The Dallas Mavericks have won six of their last 10 games and are inching closer to a guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference.
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As we officially move into spring, we realize that the 2023-2024 NBA regular season is beginning to end. There are very few games left for the Dallas Mavericks, and even fewer marquee matches.
See what the roster looks like as Dallas moves up the standings with six wins in their last seven games and continues to build chemistry with midseason trade acquisitions, bringing their best talent to the table against the league's elite It's time to do it. Now is the time to achieve it in a playoff setting.
That premise made the opening matchup between reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Denver Nuggets so important for a Mavericks team looking for a special win. Dallas took advantage of the opportunity to have a serious measuring contest against the top opponent in the Western Conference.
The AAC was in a playoff atmosphere Sunday afternoon, giving the Mavs a proof of concept for their roster after struggling against the league's elite. Every loose ball was vigorously contested, and Dallas' offensive stars were once again powered by a frontcourt that ran to the rim and defended it fiercely. With overtime on the brink, Jokic and fellow star Jamal Murray swung the pendulum twice in the road team's favor on the final possession, and Dallas' backcourt responded each time.
MVP candidate Luka Doncic hit a deep three with seconds left in regulation to tie the game. One play later, Kyrie Irving hit a weak-handed 20-foot hook shot with a weak hand to win Dallas. brought about.
The 107-105 victory over Denver was the team's biggest win of the season to date, and Dallas demonstrated its new identity in front of a national audience. The superstar tandem of Kyrie and Luka made Nuggets head coach Michael Malone's life miserable all afternoon, and ultimately the defending champions had to shrug it off and pay homage.
The Mavericks are no longer one-sided in their quest to win. The Luka show is always on, but it's also very likely that Irving will be in the bag as a dynamic playmaker and shot creator. Desperate 3-pointers without a better option are now all but gone, with the two-headed monster centers of Derek Lively II and Daniel Gafford providing capable rim runners to send into Dallas' backcourt when attempting doubles. It was useful in terms of providing team.
Would you let Luka or Kyrie score goals? Or can your center stop a lob or high-probability field goal? For the unlucky defender forced to make such a decision, it was a perfect situation. Gafford's nifty additions inside have also brought positive changes to the inside defense.
The win over Denver will forever be remembered for Kyrie's Von Erich pose after a picturesque buzzer-beater, but the matchup was won on the board and Dallas' 60 total rebounds. exceeded the Nuggets' total of 23 rebounds.
Finally boasting a healthy rotation, Dallas is able to cycle through wide defensive support with the trio of Dante Exum, Derrick Jones Jr., and P.J. Washington. Dallas is a piece of the puzzle that was able to withstand Tim Hardaway Jr.'s shooting streak thanks to their clutch performance from deep, efficient shooting from their bigs and strong rim protection. I'm starting to assemble it.
Most recently, Dallas won 113-107 in San Antonio. It wasn't as pretty as the season's iconic win over Denver, but the Mavs got the job done when they needed to, reaching 40 wins on the season with 13 games remaining.
Tuesday's win against the Spurs would have been a likely loss just a few weeks ago, with Doncic shooting a below-average field goal percentage of 22 percent. However, Irving's 28 points and Exum's clutch 3-point shooting made the difference. Dallas currently benefits from gaining possession everywhere, helping the team breathe even when its star players aren't superhuman on those rare off nights.
Despite going 6-of-27 at South Texas, Doncic is averaging 32.3 points, 10.6 assists and 9.9 rebounds so far in March, averaging close to a triple-double for the month. .
This week couldn't have been better, with Dallas potentially overtaking Sacramento for sixth place in the West and potentially bypassing the play-in tournament and heading into a first-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. be.
Minnesota's bigs gave Dallas trouble earlier this season, but they will be without Karl-Anthony Towns for the remainder of the regular season. The final seeding is still a few weeks away, but for now the Mavs will play the Jazz and Kings, two games each, in their next four games to complete the double. Utah has lost eight of 10 games and top playmakers Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson are injured.
After the Utah and Sacramento dates, the remaining teams on the Mavericks' schedule, with the exception of the regular-season finale in Oklahoma City, are ranked eighth or worse in their respective conferences.
Breaking the 50-win mark seemed far-fetched even a week ago, but the Mavs are on track to go 6-1 since a blowout loss in the Eastern Conference earlier in the month. Now, Dallas appears to have found a winning formula heading into the final game of the season.
Do you think the Mavericks will avoid the play-in tournament in the West? Share your thoughts with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.
