The Dallas Mavericks are rediscovering their rhythm. Sunday's thrilling victory over the Denver Nuggets was the kind of signature late-season win the team needed heading into the playoffs. Still, the Mavericks are still fighting for a postseason berth. They have two games scheduled this week against the Sacramento Kings, which could solidify that as they have already beaten the Mavericks twice this season and are tied with them in the standings.
The schedule around that is pretty light. But still, the supporting cast is healthy and has regained some of the chemistry seen just before the trade deadline. And if Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving continue their dynamite offensive work, the Mavericks may not have to worry about the play-in at all.
ESPN
Rank: 11
Last week: 11
Kyrie Irving's 20-foot, buzzer-beating left hook that clinched Sunday's win over the Nuggets was a continuation of the Mavericks' clutch brilliance this season and a stark contrast to last season, when they struggled in close games. was. The Mavs are 20-8 in games where the lead is five points or less with five minutes remaining, giving them the league's best winning percentage (71.4%) in such games. In clutch situations, Dallas ranks him second in offensive rating (128 points per 100 possessions) and fifth in net rating (plus-20.3). Irving in particular was clutch on the court for Dallas, outscoring opponents by 62 points in 56 minutes. — McMahon
NBA
Rank: 7
Last week: 8
The Mavs have won seven of their last eight games, with their only loss coming by single digits in Oklahoma City without Luka Doncic. There appears to be a three-team battle for the final spot in the Western Conference that will ensure a playoff berth, with the Suns in sixth place and the Kings in seventh place tied for the losers.
3 points
The Mavs are 7-1 and rank third in defense (107.7 points per 100 possessions), but they still have a few good defensive games left to break out of the bottom 10 on this floor this season. The eight games were fairly balanced in terms of the strength of the opponent's offense.
An improved defense can lead to more transition opportunities, and the Mavs had two great transition sequences in Thursday's win against the Jazz. One ended with a lob from Derrick Jones Jr. and the other ended with a lob from Kyrie Irving. Considering their transition game got a big boost. The Mavs have the second-biggest jump in the league in both pace and transition points per game, averaging 16.4 fast-break points per 48 minutes when Irving is on the floor vs. , just 14.8 points when Irving was on the floor.
More transitions (along with some bouncy big shots) lead to more layups and dunks. And over the past seven games, the Mavs have outscored their opponents by an average of 16.3 points in the restricted area. This season they are still trailing by 1.7 points per game (18th place), but this is a big improvement from last season (-5.6 points, 28th place).
The Mavs, who just played the Jazz last week, now begin a five-game trip in Utah, with two big games in Sacramento on Tuesday and Friday. No Western Conference offense scores as efficiently as the Kings against the Dallas defense. The Kings scored 127 points per 100 possessions and won the two games in Dallas.
bleacher report
Rank: 9
Last week: 10
It's getting easier and easier to root for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks' supporting cast.
This week alone, Kyrie Irving hit one of the most outrageous winning shots I've ever seen when he hit a running left hook shot past Nikola Jokic as time expired against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Ta.
In the next game, Dante Exum went 4-for-4 from 3 and was a plus-16 for a six-point victory. And on Thursday, Daniel Gafford went 10-of-11, plus-25, and scored 16 points in the win.
Doncic deserves a lot of the credit for this team's success (more on this in “Stat of the Week”), but his teammates are really starting to do their part and the wins keep coming.
Dallas is 7-1 in their last eight games, with their only loss coming on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Athletic
Rank: 8 (Tier 2: On the Brink of Competition)
Last week: 10
Stretch run questions: Will the Mavs have another piece of defensive gear?
The Kings and Mavs are two teams that I'm very intrigued by. Unfortunately, their lack of defense raises concerns about their chances of going deep in the playoffs. We finally saw the Mavs play some defense in the win against Denver, which is very unusual for them. Can he make a timely stop in the playoffs? And if they can't, will the attack of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the supporting cast be overwhelming enough to win a round or two? These next few weeks will allow him to build the on-court continuity he needs to find a better defensive level.
Key statistics
record: 39-29
Attack power rating: 117.9 (6th place)
Defense rating: 116.7 (tied for 21st place)
Online rating: 1.2
