Dallas Round-Up – Mavs have hands full with Spurs, Rangers struggling through AL East trip
Kentucky Derby odds may get more attention than Dallas’ matchup with San Antonio in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but only if the Mavericks get their act together and start rolling in the series, but they’re up against a tough, experienced rival. Meanwhile, in MLB action, the Texas Rangers will just be happy to return home after a rough trip through baseball’s toughest division, the American League East.
Dallas had beaten the Spurs six straight times at home before a 102-88 loss in Game 2 on Wednesday, and after going 12-of-14 from the field in Game 1 (along with making all 12 of his free-throw attempts), Dirk Nowitzki was held to a 9-of-24 shooting performance, notching 24 points, while Jason Terry provided a spark off the pine with a game-high 27 points. Now, the series switches to San Antonio, where the Mavericks have split their last 10 trips, but they can be encouraged by the fact that they won two of three there in the playoffs last year en route to a five-game romp of the Spurs, who surely won’t forget that. Rebounding will be a big factor in this series: the Mavericks won the battle by a count of 45-37 in Game 1, but the Spurs turned the tables with a 51-42 edge on the glass.
Texas Rangers
On the other hand, horse racing odds may be a bit more positive than looking at the Rangers over the past week. Heading into Thursday night’s series finale in Boston, the Rangers had lost six in a row and plummeted to last in the American League West. It began with a 3-2 loss in Cleveland last Thursday, then the Rangers were swept in the Bronx by the defending World Series champion New York Yankees as they were outscored 17-6 over the weekend. At least they kept it close in Boston, falling 7-6 in the first game on Tuesday before losing 8-7 in 12 innings of the second game, so they’ll be eager to avoid a total sweep of their road trip on Thursday night, when they send out C.J. Wilson, who is making the ninth start of his major league career. The Rangers will return home on Friday for a four-game set with Detroit, followed by a three-game visit from the Chicago White Sox, and they’ll be watching the status of a couple players. Ian Kinsler has yet to suit up this year due to an ankle sprain, and he may make a rehab start sometime this week. Nelson Cruz has a hamstring problem, which would be a big blow to the lineup as Cruz is off to a flying start this year. However, Kinsler’s health is the key to Texas’ sports betting odds.
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