The Dallas Mavericks have wasted no time in raising fans’ expectations for this new season, kicking the doors down and jumping out to a 4-0 record. They join the Boston Celtics as the only two remaining unbeaten teams. (A group the Nuggets were booted from when they got swamped by the Timberwolves on Monday.) And mind you, Dallas has done this with Kyrie Irving missing two games with an ankle injury.
Now, not only is their perfect record and spot atop the Western Conference at stake, but this matchup will mark the first of the qualifying games for the newly introduced In-Season Tournament, so get an appropriate amount more excited based on how you feel about that new wrinkle to the season.