The Mavericks didn’t necessarily rid themselves of worrying about the play-in tournament with their 110-108 victory over Minnesota on Monday.
But they certainly gave themselves some nice wiggle room when it comes to avoiding that annoying exercise that will determine the last two playoff teams in the Western Conference.
The win put the Mavericks at 44-28, solidifying them as the No. 5 seed in the West and pushed their lead over seventh-seeded Minnesota to 2½ games, including a three-game cushion in the loss column. The seventh through 10th seeds will determine the final two official playoff spots in a three-game tournament after the regular season.
“We knew how important last night’s game was for us in the standings,” said Reggie Bullock. “Now we’re just thinking about game after game after game and keeping our foot on the gas.”
The Mavericks also are two full games ahead of Denver, and they own the tiebreaker on the Nuggets.
The Mavericks are one game behind Utah for fourth place and the Jazz own the tiebreaker against the Mavericks.
In other words, the chances of moving up to fourth appear to outweigh the odds of moving down to sixth or seventh.
With that, here’s a look back at our takeaways from the win over Minnesota.
THE REAL STORY BEHIND LUKA: Yes, he shot 5-for-17 from the field and five teammates either matched or surpassed his 15 points. But that doesn’t tell the story of what Luka Dončić did against the Timberwolves. He not only dished out 10 assists and made smart plays to facilitate the offense, but he stood up toe to toe with Patrick Beverley, who has long been a nemesis for the Mavericks. “Luka loves the competition,” said Dwight Powell. “He’s not fazed by any of those antics. He enjoys competing and Patrick Beverley obviously is a massive competitor.” And, added Dorian Finney-Smith: “Everybody likes to talk. Luka loves it too. If you talk to Luka, he’s going to turn it up. It’s a mutual respect between them.” And when Beverley fouled out at the end, he gave Luka a strong tap on the butt to offer his respect for a night that both of them made tough on each other.
LITTLE BIG TOWNS: Karl-Anthony Towns is a superstar by any definition, so when the Mavericks held him to 22 points and eight rebounds, that was a huge defensive night. “He was obviously a big part of our game plan,” Powell said of the defense on Towns, much of which was his responsibility. “We were sending two guys at him and try to get him off the ball.”
RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY: Nobody could remember a true rain delay in the NBA. There have been wet floors because of condensation. And in San Antonio many years ago, one of the water cannons went off and stalled a game. But an actual rainstorm that pummeled Dallas began leaking through the American Airlines Center roof. The drips were collecting near Minnesota’s bench, which would have been a great home-court advantage if the referees had a sense of humor.
KEEP ON SHOOTING: Maxi Kleber can’t hit the pillow with his head right now. His 3-point shooting has completely abandoned him. But the one thing you can say is that it’s better now than later. He missed all six of his 3-pointers and now is 5-for-31 from beyond the arc in his last 10 games. Again, better to have this happen now than three weeks from now in the playoffs. “At some point when they do (start falling), it’s going to be a lot of fun for him and the rest of his teammates,” Jason Kidd said. “They keep throwing hi the ball. He has to take them. And they’re going to fall for him. And when they do, it’s going to make the offense that much easier.”
Twitter: @ESefko
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