Mavericks in dangerous position for playoff race
Because nothing else has worked, guard Raymond Felton has what he believes is the perfect solution on how the Dallas Mavericks should dig themselves out of their current quagmire.
“We should play like we’re a 12th seed, so we can just go out there and just try to play like dogs every night in every single possession,” Felton said after Thursday’s practice. “That’s got to be our mentality from here on out.”
Well, it can’t hurt.
After losing 116-103 at home to Oklahoma City on Wednesday, the Mavericks (30-28) have dropped six of their past eight games. And after being stationed as a sixth seed in the Western Conference for most of the month, the loss to the Thunder dropped Dallas to the seventh seed — half a game behind Portland (30-27), which played late Thursday.
Ninth seed, 12th seed, 10th seed, 11th seed, we need to play like we’re not in the playoffs, because we could be out of it if we don’t do what we’re supposed to do.
Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews
Even more alarming, Utah (28-28) is seeded eighth in the West, and the ninth-place Houston Rockets (28-29) are only one game behind the Mavericks in the loss column, putting Dallas in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
After the Thunder competed the sweep of the season-series 4-0, guard Wesley Matthews warned that the Mavs need to start playing like a ninth seed.
“Ninth seed, 12th seed, 10th seed, 11th seed, we need to play like we’re not in the playoffs, because we could be out of it if we don’t do what we’re supposed to do,” Matthews said Thursday. “The teams behind us are playing hard, they’re playing to win games, they’re winning games, and we’re not.
“We can’t rest on what we did earlier in the season and that little cushion that we developed. That’s gone now, and we’ve got to play every game with urgency like it is a playoff game.”
That urgency needs to start Friday when Dallas plays the much-improved Denver Nuggets (23-35) at 7:30 at American Airlines Center. The Nuggets upset the No. 4-seeded Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
We’re beyond the point where it’s time to talk about urgency.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle
“They’re a team that has developed toughness, they’ve developed togetherness,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “Last night, they passed their road win total for the entire year last year, so they’re going to be coming in here with some juice.”
With the Mavericks having three games remaining against the Nuggets, two against Golden State, two against the Clippers, two against Portland, and one each against San Antonio, Cleveland, Memphis, Utah and Houston, they know each loss is magnified as far as the playoff picture is concerned.
“We’re beyond the point where it’s time to talk about urgency,” Carlisle said. “Our whole season has been about urgency, and it’s been tight the whole way. And with this stretch of home games, it just goes without saying that we’ve really got to be on our game and we’ve got to really be ready every single night.”
In addition to playing the Nuggets, the Mavericks have games against Minnesota, Orlando and Sacramento on this six-game homestand. But just playing home games, where the Mavericks are 16-12, doesn’t guarantee victory.
“We definitely control our own destiny, and by no means are we waiting for teams to lose or in any situation like that,” Matthews said. “We’re not relying on that because we’ve got to win games. We control our fatefaith and it’s time to see what we’re made of.”
Williams returns
Point guard Deron Williams will play Friday against Denver. Williams jammed the ring finger on his left hand in the second half of Wednesday’s loss to Oklahoma City. X-rays on that finger were negative, and Williams was back at practice Thursday.
“I am concerned about it, but he says he’s doing OK,” Carlisle said. “He tells me he’s going to play [Friday]. “I’m concerned any time any of our players get dinged up, but I’ll take his word for it. If he says he’s going to be OK, then he’ll play.”
Dwain Price: 817-390-7760, @dwainprice
The numbers game
Here are the remaining 24 games for the Mavericks, and those teams’ winning percentage.
Opponent | Home | Away | Win Pct. |
Golden State | 1 | 1 | .911 |
San Antonio | 1 | 0 | .842 |
Cleveland | 0 | 1 | .732 |
LA Clippers | 1 | 1 | .649 |
Memphis | 1 | 0 | .589 |
Indiana | 1 | 0 | .544 |
Portland | 1 | 1 | .526 |
Charlotte | 0 | 1 | .518 |
Utah | 0 | 1 | .500 |
Detroit | 1 | 1 | .500 |
Houston | 1 | 0 | .491 |
Orlando | 1 | 0 | .455 |
Sacramento | 1 | 1 | .429 |
New York | 1 | 0 | .407 |
Denver | 1 | 2 | .397 |
Minnisota | 1 | 1 | .310 |
This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 7:51 PM with the headline "Mavericks in dangerous position for playoff race."