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Mavericks-Raptors Preview

Jan 16, 2010 - 7:11 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Dallas (26-13) at Toronto (20-20), 12:30 p.m. EDT

The Dallas Mavericks haven't been playing consistent basketball while spending most of the past few weeks at home, but there's no doubt where they've been at their best this season.

The Western Conference's best road team kicks off a five-game Eastern trip Sunday afternoon looking to continue their dominance of the Toronto Raptors, winners of six of their last seven at Air Canada Centre.

Dallas (26-13) has won three of five games since returning from a 2-2 road trip, but their best performance in that stretch came away from home - a 112-103 win at San Antonio on Jan. 8.

The Mavericks came into Friday's home game against Oklahoma City looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season, and Dirk Nowitzki made sure they would.

Nowitzki scored 32 points and Jason Terry added 21, as Dallas bounced back from a seven-point halftime deficit by holding the Thunder to 36 percent shooting the rest of the way in a 99-98 win.

"We had to find a way to grind this one out, even though offensively it wasn't great," Nowitzki told the Mavericks' official Web site. "It wasn't pretty, but definitely before you go on a big road trip you never want to leave with a loss."

Only Boston and Cleveland have better points differentials on the road than Dallas, which outscores its opponents by an average of 4.0 points away from home.

Yet as well as the Mavericks play as a team on the road, their biggest star has been far better on his home floor. Nowitzki averages 27.3 points and shoots 48.7 percent at American Airlines Center as opposed to 23.3 points and 45.4 percent away from home.

Nowitzki had 29 points when the Raptors (20-20) visited Dallas on Nov. 7, and the Mavericks shot 62.4 percent and scored 74 second-half points in a 129-101 rout, its 11th victory in 12 games in the series.

Nowitzki has averaged 27.4 points as Dallas has won four of its last five visits to Toronto.

The Raptors have been a far better team at home, where they've won six of seven and are 12-6 overall. But they're starting to play better on the road, winning three of their last four.

Hot shooting was the key to Friday's visit to Madison Square Garden. Andrea Bargnani had 14 of his 24 points in the first quarter as Toronto raced out to a 39-20 lead, and the Raptors shot 53.4 percent overall in a 112-104 victory over the Knicks.

"He was pretty aggressive coming out to start the game," said forward Chris Bosh, who had 18 points while taking a backseat to Bargnani and Jose Calderon (21 points). "It was good for him to get himself going and establishing himself early."

Bosh had 26 and Bargnani 22 - both on 8 of 16 shooting - in the November loss to Dallas. The Mavericks have shot 48.8 percent and averaged 106.9 points in their 11 wins over the Raptors since Dec. 15, 2003.

While Bosh and Bargnani will likely have to have big games for Toronto to knock off Dallas, a solid effort from DeMar DeRozan would help. The rookie had 19 points against the Knicks - making a career high 11 of 14 free throws - as the Raptors improved to 10-4 when he scores in double figures.