Dallas is off an emotional 119-101 road win at Boston. That game was emotional because it marked Rajon Rondo's return to TD Garden where he had a monster game.



The Mavericks' scoring, though, actually was down per 100 possessions before that game since Rondo came on board. It's going to be hard for the Mavericks to get up for the LeBron James-less Cavaliers, especially playing less than 48 hours later with an early start time.



The Cavaliers are anxious to prove to their fans and themselves they can beat a good team without James. They are off embarrassing blowout home defeats to the Bucks and Pistons. A maximum effort should be forthcoming for the Cavaliers, who still have Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving to give them star power.



Shawn Marion is back from an ankle injury. He should be pumped for this matchup having spent the previous five years playing for Dallas. The Cavaliers are one of the most disappointing teams this season yet to reach their stride. But they have shown some resiliency and guts coming back to win eight times when trailing by double-digits.