Chicago Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 6th 2024
Preview and Prediction
The Dallas Mavericks will be focusing on a stronger beginning as they prepare to face the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday evening. In their first seven games of the season, the Mavericks have found themselves trailing after the first quarter in five of those games. This was evident in their most recent game against the Indiana Pacers, where they were down 15-2 in just over three and a half minutes. Unfortunately, this slow start led to a 134-127 loss for the Mavericks.
According to Dallas coach Jason Kidd, this has been a recurring issue for the team. He believes that they need to improve their ball movement, involve all players, and increase their energy levels to avoid these slow starts. In their game against Indiana, Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 34 points, seven rebounds, and 15 assists, while Kyrie Irving and Naji Marshall also contributed with 27 and 20 points respectively. However, the team was missing center Dereck Lively II due to a sprained shoulder, and his availability for the upcoming game against Chicago is uncertain.
Kidd stated that Lively's injury occurred during warm-ups, and if he is unable to play, Marshall may once again take on the role of leading the second unit. Marshall, who had a strong performance against Indiana, expressed his comfort and energy on the court, thanks to his teammates' support.
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The Bulls, who have lost two of their last three games, have also been dealing with injuries. Lonzo Ball has been out since October 28 due to a sprained wrist, and Zach LaVine, a two-time All-Star, was absent from their game against the Utah Jazz on Monday due to an adductor injury. LaVine's availability for the game against Dallas is uncertain.
After their loss to the Jazz, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic expressed his disappointment in the team's defense, which has been a major factor in their recent losses. He believes that the team needs to improve defensively to have a chance at winning games. In their game against Utah, Vucevic contributed 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu added 28 and 25 points respectively.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan praised Vucevic's performance on both ends of the court and his leadership with the younger players. However, he also acknowledged the team's struggles on defense, as they are currently allowing the sixth-most points per game in the league. This could be a potential advantage for the Mavericks, who have struggled to score in their last two games.
Last season, the Mavericks swept the Bulls in their two meetings, and they will be looking to continue this trend on Wednesday.
Chicago Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks Recap NOV 1TH 2023
Grant Williams matched his career highs of 25 points and seven 3-pointers and the Dallas Mavericks improved to 4-0 for the first time since the 2004-05 season after notching a 114-105 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
Tim Hardaway Jr. recorded season highs of 24 points and seven 3-pointers for Dallas, which opened the season 4-0 for just the fourth time in franchise history. The Mavericks and Boston Celtics are the lone unbeaten teams in the NBA.
Luka Doncic contributed 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for Dallas. Derrick Jones Jr. added 17 points for the Mavericks.
Zach LaVine scored 22 points and Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and a season-high 20 rebounds for the Bulls. DeMar DeRozan had 16 points and seven assists, Jevon Carter had 12 points off the bench and Coby White scored 10 points.
Kyrie Irving (foot sprain) missed his second straight game for the Mavericks. Teammate Maxi Kleber sustained a foot injury in the second quarter and missed the remainder of the contest.
Doncic was just 5-of-16 shooting, including 1 of 8 from 3-point range. He was averaging 39 points per game entering the contest.
Dallas shot 45.7 percent from the field, including 20 of 48 from 3-point range.
The Bulls made 47.2 percent of their shots and were 11 of 33 from behind the arc.
Carter scored five points during a 7-0 Chicago run early in the fourth quarter as the Bulls took a 90-85 lead.
Dallas answered with a 9-2 spurt that included a 3-pointer from Doncic and a four-point play by Hardaway to move ahead by two with 7:11 left.
After Chicago moved back ahead on baskets from LaVine and Torrey Craig, Williams sank his sixth trey to give the Mavericks a one-point lead with 5:38 remaining. Jaden Hardy followed with a basket 25 seconds later to make it 99-96.
More than 3 1/2 minutes later, Hardy connected on a 3-pointer to give Dallas a 106-100 advantage with 1:41 left.
Williams' final trey made it 112-102 with 27.5 seconds left as Dallas closed it out.
The Bulls held an 83-81 lead entering the final stanza.
LaVine was 5 of 6 from 3-point range while scoring 17 first-half points as Chicago led 50-49 at the break. Williams scored 13 in the half for Dallas.