Mavericks get NBA schedule update that will hurt their tanking odds

The Dallas Mavericks have two more games on their schedule as the NBA Cup moves forward.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves defends Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks are officially not advancing in the NBA Cup after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the final game of Group B play.

The Mavs finished group play with a 1-3 record, giving them a fourth-place finish. They placed behind the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, and group winner Lakers, who will play the San Antonio Spurs in the quarterfinals on Dec. 10.

For the 22 teams that did not qualify for the quarterfinals, the league has given them two games each to complete their 82-game schedule since the rest of the tournament (apart from the championship) counts towards the regular season. The Mavs will face off against the Brooklyn Nets and Utah Jazz in their two games.

Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin knocks the ball away from Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Nets vs. Mavericks

The Mavs get a winnable home game against the Nets, who are off to a 3-15 start this season. Despite their record, the Nets are a hard team to go up against because they compete night in and night out under head coach Jordi Fernandez.

The Nets have won all of their games this season on the road, so perhaps that will give Brooklyn a better chance to beat Dallas.

Tipoff for the game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. CT at the American Airlines Center.

READ MORE: Mavericks, Lakers could make another trade after Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis swap

Mavericks vs. Jazz

The Mavs will then go to Salt Lake City to take on the Jazz for the first time this season. Utah has also struggled, going 6-12 through 18 games.

The Jazz are fighting for the final Play-In Tournament spot this season with Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George leading the way. This should be an intriguing matchup for the Mavs.

Tipoff for the game is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 15, at 8 p.m. CT inside the Delta Center.

READ MORE: Mavericks' Cooper Flagg's first game against Lakers, Luka Doncic, is 'another game'

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