The Mavericks are 39-29 this season. They occupy seventh place in the Western Conference standings.
“I feel like we’re a match for almost anyone,” Irving said via Athleticism. “We want to beat (a team like Denver) with the same mentality as the teams against us. And I think we’re giving ourselves a chance to prove it. Tonight we succeeded.
The Mavericks are sixth in the NBA in points per game and 22nd in points per game allowed. They have the 15th best net rating in the league.
‘I think we know we can play defense whenever we want,’ Mavericks guard Dante Exum said Tim Cato of The Athletic. “We had some great possessions here and there, some great quarters. So I think it’s just about putting all that together and making sure that when we need to, we can do it for a full game.
Irving and Luka Doncic average 59.8 points per game. Doncic is averaging 34.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 9.7 assists this season, while Irving is averaging 25.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists.
The Mavericks didn’t make the playoffs last year. Many people around the NBA thought the Doncic-Irving duo wouldn’t work. However, Doncic and Irving have coexisted well this season.
Dallas is 30-26 when Doncic and Irving are in the lineup since last season.
If the season ended today, the Mavericks would face the Phoenix Suns in the 7-8 tournament game. It will be interesting to see who top seed Dallas will be once the 2023-24 regular season ends.
