The Dallas Mavericks are on the brink of being swept by their in-state rivals, the Houston Rockets. It'll take a Herculean effort by the banged-up Mavs to prolong their season by another couple of days.
Can Dallas pull off the upset at home? Here's our Game 4 sneak preview.
Projected Starting Lineups
(Stats compiled from 2015 NBA Playoffs totals)
(2) Houston Rockets (56-26)
G Jason Terry – 9.3 ppg, 5.0 apg, 4.7 rpg
G James Harden – 30.0 ppg, 8.7 apg
F Trevor Ariza – 8.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg
F Terrence Jones – 14.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg
C Dwight Howard – 17.3 ppg, 14.3 rpg
(7) Dallas Mavericks (50-32)
G Raymond Felton – 4.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg
G Monta Ellis – 24.7 ppg, 5.3 apg
F Richard Jefferson – 3.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg
F Dirk Nowitzki – 8.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg
C Tyson Chandler – 10.0 ppg, 11.3 rpg
What to watch for:
Do the Mavericks have enough to even make it close?
Say what you will about Rajon Rondo's playoffs so far, but losing him and Chandler Parsons for this 'win or go home' Game 4 could prove fatal for the Mavs. Raymond Felton and Richard Jefferson need to step up big, and both Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki need to go off for Dallas to keep this one competitive.
Prediction: Rockets win 112-97
Too much James Harden. Too much Dwight Howard. Not enough depth for the Mavs. The Rockets should easily cruise to a second-round berth.
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