After an early stretch of home games, the Dallas Mavericks will travel for the first time this season to take on the Detroit Pistons. While the Mavs won’t play at American Airlines Center, they will suit up in a familiar location.
The Mavericks and Pistons will face off Saturday night at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. It’ll be the eighth time in franchise history that the Mavs will play a game in Mexico City.
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How have the Mavs fared in previous trips to Mexico? Let’s break it down below:
Mavericks
2019 (regular season)
Score: Mavericks 122, Pistons 111
Arena: Mexico City Arena in Mexico City
Date: Dec. 12, 2019
What stood out: This was another Mavericks-Pistons game in Mexico City. Luka Doncic had a stellar showing, ending the night with 41 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Doncic is the only player to record a triple-double in a Global Games competition, and his performance ranks as the second-highest point total in a global game.
2017 (regular season)
Score: Mavericks 113, Suns 108
Arena: Mexico City Arena in Mexico City
Date: Jan. 12, 2017
What stood out: Deron Williams played a key role in giving Dallas the victory, posting 23 points and 12 assists. The Mavericks gave up 59 points in the first half, but found their defensive footing in the third quarter to slow Phoenix down. Devin Booker led the Suns with 39 points in this game.
Dirk Nowitzki went 7-of-15 from the field in this game, posting 18 points and six rebounds.
2003 (preseason)
Score: Jazz 90, Mavericks 85
Arena: Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City
Date: Oct. 5, 2003
What stood out: This was a preseason game between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. Eduardo Najera, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, was a key player to watch for fans at Palacio de los Deportes.
Najera was notably the NBA’s first Mexican-born draftee. He finished the matchup with eight points, three rebounds, three steals, an assist and a block. Nowitzki and Antawn Jamison shared the scoring lead with 16 points each.
Najera even gave a speech at the end of the game, thanking fans for their attendance.
1997 (regular season)
Score: Rockets 108, Mavericks 106
Arena: Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City
Date: Dec. 6, 1997
What stood out: This was officially the NBA’s first regular-season game in Mexico. It was a close matchup that included names like Charles Barkley and Michael Finley.
Barkley was pivotal to Houston’s success, leading the Rockets with 19 points and 17 rebounds. On the other side, Finley led Dallas with 35 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal.
1996 (two preseason games)
Game 1 score: Mavericks 107, Jazz 102
Game 2 score: Mavericks 88, Cavaliers 86
Arena: Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City
Dates: Oct. 26 and 27, 1996
What stood out: This was a busy October weekend for the Mavericks. Dallas played two preseason games in Mexico City, facing the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to The Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend, tickets to those games cost 40 pesos (about $5.33).
1992 (preseason)
Score: Rockets 104, Mavericks 102
Arena: Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City
Date: Oct. 27, 1992
What stood out: This was the NBA’s first preseason game in Mexico City. A crowd of 19,527 saw the Rockets win, despite a brief scare when Hakeem Olajuwon’s chair collapsed during a timeout, according to Townsend.
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.