The Dallas Mavericks (10-5), losers of two straight after an impressive six-game winning streak, host a New York Knicks team (4-11) still struggling to find its true identity under new head coach Derek Fisher.
Projected Starting Lineups
New York Knicks
G Jose Calderon – 6.0 ppg, 4.0 apg
G Iman Shumpert – 11.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.5 apg
F JR Smith – 10.0 ppg, 3.4 apg
F Quincy Acy – 5.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg
C Samuel Dalembert – 3.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Dallas Mavericks
G Jameer Nelson – 7.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg
G Monta Ellis – 19.8 ppg, 4.7 apg
F Chandler Parsons – 14.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg
F Dirk Nowitzki - 19.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg
C Tyson Chandler - 10.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg
What to watch for:
Not a Melo holiday for the Knicks
New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony will sit out Wednesday's game in Dallas after back spasms caused him to miss the second half of Monday's 91-86 loss to the Houston Rockets. Carmelo Anthony is the engine that makes the stop-and-start Knicks offense run, so it will be an uphill battle for New York to match firepower with the Mavs sans Melo on Thanksgiving Eve.
Back to basics in Dallas
After a 111-100 home loss to the depleted Indiana Pacers, Mavs center Tyson Chandler told reporters that the team "can't always try to outscore the other team every single night." With Anthony out of the lineup for New York, the team is now for Dallas to start tightening up its defensive rotations for a brutal Western Conference schedule ahead.
Prediction: Mavs win 114-97
Weird things seem to always happen on Thanksgiving Eve in the NBA, but there's just not enough oomph in this New York Knicks lineup without Melo to upend a frustrated (and motivated) Dallas Mavericks squad at home.
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