The Dallas Mavericks, who had a tough time against the Eastern Conference, rediscovered their winning formula ahead of consecutive games.
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The Dallas Mavericks, looking to end what seemed like an eternity in the Eastern Conference with a trip to the finals against the Chicago Bulls, showed an aggressive inside-out game that could make them a dark horse for the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference. It showed the possibility. .
The Mavs came out strong from the opening whistle in Chicago and never looked back, scoring 44 points in the first quarter against a shocked Bulls defense. At the 12-minute mark, the Mavericks' lead was 28 points, and the night ended with a 127-92 complete game victory, giving Dallas its third straight victory.
The Mavericks' biggest weakness entering the season emerged as a strength that night. Daniel Gafford, acquired at the trade deadline, continued his perfect record by not missing a field goal in four consecutive games and making his maximum of 28 consecutive field goals. Gafford went 9-for-9 and finished the night with 20 points.
Every time Luka Doncic attempts a double, he seems to find Gafford or fellow center Derek Lively II in the paint and quickly convert the two. Lively, a 20-year-old rookie, scored a career-high 22 points and accounted for half of Doncic's 14 total assists.
When you add this type of production from center to Doncic's near-automatic performance, the Mavericks are going to look dangerous going forward. Doncic was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for March 4-10 before the game.
To celebrate, Doncic completed another triple-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds, reaching 17 points in the 2023-2024 season. The only thing that didn't work out for Doncic and Dallas was that his streak of consecutive games with a triple-double of 35 points or more ended. But Doncic undoubtedly valued his win and Dallas' frontcourt more highly.
Doncic also became the Mavs' all-time leader in 3-pointers made (1,143), passing Jason Terry for second place on the franchise list, ahead of only Dirk Nowitzki (1,982). If he continues to wear a Dallas uniform at his current pace, he will break Dirk's record before he reaches 30 years old.
The win also moves Dallas one game closer to securing a coveted West Division playoff spot against No. 6 Phoenix.
The Mavs return home for a game against the Golden State Warriors that will be broadcast on WFAA on Wednesday night. The Warriors (34-30, 10th place) are 2-3 in their last five games, including a 52-point loss to Boston. In what is billed as a rematch of the 2022 Western Conference Finals, there will be changes to both teams' lineups, with Stephen Curry likely to miss late last week's game against Chicago with an aggravated ankle sprain.
The Mavericks are running out of time to climb up the standings, with only 17 games left until the playoffs. Three of the remaining games are against the Warriors. Dallas would be wise to take advantage of the absence of the best sharpshooter in league history and punish lobster Draymond Green with his favorite combo of Lively and Gafford in preparation for the matchup against the top teams in the conference.
After the game against Golden State, Dallas will next travel up I-35 to take on the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night. OKC has his second-best home record in the NBA, which is likely a benefit of the players not having anything to do outside of the arena.
A strong performance against the Thunder would give the Mavs confidence to return to defending champion Denver to close out the weekend. Surviving the final stretch of the regular season in a head-to-head matchup with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic will help Dallas realize Doncic's MVP hopes, while more importantly, allowing him to play in games that really matter. positioning can be improved.
Do you think the Mavericks can recover from their deficit in the Western Conference? Share your thoughts with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.
