Grizzlies Rout Warriors; Mavs Inch Closer to 3rd in West
The Golden State Warriors (48-28) currently have something the Dallas Mavericks (46-29) want, and that's the third seed in the Western Conference standings.
The Mavericks, who currently rank fourth in the West after a big win over the Utah Jazz (45-30), now trail the Warriors by just 1.5 games after Golden State's 123-95 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
If the Mavericks defeat the hobbled Los Angeles Lakers in their upcoming matchup on Tuesday, they will trail the Warriors in the standings by just one game.
“Yeah, you never know," Doncic said when asked about the possibility of the Mavericks gaining the third seed after Sunday's win. "If the Warriors lose and we win two we’re right there, and that’s even better than fourth place.”
It's been a struggle for the Warriors to stay afloat in the midst of Stephen Curry's recovery from injury. He sprained ligaments in his left foot caused by a collision with Marcus Smart during Golden State's 110-88 loss to the Boston Celtics on Mar. 16.
Curry has remained sidelined for the Warriors' previous six games, and the team has gone 1-5 during this stretch. With upcoming matchups against the Phoenix Suns and Jazz, there's a real chance the losses continue to pile up for Golden State. The Warriors are now 5-16 overall in games without Curry.
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Mavericks won the season series 3-1 against the Warriors, so they hold the tiebreaker in the event that both teams end up with the same record.
As for the Mavericks' upcoming schedule, they are scheduled to face only two teams that are in playoff positioning during their remaining seven games.
One of those two playoff teams the Mavericks will take on is the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. The Cavs have already been playing without Jarrett Allen, but they may be without Evan Mobley now as well due to a sprained left ankle he suffered against the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
