DALLAS, TEXAS — The Dallas Mavericks are entering the final stretch of home games in the regular season while holding onto the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference. Their upcoming matchup against the Atlanta Hawks presents a promising opportunity, as the Mavs lead the season series 1-0 after securing a 10-point victory in their last meeting.
In that previous contest, Dallas trailed by three at halftime but turned the tide in the second half, building their largest lead of 10 points in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving was instrumental, dropping 32 points, while Naji Marshall contributed 22, Jaden Hardy added 23, and P.J. Washington chipped in 11.
With Irving unavailable for this matchup, the Mavericks must set the tone early with high-energy play and effective ball movement to establish control. However, reinforcements could be on the way—Dereck Lively II is hopeful to return, bringing defensive presence alongside Anthony Davis for the first time.
Several milestones are within reach for the Mavericks in this game. P.J. Washington needs just three points to reach 5,000 career points, while Anthony Davis is three blocks away from reaching 100 this season, marking his 11th career season with at least 100 blocks.
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