The Dallas Mavericks continued their tremendous form in 2022 with a convincing 128-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. The team was below .500 to start the year, but have been on an incredible run of consistent form that has them pushing the Golden State Warriors for the third seed in the West.
The Mavericks have been peaking at the right time and there is a lot of excitement for a possible second-round appearance for the first time since the Mavs won the championship in 2011. The team’s mercurial 23-year-old Luka Doncic has been playing at an MVP level and will be the catalyst behind how far the Mavs can go in the playoffs.
Doncic spoke about the Mavericks’ progress this season after the win against the Lakers, where he reiterated his desire to win another championship for the city, something he feels they could do even this season.
Luka Dončić: “Every year is the same, win a championship. I know we have a lot of things to work on but you never know in the playoffs, anything can happen. Right now we are rolling.”
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) March 30, 2022
The Mavericks started this season out slow, with Doncic evidently out-of-shape and them still struggling with Kristaps Porzingis being healthy consistently. Whenever the pair clicked, the Mavs looked unstoppable. However, after a run of games without Porzingis in late January, the Mavs traded him for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
The trade has been crucial for the Mavericks, as Spencer Dinwiddie has become a closer and clutch shot-maker for the team, taking pressure off Doncic. Now the team is making a push for the 3 seed after taking a one-game lead over the Utah Jazz for the fourth seed.
The Western Conference playoff bracket from 3-7 are very hard to predict right now, with all teams pushing for ideal playoff positions. Championship aspirations for the Mavericks may be premature, but if the players on the court are playing with that goal every night, the Mavericks could surprise the world and make a run for it in the playoffs.
