The Dallas Mavericks were mathematically knocked out of postseason contention on Monday night, falling 104-101 in overtime to the Golden State Warriors and sliding to 23-49 with 10 games remaining.
Dallas entered the season with high expectations but never recovered from a 5-15 start. The club showed brief improvement in January before dropping 10 consecutive games, and it has gone 4-23 since Jan. 22.
Persistent injuries undermined any chance of a rally. Kyrie Irving sat out the entire campaign with a torn ACL, Anthony Davis battled multiple ailments prior to being traded at the deadline, and rookie center Dereck Lively II was limited to seven appearances because of a season-ending foot injury. Guard Dante Exum never suited up, and forward Daniel Gafford left Monday’s loss with a shoulder problem.
The Mavericks now occupy sixth place in the draft lottery order and could still move up. One year ago they vaulted from No. 11 to No. 1 and selected forward Cooper Flagg, who has produced despite the team’s struggles.
While Dallas looks ahead to the draft, the San Antonio Spurs have clinched the Southwest Division and are closing in on a top-two seed in the Western Conference, highlighting the sharply different directions of the division rivals.
Source: Hoops Wire
