The Dallas Mavericks will play just one more game against the Miami Heat tonight at 7:30 p.m. before a week-long absence during the NBA All-Star Break.
The NBA All-Star Break is scheduled to begin on Friday and run through the end of the day on the weekend, featuring multiple exciting events such as the Dunk Contest, Three-Point Contest, Skills Challenge, and All-Star Game.
Forward Anthony Davis was the only Mavericks player initially selected to the NBA All-Star team. However, a left adductor strain will sideline him for the game, and guard Kyrie Irving has been named his replacement.
Despite the events ending on Sunday night, the Mavericks will not play another game until a home matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 21.
This All-Star Break comes at an ideal time for the Mavericks, as the franchise deals with a slew of injuries following a shocking trade to send Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Although the Mavericks have not released the injury report for Thursday’s matchup against the Heat, seven players were missing on Wednesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
The biggest concern among these injuries is the growing number of issues with the Mavericks’ big men, as Davis, Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, and Dwight Powell are all expected to miss a significant amount of time.
Improving overall health will be paramount for the Mavericks during this break. The team is clinging to a slight lead in the standings and is in the hunt for a coveted play-in spot.
Dallas is the eighth seed in the Western Conference but could easily fall out of the hunt for a playoff spot. The Phoenix Suns trail by just 2.5 games and will make a push to finish the season.
Another benefit for the Mavericks during the All-Star break is time to avoid headlines. The franchise experienced backlash from the fans in the aftermath of the Dončić trade.
Many fans have begun to call for the removal of Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison, leading the team to eject multiple fans during a recent game due to alleged violations of the NBA Code of Conduct, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd said the organization has the “best fans in the league, ” and he understands why they are upset about recent decisions.
“They can come and cheer and boo if they don’t like the way we’re playing, if we’re being lazy. But I don’t think the fans are booing (the effort). The guys are playing as hard as they can. We put ourselves in some games to win. We’ve lost. We’ve won. But they have a right to speak on what they believe,” added Kidd, according to the Mavericks.