Warriors can eliminate Mavericks with win as play-in race tightens
The Golden State Warriors can boost their playoff chances and officially eliminate the Dallas Mavericks from postseason contention when the teams face off Monday night in Texas.
The Warriors (33-38) have lost eight of nine but have maintained a sizable lead over the competition for the 10th and final play-in spot in the Western Conference.
Golden State begins play Monday 8.5 games ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans (25-47) and Memphis Grizzlies (24-46) with just 11 to play.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks (23-48) are 10 games behind Golden State. A loss on Monday would put them 11 games back with 10 games remaining, preventing Dallas from making the playoffs for the second straight season after reaching the NBA Finals in 2024.
The Warriors have lost three straight games and four of five on their final extended road trip of the season. After Monday, Golden State will play seven of its last 10 games at home as it tries to catch the Los Angeles Clippers (35-36) and/or the Portland Trail Blazers (35-37) and secure at least one home play-in game.
The Warriors will be without Stephen Curry, Al Horford and Moses Moody for the trip finale. Curry, who has missed Golden State's last 21 games with a sore right knee, has been scheduled for a re-evaluation on Tuesday, with hopes of returning to the lineup sometime this week.
Golden State has gone 6-15 without Curry.
Brandin Podziemski, who has started the last 13 games after coming off the bench in a majority of the team's first 58 contests, has averaged 14.5 points, a team-leading 6.4 rebounds and four assists in 31.3 minutes per game in Curry's absence.
"It's a great experience for Brandin," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Saturday in Atlanta. "He does a lot of things that can help drive winning. He is, in my mind, really exploring how good he can become and what type of player he wants to become."
The Warriors and Mavericks split their two earlier matchups, each winning at home. Cooper Flagg posted a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds when Dallas won 123-115 in the most recent head-to-head in January.
The Mavericks have lost three in a row, including 138-131 in overtime at home against the Clippers on Saturday. Flagg had the 11th double-double of his rookie season with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the defeat.
Despite recording double figures in points 57 times, rebounds nine times and assists twice, Flagg has yet to post his first NBA triple-double. He missed it by two assists against the Clippers.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who notched the sixth-most triple-doubles in NBA history with 107 during his playing career, senses Flagg's first is right around the corner.
"He's done a really good job of making the right play," Kidd gushed after Saturday's loss. "(This game) was no different."