There are a handful of playoff races in the NBA that will be coming down to the final weeks and days of the 2023-24 regular season. One of the most heated races is the one involving the chase for the 4th, 5th, and 6th seeds in the Western Conference, as five teams are currently vying for the three spots. Just two and a half games separate them all, and they all have 10 or 11 games left to play.
Kings vs Mavericks Games Will Have Massive Implications
Sabonis this season:
— First 15/13/8 season since Wilt
— First in double-doubles
— First in triple-doubles
— First in rebounds + assists
— 5th player with 25+ triple-doubles in a season
— 54 straight double-doubles (most since merger)Not bad for a non-All-Star. pic.twitter.com/xRMvn6BhXG
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 26, 2024
Two of the most important will be happening in the coming days. Two of the teams involved in the jumble are the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks, who come into Tuesday’s action with identical 42–29 records. And over the next few days, they’ll face off against each other two different times.
While their records are the same, the Kings currently hold the tiebreaker between the two. Because Sacramento has won the first two meetings of the season, they are currently the team listed in the 6th seed, while the Mavs come in just behind in 7th.
There won’t be much change to the standings or the tiebreaker if the teams split the two meetings this week. But if one team is able to nab both games, they’ll set themselves up nicely for the stretch run, and could find themselves knocking on the door of the 4th or 5th seed, depending on how things play out with the Pelicans and Clippers.
Dončić & Sabonis Have Been On A Tear Lately
Luka Doncic has averaged nearly a triple-double since the All-Star Break 😲
33.5 ppg
9.7 rpg
10.9 apg pic.twitter.com/n3Dl4S1Mvf— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 26, 2024
Both games between the Mavericks and Kings will be played in Sacramento. The first will be held on Tuesday night as the second part of a TNT double-header, with both teams playing in the second night of a back-to-back. Sacramento is coming off of a big win against the 76ers on Monday, and Dallas is 8-1 in their last 9 heading into the contest.
Both sides have a statistical monster, and both are currently on a tear. No player in the NBA has had more rebounds or assists than Domantas Sabonis since the start of the 2024 calendar year, and Luka Dončić is averaging nearly a triple-double since the All-Star break.
For the first game, the Kings are listed as 1.5-point favorites.
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