DALLAS — Western Conference foes Dallas and Houston square off in the home opener for the Mavericks on Tuesday night.
After last week's 113-87 rout by the Atlanta Hawks in the season opener (and debut of new Dallas coach Jason Kidd), the Mavs recouped with a 103-95 win against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
The Mavs are looking to add to their win column Tuesday night in American Airlines Stadium. The team is now 1-1 for the season.
Who do the Mavs play?
The Mavs will take on the Houston Rockets, who are 1-2 so far this season.
What time is tipoff?
Tipoff at American Airlines Center is at 7:30 p.m.
What do we expect?
Dallas went 42-30 overall and 21-21 in Western Conference play last season. The Mavericks averaged 112.4 points per game while allowing opponents to score 110.2 last season.
This year, the team is playing its first season since 1997 without Rick Carlisle or Donnie Nelson. Carlisle, now head coach of the Indiana Pacers, quit shortly after the Mavericks parted ways with longtime general manager Donnie Nelson. Nelson was later replaced with new Mavs GM Nico Harrison.
Kidd returned to Dallas to replace Carlisle - the Mavs coach he played for a decade ago.
But while it's a new era, phenom Luka Dončić said the team has the same goal: "The key is to win a championship."
With Dončić, leading the way, a Euro step to the Western Conference finals is a realistic and attainable goal.
The Mavericks did not make any dramatic changes to the roster. The team, under Kidd, added Sterling Brown, Reggie Bullock, Moses Brown in the off season, while losing Josh Richardson.
Our LockedOn podcast team predicted where the Mavs will finish in the Western Conference. Listen below:
COVID safety protocols
With the COVID pandemic still unfolding, the Mavericks are requiring either proof of a COVID-19 vaccine or proof of negative COVID-19 test for fans to enter American Airlines Center.
The club announced the new policy late last month.
The policy applies to anyone 12 and older. Fans under the age of 12 who are sitting within 15 feet of the court will have to show proof of a COVID-19 rapid test within 48 hours of attending the game. Children under 12 aren't yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Mavericks will also require all fans 2 and older to wear a mask inside the arena, regardless of their vaccination status.
Mavs Owner Mark Cuban said, "We are going to do what we think keeps our fans and employees the safest based on the best information available to us... As more information becomes available we will continuously re-evaluate our policies."
Jonah Javad, Ryan Osborne and material from the Associated Press contributed to this report.