Can the Dallas Mavericks still make the play-in tournament? Necessary results
The Dallas Mavericks’ playoff hopes are still alive as Irving’s 19-point fourth quarter led them to a comeback win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
“It’s not over until it’s over.” That’s what Kyrie Irving said after putting up 19 points in the fourth quarter of last night’s game against the Sacramento Kings - points that would lead to a comeback victory, 123-119 to keep the Mavs in the playoff conversation.
Things were starting to look grim for the Mavs, who had lost seven of their last eight games before last night’s win. But before the game, Luka Doncic said he wasn’t throwing in the towel, and it’s a good thing he and Irving felt that way. With the latest win over the Kings, playoff hope is still very much alive, but it’s not in the Mavericks’ hands.
Dallas Mavericks playoff chances
The Mavericks are still in 11th place in the Western Conference but hold the same record as No. 10 Oklahoma City, 38-42. Both the Mavs and the Thunder have two games left to play, but it’s the Thunder who holds the tiebreaker over Dallas. So if the Mavs want to make it to the Play-in tournament, they have to win at least one more game than the Thunder in the next two games.
“We don’t control our own destiny but we do control our own effort right now,” Irving said after Wednesday’s victory over the Kings.
If the Thunder loses one of those games, then the control is back in Dallas’ hands again, so Irving is right that they need to keep up the effort either way.
The Mavericks finding their groove with Irving and Doncic
In a desperate attempt to give Luka Doncic some help on the court and alleviate all the work being put on his shoulders, Dallas signed Kyrie Irving in an expensive, blockbuster trade. That did not have the effect they were hoping for at first. They went 8-12 after the trade and the victory over the Kings was just the second in the last nine games.
“I thought we were going to be up there,” Doncic said after the Mavs’ loss to the Miami Heat last weekend. “But we obviously aren’t, so it’s way different than I thought.”
Doncic has been repeating himself for months now. The offense cannot carry the team, and the Mavs’ shoddy defense is not doing them any favors.
“It’s every time the same problem,” Doncic said. “The offense is fine. But if we give up 130 points in four quarters, that’s hard to win.”
At least it seems Doncic and Irving are finding their rhythm together. In Wednesday’s victory over the Kings, Irving put up 31 points and Doncic put up 29. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 24 points to the night.
“Tonight, it was working well and I was just staying in attack mode, no matter what,” said Irving. “We really needed this win, so just desperation basketball and playing smart. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve been in must-win games, so it felt good.”
“He leads differently than Luka,” said Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd of Irving. “But you look at what Luka did tonight as a leader. It just shows these two are meant to be together. It just takes time. As much as you guys want to rush the process. It just takes time. These are not robots or AI. They’re human beings...you just have to be patient.”
The Mavericks play the Chicago Bulls on Friday and the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday to end the regular season.