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The Dallas Mavericks earned their 40th win of the season with a hard-fought 113-107 victory on Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, their in-state rivals, which proved crucial in their efforts to steer clear of the NBA play-in tournament. The Mavericks also swept their season series against the Spurs with the victory.
The close game was an anomaly in the four matchups this season between the in-state rivals, as the Dallas Mavericks had previously won the first three games by an average margin of 18.3 points.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 28 points (10 in the fourth quarter) and seven rebounds, despite missing all of his five attempts from beyond the arc.
Luka Doncic struggled with his shooting, making only 6-of-27 field-goal attempts (22.2%), but managed to achieve a triple-double with 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.
Dante Exum contributed 14 points, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range, while Dereck Lively II added 12 points and five rebounds to fuel the Mavericks' victory.
The Mavericks held Victor Wembanyama to 12 points on 3-for-13 shooting. Tre Jones and Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 22 and 19 markers, respectively.
Dallas Mavericks Playoff Picture: Team Standings
After the win, the Mavericks improved to a 40-29 record, just one game ahead of the Phoenix Suns, and maintained their seventh position in the Western Conference standings. Heading into the game, they were virtually tied with the Sacramento Kings (39-28) and Suns (39-29), and multiple games behind the fifth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans (42-26).
The LA Lakers (37-32) and the Golden State Warriors (35-32) are not far behind the Mavericks in the standings, currently in ninth and 10th place, respectively.
If the season ended today, the Mavericks would face the Suns for the seventh seed. If they were to lose that game, they would then face the winner of the Play-In game between the Lakers and the Warriors for the final playoff spot.
Dallas Mavericks Playoff Picture: Schedule
According to Tankathon, the Dallas Mavericks have the second-easiest remaining schedule in the league. Nine of their last 13 games are against teams currently outside the playoff picture in the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz (twice), Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets and the Warriors (twice).
The Mavericks have two crucial matchups against the Kings, who they are battling for playoff positioning, with back-to-back games scheduled for March 26 and 29, and games against the OKC Thunder and the Miami Heat.
Dallas Mavericks Playoff Picture: What needs to happen
They say that good teams should win against weaker opponents, and the Mavericks have the opportunity to prove that with their favorable schedule ahead.
After their significant win against Denver, Irving expressed the team's goal of securing the sixth spot to avoid the Play-In Tournament:
"We're kind of fighting for the sixth spot – it's on your mind," Irving said. "We have the mentality that we have more work to do.
"We're not satisfied with just being competitive with some of the best teams in the West. We want to beat them."
