THE Dallas Mavericks Unsurprisingly, they are looking to finish the regular season strong and clinch one of the six guaranteed playoff spots. This goal took a hit Thursday night after the Mavs lost 126-119 on the road to OKC Thunder. Without Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving produced an impressive performance, but Dallas (38-29) ultimately failed.
Doncic and his teammates are trying to hunt down the fifth-place New Orleans Pelicans (39-26) and sixth-place Sacramento Kings (38-27) for a playoff spot.
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With 16 days remaining, they are still mathematically capable of taking on the third-placed Minnesota Timberwolves (45-21). But more realistically, Dallas has its eyes on the fifth or sixth seed.
The path to that goal has likely become more difficult for the Mavericks. Versatile guard Josh Green suffered a nasty ankle injury during the matchup with the Thunder. Daniel Gafford also briefly went out with an injured foot. Although he managed to finish the match, his availability moving forward will be questionable.
Jason Kidd’s team has solid depth that could allow it to survive injuries to both players. But they are unlikely to be able to achieve their goal if Luka Doncic’s hamstring continues to bother him. If Doncic is compromised, a ticket to the playoffs could prove too difficult.
The Dallas Mavericks need a healthy Luka Doncic to climb the rankings
Even though the Mavs are trying hard to advance, they could still fall back if they don’t get Luka Doncic return to good health. “Luka Legend” is suffering from a sore hamstring and has been managed on a daily basis by the team.
Doncic’s tender hamstring affected his performance Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors. He finished with 21 points, but made 21 shots to get his total. If the Slovenian is compromised, Dallas could fall to ninth or tenth place in the highly contested Western Conference.
The health of Doncic and Irving is at the forefront of the Mavericks’ concerns. Considering they still have a busy schedule ahead of them, they need both superstars ready to lead them.
Waiting for them all along the line Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and OKC Thunder in a rematch. They will also have to face the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets twice each. If one or both stars are eliminated or compromised, a guaranteed playoff berth may prove to be nothing more than a pipe dream.
