2024 Dallas Mavericks’ playoffs picture following big loss vs OKC Thunder (March 14): Updated standings, schedule and more

The Dallas Mavericks are unsurprisingly looking to finish the regular season strong and grab one of the six guaranteed playoff spots. That goal took a hit on Thursday night after the Mavs lost 126-119 on the road to the OKC Thunder. Without Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving put in an impressive performance, but Dallas (38-29) fell short in the end.

Doncic and his teammates are trying to chase down the fifth-placed New Orleans Pelicans (39-26) and sixth-placed Sacramento Kings (38-27) for an outright playoff berth.

With 16 games left, they are still mathematically capable of going after the third-placed Minnesota Timberwolves (45-21). But more realistically, Dallas has set its eyes on the fifth or sixth seeds.

The road to that goal has likely gotten more difficult for the Mavericks. Versatile guard Josh Green suffered a nasty ankle injury in the showdown with the Thunder. Daniel Gafford also briefly went out with an injured foot. Although he managed to finish the game, his availability moving forward will be questionable.

Jason Kidd's team has solid depth which could allow them to survive injuries to both players. But they are unlikely able to accomplish their goal if Luka Doncic's troublesome hamstring continues to trouble him. If Doncic is compromised, an outright ticket to the playoffs may turn out to be too difficult.

Dallas Mavericks need a healthy Luka Doncic to go up the standings

Although the Mavs are strongly pushing to move forward, they could still fall back if they don’t get Luka Doncic back healthy. "Luka Legend" is dealing with a sore hamstring and has been ruled day-to-day by the team.

Doncic's tender hamstring affected his performance on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors. He finished with 21 points, but took 21 shots to get his tally. If the Slovenian is compromised, Dallas may drop to ninth or 10th in the tightly-contested Western Conference.

Doncic and Irving's health are at the top of the Mavericks' concerns. Considering they still have a tough schedule ahead of them, they need both superstars ready to lead them.

Waiting for them down the line are the Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and the OKC Thunder in a rematch. They will also have to battle the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets twice each. If one or both stars are out or compromised, a guaranteed playoff spot may turn out to be just a pipe dream.