Dec. 27--If you're eager to see if the Bulls can follow up their huge win over the Thunder with a victory over the Mavericks, you'll have to wait an extra 30 minutes.
The tipoff for tonight's game has been delayed until 8 p.m. because of tornado warnings in Dallas that prompted fans to stay inside. The Bulls OK'd the 30-minute delay, which will give spectators extra time to arrive at the American Airlines Center.
The Bulls will take on a Mavericks team that enters 16-13 and has not won three straight games since mid-November.
Dallas is still led by 37-year-old Dirk Nowitzki, who is averaging a team-high 17.5 points on 48.3 percent shooting.
"He's beating Father Time right now," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "He can do it so many ways. He's still shooting the heck of the ball, a very difficult matchup. When you're putting a game plan together, that's what you spend most of your time on -- how you're going to defend him in ball screens and cover him in the post."
The Bulls flew to Dallas shortly after their impressive 105-96 victory in Oklahoma City.
"It's a short prep," Hoiberg said. "We watched some film this morning and went through a walk-through. We tried to keep it simple. Hopefully we go out and execute it."
tgreenstein@tribpub.com
