The Dallas Mavericks will host the Brooklyn Nets at American Airlines Center on Thursday evening.

The Mavericks (37-28) are coming off a 127-113 win over the Miami Heat the last time out. Tim Hardaway Jr. was the high-point man for the Mavericks, with 36 points on 13-of-24 shooting, in 33 minutes. Luka Doncic totaled 23 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, while Jalen Brunson added 19 points, off the bench. The Mavericks shot 52 percent from the field, including 22-of-48 from long range in that game, and the victory means the Mavericks have now gone 4-1 over their last five contests. As if that wasn't enough, Dallas has also looked solid at home and owns a 17-15 record when playing in front of its fans.

The Nets (43-23) are moving in the wrong direction of late and are coming off a 124-118 defeat against the Milwaukee Bucks, a result that extended their losing run to three games. Kyrie Irving led the Nets with 38 points, adding five assists, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Kevin Durant followed with 32 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal. Joe Harris supplied 12 points, two boards and one steal. Jeff Green and Mike James generated matching 10-point tallies, with Green pulling down five rebounds and James dishing out three assists. The fact that the Nets dropped back-to-back games against the Bucks should be concerning for the team's title chances, and Brooklyn must find a way to turn things around. They own a 18-15 record on the road, but they've also posted a 2-3 mark in their last five outings.