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The Dallas Mavericks secured a vital 115-105 road win over the Utah Jazz on Monday, furthering their playoff chances.
After trailing by five points at halftime, Dallas outscored Utah 54-39 in the second half, including a 16-2 fourth-quarter run. The Mavericks’ late-game spurt helped them build a game-high 13-point lead (109-96) with 4:41 remaining before holding on for a 10-point victory.
Dallas was led by superstar guard Luka Doncic, who recorded his 19th triple-double of the season. He finished with a team-high 29 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists on 41.7% shooting.
Meanwhile, his co-star Kyrie Irving added 27 points, three rebounds, five assists and four 3-pointers on 47.6% shooting.
The Mavericks overcame a game-high 34-point performance from Jazz star forward Lauri Markkanen. Their victory marked their fourth straight, inching them closer to securing a top-six seed and avoiding the play-in tournament.
On that note, here’s a brief snapshot of Dallas’ standing in the West playoff picture with 11 games remaining.
Dallas Mavericks Playoff Picture: Standings
Following Monday’s win over Utah, the Mavericks (42-29) sit seventh in the West. They have the same record as the sixth-seeded Sacramento Kings. However, the Kings own the tiebreaker due to their 2-0 lead in their season series.
Additionally, Dallas is only 2.0 games behind the fourth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans (44-27). So, it still has an opportunity to obtain homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
However, a few slip-ups could be costly for the Mavericks, as they only have a 0.5-game lead over the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns (42-30). They also have just a 3.0-game edge over the ninth-placed LA Lakers (39-32).
Fortunately for Dallas, it has a 5.5-game advantage over the 10th-placed Golden State Warriors (36-34). So, barring an unexpected collapse, the ninth spot should be its floor.
Dallas Mavericks Playoff Picture: Schedule
The Mavericks have the NBA’s 17th-toughest remaining strength of schedule, with an average opponent winning percentage of .484.
However, eight of their 11 remaining contests come against teams with winning records, including critical back-to-back road matchups against Sacramento on Tuesday and Friday. Those games could decide the West’s sixth seed.
Furthermore, seven of Dallas’ last 11 matchups take place on the road, setting the stage for a challenging stretch run.
Dallas Mavericks Playoff Picture: X-factor
For the season, the Mavericks rank just 21st in defensive rating (116.1). However, their defense has improved considerably over their four-game winning streak. During that span, they rank third in defensive rating (104.5).
After Monday’s win over Utah, Doncic touched on his team’s recent defensive improvement, expressing a desire to see it continue.
“Our defense the last couple of games has been pretty good,” Doncic said. “We just got to keep going.”
If Dallas continues playing high-level defense to close the season, it could be crucial to its playoff hopes.
Guess the Lakers players!
