The Dallas Mavericks are preparing for the second half of a road back-to-back after a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, marking two consecutive losses following a seven-game winning streak.
Dallas held a late lead but lost the game as Cleveland’s Max Strus drained a 59-foot shot over Luka Doncic at the buzzer, sending the Mavericks into eighth place in the Western Conference.
“I thought our group did a great job responding, even though the shot that they make there beyond halfcourt is the game-winner,” Dallas head coach Jason Kidd told the media postgame. “… We put ourselves in a position to beat one of the best teams in the league — not just in the Eastern Conference, but in the league — but came up short.”
The Mavericks had been on a tear since the NBA trade deadline, winning their final six games before the All-Star break and following with a crucial win over the Phoenix Suns to climb into fifth/sixth place before their road trip. However, the trip started with a 22-point loss in Indiana, and Dallas has quickly taken a tumble back into play-in-game territory as part of a four-team logjam vying for the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth seeds.
“Everyone’s playing to win,” Kidd added. “I don’t want to say ‘jockeying for position.’ Everybody’s trying to win as many games [as possible]. Right now, there’s not a lot of games to give away, but I think, when you look at the competition right now, everybody’s fighting for a playoff spot.”
Dallas does not get much of a reprieve in its upcoming schedule, facing three consecutive playoff teams to begin the month of March after Wednesday’s chance at redemption against the Toronto Raptors.
The Mavericks (33-25) and the Raptors (22-36) will tip off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday in Toronto as Dallas tries to reassert itself in the Western Conference playoff field and avoid a collapse akin to last season.