The Dallas Mavericks continue their climb in the West standings. And after destroying the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, several NBA fans are now convinced they are legitimate playoff contenders.
In fact, with the way the Mavs are playing, thriving and having fun, many see them as a team that can upset any of the top seeds in the Western Conference.
Dallas Mavericks Embarrasses Sacramento Kings
Luka Doncic and the Mavs entered their showdown with the Kings understanding the gravity of their situation. They need to win in order to climb to the sixth seed and ensure that they are going to fight for an automatic playoff qualification spot.
Losing would have been disastrous for Dallas, as the Kings already won their first two games. Giving up one more would hand Sacramento the head-to-head advantage if they end up tied record-wise at the end of the season.
With Tuesday’s victory, the Mavs put themselves one game clear of the Kings and in a real position to fight for the higher seeds.
More than the playoff seeding implications of the win, though, Doncic and the rest of the team also made a statement with their dominant performance. The Mavs absolutely obliterated the Kings, 132-96, with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis unable to do their usual damage against Dallas’ improved defense.
Doncic led the way for the Mavs with 28 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals. Kyrie Irving added 24 on top of three boards, eight dimes and two steals as well. A total of five players scored in double digits for Dallas, with Tim Hardaway Jr. the third 20-point scorer with 22.
As for the Kings, no one even breached the said mark, with Fox ending up with 18 points and Sabonis with just 12. Defense has been the biggest question mark for Dallas all season long, and against a playoff contender, they proved that they are now a much better team compared to where they were at the start of the 2023-24 campaign.
Dallas Mavericks Ready for the Playoffs?
Following that performance, NBA fans and the Dallas Mavericks faithful couldn’t help but express their belief that the team is ready for the postseason.
“You do not want to see this Dallas Mavericks team in the playoffs,” a Mavs supporter said. Another one warned, “Oh man we said we wanted the mavs to treat this like a playoff game and if this is how we play in the playoffs …”
“The Mavs have won 9 straight games when Luka has played and have a very realistic shot at 4th seed while battling massive injuries all season. He is high usage, sure but now that the Mavs are healthy I don’t think anyone is gonna wanna see them in the playoffs,” a third commenter shared.
A fourth fan wrote, “Mavs are gaining chemistry and trust. These guys are the Dark horse of the playoffs. The intensity in this win should be scary to any western conference team. Let’s go MFFL!!”
Another X user added, “Now that I think about it , the mavs gone be a problem come playoff time lol Luka and Kyrie straight killers.”
Of course it remains to be seen if the Mavericks can maintain their momentum, but sure enough, they are on the right path to playoff domination.
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