Luka Doncic and the Mavs entered their matchup against the Kings knowing the gravity of the situation. They need a win to move up to the No. 6 seed and secure an automatic playoff spot.
The loss would have been devastating for Dallas, as the Kings had already won their first two games. If Sacramento equals the record at the end of the season, just one more run would give Sacramento a head-to-head advantage.
Tuesday's win puts the Mavs one game ahead of the Kings and effectively puts them in position to compete for the top seed.
But beyond the impact this win has on playoff seeding, Doncic and the rest of the team made a statement with a dominant performance. The Mavs completely crushed the Kings, 132-96, with De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis unable to do their usual damage against Dallas' improved defense.
Doncic led the Mavs with 28 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals. Kyrie Irving added 24 points with three boards, eight dimes and two steals. A total of five players scored in double figures for Dallas, with Tim Hardaway Jr. becoming the third 20-point scorer with 22 points.
As for the Kings, no one could even break that mark, with Fox scoring 18 points and Sabonis just 12 points. The biggest question mark for Dallas all season has been defense, and they proved they're fine against a playoff contender. We are a much better team now than we were at the start of the 2023-24 season.
Dallas Mavericks, are you ready for the playoffs?
Following that performance, NBA fans and Dallas Mavericks followers couldn't help but express their confidence that the team is ready for the postseason.
“you don't want to I got to see this Dallas Mavericks team in the playoffs,” said a Mavs supporter. another person warned“Well, we told the Mavs we want you to treat this like a playoff game, but if this is how you play in the playoffs…”
“The Mavs that Luka played for have won nine straight games and have achieved very realistic goals as a No. 4 seed despite battling major injuries all season. Yes, but I don't think so now that the Mavs are healthy. anyone would want to see it In the playoffs,” a third commenter shared.
a a fourth fan wrote“The Mavs are gaining chemistry and credibility. They are a dark horse in the playoffs. The intensity of this win should be scary for any team in the Western Conference. Let's go MFFL!!”
Another X user added“Now that I think about it, it's a problem that the Mavs are gone during playoff time (lol) Luka and Kyrie are straight killers.”
Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Mavericks can maintain that momentum, but they are certainly on the right path to making the playoffs.
