Key Match-up: Gordon Hayward and Wesley Matthews
Although the Mavericks started out the season horribly, they’ve since picked it up significantly and find themselves three games out of eighth place in the West and winners of six of their last nine games. This has been due in large part to much-improved play from several of their players. One guy in particular who has stepped it up of late has been swingman Wesley Matthews.
With the Mavs largely using a smaller lineup due to Andrew Bogut’s injuries, featuring Dirk Nowitzki at the starting center spot and Harrison Barnes at the stretch-four, Matthews has played nicely at the small forward spot.
He’s coming off a 23-point outing in the team’s latest contest against Portland where he went 9-of-17 from the field with three made threes and has scored over 20 points in three of the team’s last five games.
Matthews especially came up big in three of Dallas’ latest wins over big-time opponents such as the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers, who are right there with Dallas in contention for that final playoff spot in the West. He’s a solid defender and a capable shooter who can fill it up from behind the arc while being efficient from all over the court.
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Thus Gordon Hayward will have his hands full as he looks to contain and outmatch the former Jazzman. Hayward had put up two straight 30-point games in the wins over the Hornets and the Hawks, but finished with just 17 last night.
It wasn’t a bad game for him by any means as he played well and simply allowed some of his teammates to pick up the slack, but I expect Hayward to look to bounce back with a higher scoring output in what is bound to be a more hotly contested game against a Mavericks team that has given the Jazz some problems this season.
Given that Hayward is Utah’s leading scorer at 22.1 points per game and Matthews is the Mavs’ third-leading scorer (behind Harrison Barnes and rookie sensation Yogi Ferrell, who has appeared in just six games for the Mavs) at 15.3 per game, both teams rely heavily on these two competitors and whichever one can shine the brightest could very well lead their team to victory.