Cavaliers look to spark new winning streak in game against Dallas Mavericks

The Cleveland Cavaliers prevailed in a 114-105 win over the Washington Wizards on the road on Sunday to prevent a three-game slide. Cavs center Jarrett Allen finished the night with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Forward Evan Mobley added 21 points and six rebounds. He hit nine of his 11 shots from the floor as he worked against Dallas' bigs in the post and off cuts to the basket.

The Cavaliers have gone 2-3 in their last five games. They earned wins over the Wizards and Chicago Bulls while falling in two matchups with the Philadelphia 76ers and one against the Orlando Magic. Cleveland is 19-10 at home and 12-6 against Western Conference opponents this season. It proved victorious against the Sacramento Kings in a 136-110 win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse earlier this month, only adding to what would become a 6-0 start for Cleveland in the month of February.

The Cavs will take a short break from facing their Eastern Conference rivals when they
they return to Cleveland to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

Will the win be enough to rekindle their winning ways in 2024?

Tuesday's game will cap off a two-game regular season series between the two squads this campaign. Cleveland won both of its games against Dallas during the 2022-23 season, including a 100-99 overtime triumph at home that saw big man Christian Wood notch 26 points and 14 rebounds for the Mavs. The Cavs have gone 5-1 against teams from the Southwest Division and 2-0 against the division in the month of February.

The Cavaliers defeated the Mavericks in a 113-110 victory at the American Airlines Center in December. Allen led the squad with a 24-point, 23-rebound double-double. Cleveland won the battle on the boards behind the combined efforts of Allen and guard Craig Porter Jr., who added 12 rebounds in 30 minutes of play, as the Cavaliers brought down 20 more rebounds and 11 more offensive rebounds in the road win.

Allen is averaging 10.6 rebounds per game this season, 0.2 away from the career-high he set during the 2021-22 season, while bringing down 3.4 offensive rebounds per contest. He has averaged 21.3 points and 10.3 boards in the three games he has played in since the All-Star break. Porter Jr., whose two-way deal was converted into a standard contract earlier this month, has hit 50.6% of his shot attempts and brought down 2.4 rebounds per game in the 34 games he has played in this season.

The Cavs will need Allen's rebounding expertise to continue to pave the path to solidifying themselves as one of the league's more proficient rebounding squads. Cleveland has averaged 44.7 rebounds per game, putting them just ahead of the Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans at about seventh place in the NBA. It averages 13.3 contested rebounds, or "rebounds where an opponent is within 3.5 feet of the rebounder," putting them on pace with the Portland Trail Blazers at about 14th place in the league, according to NBA.com.

The Mavericks have gone on a hot streak to push their record up to 33-24. They have won four of their last five games and seven of their last 10. A loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday snapped a seven-game win streak, the longest of their 2023-24 campaign, that saw wins over the 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks. The Mavs are 15-11 and have averaged 116.4 points per contest in road matchups.

The Cavs will have to hold off a Dallas offense that has averaged 117 points per game in its two games since the All-Star break, putting it ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers for about eighth place in the NBA. Cleveland logged the second-highest defensive rating, or "the number of points allowed per 100 possessions by a team," of 110.3 before the All-Star break. They dropped to about 13th in the league with a rating of 112.1 in their three games after the break. It will be up to Allen and some of Cleveland's more reliable defensive options to bring Cleveland back up to its high defensive standards during its next stretch of games.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will tip off against the Mavericks at 7 p.m. EST on Tuesday in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Ohio for local fans.