Next 3 Games Will Decide Mavs' Postseason Fate: Here’s Why
This isn't the position the Dallas Mavericks thought they'd be in with nine games remaining.
However, you could say the same for a handful of teams in the Western Conference as the regular season comes to a rapid close.
Dallas currently sits as the No. 8 seed in the West with a 36-37 record -- one of four teams with that same record and one of six teams with 37 losses.
It’s safe to say that the final stretch of games in the West is going to be an absolute gauntlet.
For the Mavericks, they've been battling not not only acclimating Kyrie Irving into the team, but trying to keep he and Luka Doncic on the floor as well, as both have battled injuries over the last few weeks with Dallas' standing in the West constantly fluctuating with every win or loss.
With nine games remaining, every single game matters more than it did before. With every win, you might climb a spot or two in the standings, while every loss could plummet you out of the playoffs altogether.
That's where the next three games come into play for the Mavs as must-wins, starting on Friday night vs. the Hornets at American Airlines Center.
Dallas plays Charlotte in back-to-back games tonight and Sunday before visiting old pal Rick Carlisle and the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, who you can bet would love nothing more than to play spoiler to his former team.
If there was ever a time to go on a mini winning streak, it's right now against an obvious “tanking” team in Charlotte and a fringe play-in team in Indiana. During that same stretch, the Mavericks' competition out West in the Jazz, Lakers, Thunder, and Timberwolves will all be feasting on each other in head-to-head matchups.
The Mavericks potentially missing the playoffs with Irving's upcoming free agency, paired with Doncic's obsessive desire to win? That outcome would not be a desirable one.
As wildly inconsistent as the Mavs have been, there’s no time like the present to get things turned around while there’s still time.
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