raptors GAMEDAY: Dwight Powell to Start at Center Over JaVale McGee
Things are starting to trend in the right direction for the Dallas Mavericks, who have won consecutive games for the first time after a win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. They’ll try to make it three straight wins on Friday night as they host the Toronto Raptors at American Airlines Center in what will be the fourth game of this five-game homestand.
Doing so is much easier said than done, though, as the Raptors have won four of their last five games, including the last two by a combined 73 points. After getting off to slow starts in the last handful of games, will coach Jason Kidd tweak his starting lineup?
Kidd seems to be committed to JaVale McGee starting at center for now, but if McGee’s play doesn’t pick up soon, a change will have to be made — free agency promises be damned. McGee has been a net negative on the floor so far, while Christian Wood and Dwight Powell are featured in some of the Mavs’ most productive five-man lineups.
UPDATE: Less than two hours ahead of tip-off, Kidd announced that Powell will replace McGee as the starting center for at least tonight’s game.
Luka Doncic will try to make it eight consecutive games scoring 30+ points, but it will be tough against Toronto’s elite length. Doncic has averaged 26.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists in seven career games against the Raptors. The last time the Mavs and Raptors met, Doncic put up 41 points in a win. But before that one, he had only scored 30 points or more against Toronto one time in 2019.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game:
FUN FACT: Christian Wood has scored 20+ points in four of the Mavs’ first five games. He put up 21 points and 10 rebounds in Dallas’ 103-100 win over Utah, including some high-energy plays at the end of the third quarter that got the AAC jumping.
"He's an amazing player," Doncic said of Wood after the win over Utah. "I told him last game we gotta use him more, and that's on me. I think we used him a lot more in this game (against the Jazz). He shows what he can do. He was amazing today, and we just gotta feed him the ball more."
PREVIEW POD: Listen to our latest Mavs Step Back Podcast from Friday morning where the previous night of NBA games is discussed. A preview of Friday’s slate of games, including the Mavs vs. Raptors, can also be found in this one. Thanks for listening!
INJURY REPORT (DALLAS): Dāvis Bertans and Frank Ntilikina are OUT.
INJURY REPORT (RAPTORS): Fred VanVleet (back stiffness) is questionable.
RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (4-3), Toronto Raptors (5-3)
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 4, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. CT
WHERE: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV: Bally Sports Southwest (BSSW), NBA League Pass
RADIO: 97.1 The Freak, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
ODDS: The Mavs are currently 3.5-point favorites vs. the Raptors.
NEXT UP: The Mavs conclude their homestand against the ever-controversial Brooklyn Nets on Monday night. The Nets recently suspended Kyrie Irving for no less than five games.
FINAL WORD: “I think it’s special when you talk about MJ (Michael Jordan) and Wilt (Chamberlain),” said Kidd of Doncic’s historic start to the season. “That’s rare air. We get to see that on a nightly basis, so that’s pretty cool. A 23-year old kid that is playing at this level is really, really kind of special and cool to see.
“He can do it in so many ways when you talk about posting up or getting to the basket or shooting the three or shooting the little step-back. It’s really cool to watch and it just shows the focus that he has right now. He’s carrying the team and putting the team in a position to win.”
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