Two of the lowest points of the Dallas Mavericks’ regular season came at home against the Sacramento Kings.
On Feb. 10, American Airlines Center security ejected a Mavericks fan who called for general manager Nico Harrison’s job in the wake of his decision to trade Luka Dončić a week before. Then, in the teams’ March 3 meeting, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving collided with Kings center Jonas Valančiūnas, planted awkwardly and tore the ACL in his left knee.
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The Mavericks lost both games, which dropped their record to 0-3 against the Kings this year.
In order for Dallas’ season to continue, it will need to beat Sacramento on Wednesday in the Western Conference’s No. 9 versus No. 10 Play-In Tournament game.
The 10th-seeded Mavericks must win a pair of do-or-die games to earn the right to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in a first-round playoff series. Since the NBA adopted its current Play-In format in 2021, no 10th seed has ever advanced to the playoffs.
“It’s been a lot for everybody, emotionally and physically,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “I think the group has done an incredible job to be in this position. We’ve never complained or felt sorry for ourselves. We’ve come out and competed and played hard. The two things we can control are our energy and effort, and I thought the group did a great job of doing that. Now, we’re the 10th seed trying to find a way to win on the road.”
The Mavericks posted a 13-20 record after dealing Dončić. Dallas was so injury depleted at different points in February and March that forwards Kessler Edwards and Naji Marshall took turns guarding opposing centers.
Naji Marshall has guarded multiple positions for a Mavericks team that has dealt with adversity throughout the second half of the season. (Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images)
Anthony Davis missed 18 consecutive games with a left adductor strain. Since returning to the lineup on March 24, he has averaged 19.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 blocks per game. He was relatively quiet in last week’s game against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 13 points, but Davis responded two nights later with his one of his best performances of the season against the Toronto Raptors, tallying 23 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the fourth triple-double of his career.
“It’ll be just like college,” Davis said Friday about the Mavericks’ Play-In game against the Kings. “One and done. One game. Win or go home. We have to have that mindset.”
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The Mavericks will have Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II — their entire arsenal of bigs — available to battle Kings center Domantas Sabonis on the interior. Irving’s injury, however, has left Dallas light on ballhandling. Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum and Marshall are candidates to start alongside Klay Thompson in the backcourt.
On paper, the Kings have a significant advantage on the perimeter. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have combined to average 44.6 points per game this season. LaVine ranks eighth among all players in 3-pointers made. DeRozan is the NBA’s leading scorer from the midrange, where he’s shooting 49 percent, according to Cleaning the Glass.
“We’ve got to make it tough and challenge shots,” Kidd said of the Kings. “This is a team that has professional scorers. We’ve got to try to break their rhythm and not let them get in a groove.”
Almost nothing has gone according to plan for the Mavericks this season. Some of their mistakes — like the Dončić trade — have been self-inflicted. Other hardships — such as Irving’s injury — can be attributed to bad luck.
Mavericks players are trying not to let those bad memories linger in Wednesday’s do-or-die game.
“I’ve never been a part of a season like this,” forward P.J. Washington said. “Stay positive about it. We’re here in postseason play, and a lot of teams don’t even get this opportunity. I tell everybody to make the most of it and see how far we can go. Obviously, we feel like we can make the playoffs, and that’s the goal.”
(Top photo of Anthony Davis: Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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