Mavs Remaining Schedule: Easiest Opportunity to Move Up in Standings?
DALLAS - The final stretch of the season will be "easy" for the Dallas Mavericks ... At least according to the NBA's calculations. With six weeks left of the regular season, the Mavs have the easiest remaining schedule in the league, measured by cumulative opponent winning percentage, back-to-backs, rest-advantage and home/road games.
A closer look ... 13 of Dallas' 22 remaining games are against teams with records currently at or below .500. Dallas looks to capitalize on a post-break schedule that starts with the longest home stand of the Mavs' season. The Mavs play six games over 13 days at home.
With in large part thanks to Luka Doncic's efforts, the Mavs are in prime position to avoid the purgatory of the Play-In Tournament. Dallas currently sits in sixth-place in the Western Conference standings – only 2.5 games behind the third-place Sacramento Kings, but also only 2.0 games ahead of the 12th-place Portland Trail Blazers.
Dallas stumbled into the All-Star break with a three-game losing skid, however there is optimism within the franchise that things are about to turn around in a big way. A lot of that confidence comes from adding Kyrie Irving to the roster. With only two games together, Irving and Doncic are building their on-court chemistry and looking for their first Mavs win together.
Dallas opens its final regular season stretch on Thursday as massive 14-point favorites vs. the San Antonio Spurs at home (7:30 p.m. CT.)
Around the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers will be tested, with the most difficult remaining schedule in the association. Their post-NBA All-Star break schedule is busy and tough: the Sixers have 15 road games, two more than any other team has left to play.
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