Dallas Basketball

NBA Standings Watch: Can Mavs Get Play-In & Lottery Help From Lakers, Jazz?

The NBA's Tuesday night slate is jam packed with action that could both help the Dallas Mavericks' postseason and lottery odds simultaneously.
Dalton Trigg|
NBA Standings Watch: Can Mavs Get Play-In & Lottery Help From Lakers, Jazz?
NBA Standings Watch: Can Mavs Get Play-In & Lottery Help From Lakers, Jazz?

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Dallas MavericksLos Angeles LakersUtah Jazz

The spiraling Dallas Mavericks (37-42) are nearing a crossroads with just three games remaining in the season. On one hand, the Mavs are just one game back of the Oklahoma City Thunder (38-41) for the Western Conference's final play-in tournament spot. On the other hand, Dallas currently has top-10 draft lottery odds and could potentially be No. 9 in that department before it's said and done.

There have already been rumblings of the Mavs considering "shutting down" Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for these final games, which would be a clear sign that the franchise has waived the white flag and is prioritizing draft positioning over a potential play-in appearance.

Tuesday night's NBA action could determine whether or not the Mavs' star duo stays active for another game, as there are a handful of games that can affect both the Mavs' postseason and lottery positioning odds. Here's a look at what's on deck for tonight:

  • Brooklyn Nets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks
  • New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings
  • Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers
  • Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

There are still some scenarios where the Mavs could sneak into the postseason with a play-in spot, but most of those scenarios involve the teams above them – Thunder, Timberwolves, Pelicans and Lakers – losing all of the remaining games while Dallas wins out. It's not likely, but it is a possibility, and Doncic isn't ready to quit until his team is mathematically eliminated.

"I'm playing tomorrow [against the Kings]," Doncic said. "When there's still a chance, I'm going to play."

Out of all the games on Tuesday night, the Lakers vs. Jazz game presents a unique "have your cake and eat it too" opportunity for Dallas. A win by the Jazz would give the Mavs the ninth-best draft lottery odds for the time being, whereas a loss by the Lakers would also keep their postseason hopes alive.

No matter what all happens on Tuesday, though, none of it matters unless the Mavs pick a direction they want to go. And if that direction is still fighting for a play-in spot, they'll have to win their final three home games for any of the outside actively to make a difference.

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Dalton Trigg
DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.

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