Dallas Mavericks' basketball is back after a big win in Houston.

Today's game offers one of two 3-4 teams a chance to reach .500 level basketball. Luka Doncic, last time out, dropped an impressive 33-16-11 triple-double. And for long stretches of the game, he looked like the last seasons' Luka. However, it recently surfaced that he was training for a January start instead of December and that, somewhat explains why he came into the season a step slow.

Nonetheless, with Doncic being young, he can easily play himself into shape, and recently that seems to be what he's doing. The three-point jump shot is starting to fall at an improved rate. And he looked as though, in the Houston game, that overall he's feeling better and moving better on the floor. To beat Denver, Dallas will need a top-notch performance from its 21-year-old phenom.

Top headlines heading into the game:

• Limiting Nikola Jokic's effectiveness as a passer is critical for Dallas to stay competitive in tonight's matchup. Jokic currently leads the league in assists per game at 11.9. Denver runs a slew of its offensive sets through him. And he and Jamal Murray's connection in the pick and roll is a matchup nightmare. Seeing who matches up with Jokic will be extremely telling of the potential this Mavs group has defensively at this point in the season. A bright spot heading into this matchup is Dallas has allowed the second-fewest opponent's assists all season (21.4). If Dallas can force Denver to play iso ball early, the Mavs can win.
• Murray's propensity to explode offensive is a problem for Dallas. He comes into the matchup averaging 22 points per game. And he nurses an 18.6 player efficiency rating. He's a guy that can go off for 40 on any given night. And if Dallas can't stop Jokic from getting Murray the ball early and often, the Mavs are in for an extremely long night on the defensive end.
• Tim Hardaway Jr's offense is completely needed for this Dallas offense to have some semblance of life. I've written extensively this season about the necessity of a secondary scorer. Hardaway Jr. has lacked the consistency to play that role for Dallas all season. However, against Houston he had a 30-point night, showcasing just how dominant his perimeter shot can be if he gets going early. More of that is needed tonight for Dallas to put together a winning streak of some sort.

Projected starting lineups:

Dallas Mavericks	Denver Nuggets
PG: Luka Doncic	PG: Jamal Murray
SG: Josh Richardson	SG: Will Barton
SF: Dorian Finney-Smith	SG: Gary Harris
PF: Maxi Kleber	PF: Paul Millsap
C: Willie Cauley-Stein	C: Nikola Jokic

Last notes for the Dallas Mavericks heading into game day:

This team can make your day, or break day. The Mavericks offense is a mixed bag, and half the time you are uncertain of what you will get. However, what changed against the Rockets was Luka, for the first time all season, looked good on the floor. Hopefully, in a primetime matchup against Denver, he can keep that momentum going. Tip-off is slated for 9 p.m. central on TNT.

Feature image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports