GAMEDAY PREVIEW: Thunder Host Red Hot Mavericks

Another Sunday game is upon us as the Thunder are set to host the Mavericks at 6 p.m. Here’s a few things to know about the upcoming Western Conference showdown.

Thunder three-point shooting

Oklahoma City enters this contest fresh off a home loss to the Knicks on Friday night where the Thunder shot a lowly 3-for-29 from behind the arc. While OKC struggled to hit the money ball, the Knicks were shooting the same shot at a 60 percent clip.

Obviously the Thunder won’t be as efficient from deep with Kevin Durant recovering from a hamstring strain, but shooting that poorly is unacceptable. With marksmen such as Anthony Morrow, Dion Waiters and Kyle Singler on the roster, Oklahoma City should improve on that number moving forward.

Dirk’s still Dirk

Maverick’s legend Dirk Nowitzki is playing in his 17th Season in the NBA, and the German sharpshooter is far from being washed up. Nowtzki is leading Dallas in scoring with an 18.6 point per game average, while also grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game.

Nowitzki is finding ways to remain productive even as he continues to climb in age. Oklahoma City will need Serge Ibaka to be able to step out and guard Nowtizki away from the basket so the forward doesn’t catch fire. Thunder fans should look back to the 2011 Western Conference Finals if they need a reminder about just how great of a shooter Nowitzki is.

Mavericks are legit

Despite getting screwed over by the DeAndre Jordan drama of this last summer, the Mavericks have put together a pretty good 9-4 season that features a current six-game win streak. They’re also seeing success while limiting the minutes of two key players in Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons, who’re each recovering from injury.