With five games remaining in the regular season, the Mavs could finish anywhere from 5th in the Western Conference … to out of the playoffs.
While a win Wednesday night over the Rockets would bolster their post-season chances, a loss would be a devastating. March Madness may be over, but for the Mavs it feels a lot like survive and advance.
Awin over the red-hot Rockets would give Dallas a 2-2 split in the season series. But Houston owns the tiebreaker based on a better divisional record. And a loss? They’d be tied for 8th place, with Houston having a much easier schedule in the season’s final week.
The Mavs have won four in a row. All it’s earned them is a right to be alive during the stretch run.
Without Chandler Parsons and Deron Williams, the Mavs are playing what feels like another elimination game tonight in American Airlines Center. This is why, at the time, we mentioned how important those March home losses to the likes of the Kings and Pistons and Pacers were so devastating.
Think now about how one win could greatly enhance their position. Instead …
“We've been playing one-game elimination games for a month, so this is another one of those,” head coach Rick Carlisle said at Tuesday’s practice. “There’s no need to overstate the importance of it for both teams.”
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A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
