What are we to make of these Dallas Mavericks (36-38) entering Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bulls (33-40) at the United Center? The fanbase has largely thrown its collective hands in the air following the most stunning trade in NBA history, combined with a karmic bout of horrendous injury luck for the two months or so. It leaves us searching for answers to life’s big questions.
What should we be rooting for, anyway? What does it all mean?
While we stare into the abyss, the Mavericks are wrapping up a four-game eastern swing with a chance to turn the chicken shit the organization has served its fans into a tepid 3-1 chicken salad.
The Anthony Davis Era has begun in earnest, but the big man hasn’t quite rounded into form yet in two games on the floor. He was still on a minutes restriction of about 28 minutes in Thursday’s 101-92 win at the Orlando Magic.
Was it too early to bring him back from the adductor injury he suffered on Feb. 8 against the Houston Rockets? Is the fact that he’s only mustered a light jog in either of his two appearances in the past week evidence of that or is it just standard easing back into game shape? Does it matter, if the alternative to bringing him back would have been forfeiting actual NBA basketball games for not being able to field eight warm-blooded players?
As depressing as those questions are, the answers might be even worse, given the underhanded way the Mavs front office is being anonymously quoted in reference to its former superstar Luka Dončić, most notably the complete absence of general manager Nico Harrison from the public discourse amidst persisting outrage and lackluster attendance at recent home games.
There are still regular-season games to mark off the list and still, in theory, at least, goals to be pursued. To that end, there is still both a little good news and a little bad news surrounding the heaping helping of general malaise filling fans’ plates.
The good news
The good news is that the Mavericks have already won two of three on their current four-game Eastern Conference road swing, picking up wins at the Brooklyn Nets on Monday and at the playoff-bound Orlando Magic on Thursday. The Mavs earned those wins despite even more roster instability after PJ Washington rolled an ankle against the Nets and had to miss the team’s 128-113 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday and Thursday’s win in Orlando. They can do no worse than 2-2, even if they lose to Chicago, before coming home for a pair of games against the Nets and Atlanta Hawks.
Dallas currently sits in 10th place in the Western Conference, ahead of the Phoenix Suns by a half-game. The Suns (35-38) meet the Minnesota Timberwolves (41-32) in Minneapolis tonight and could pull back in front of Dallas with a win, though they aren’t favored to do so.
Assuming both the Mavs and Suns lose their next game, Dallas would remain a half-game ahead with seven games left on the schedule (eight for Phoenix). The combined record for the Mavs’ opponents in their final seven games is just 254-255, while the combined record of remaining Phoenix Suns opponents in their final eight is 356-225 as of this writing. One of the teams with a winning record who the Mavs still have on their schedule is the Memphis Grizzlies, who, despite being 44-29 and sitting in fifth in the Western Conference, have lost four of their last six and have only beaten one team with a winning record since Feb. 3. That win came against your little Mavericks on Mar. 7 as Dallas was in its own tailspin.
All this assumes that a play-in appearance would, in fact, be a good thing for this Mavericks’ team. If they were to somehow get out of the play-in, the Mavs would be fed to the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose 61-12 record entering Friday is the best in the NBA. Take that for what you will and react accordingly.
The bad news
Washington (ankle) and Kai Jones (hip contusion suffered in Thursday’s win at the Magic) were both listed as day-to-day on the Mavericks’ injury report with their respective injuries ahead of Saturday’s game at the Bulls (up-to-date as of late Friday afternoon). Leaving aside the scoring punch Washington provides, which will surely be missed if he is held out for a third straight game, if Jones can’t go, that leaves just Anthony Davis and Dwight Powell as the only available bigs on the current roster. Kessler Edwards is no longer an option, leaving Naji Marshall as the next man up to play small-ball five.
Meanwhile, the Bulls have rattled off wins in five of their last six games as they sit ninth in the East, trying to catch flailing Orlando for the eighth spot. They have also won nine of their last 11. Chicago broke the Los Angeles Lakers’ hearts on Thursday, thanks to a game-winning half-court heave from forward Josh Giddey at the buzzer to pull out the 119-1117 win.
BULLS WIN ON AN ELECTRIFYING SEQUENCE ⚡️
Patrick Williams triple with 10.3 seconds left.
Coby White for the lead with 6.1 seconds left.
Austin Reaves takes the lead back with 3.3 to go.
Josh Giddey hits the #TissotBuzzerBeater.
CLUTCH BASKETBALL AT ITS FINEST! pic.twitter.com/fPwP3IiVM1
— NBA (@NBA) March 28, 2025
Giddey, for his part, might just be resurrecting a career he seemed to have wrecked in his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has scored 25 or more points in five of his last six games and at least 17 points in 13 of his last 14.
Bulls’ point guard Coby White is also on a heater this year, averaging a career-best 20.4 points per game. He has led the team in scoring 12 of the Bulls’ last 14 times out and has scored 26 or more in five of the last six.
Dallas will have its hands full, as a team in steep decline facing off with a team in its ascendency, on the Bulls’ home floor on Saturday.
How to watch
The Mavericks and the Bulls play Saturday at the United Center in Chicago. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29, or you can stream on MavsTV or on NBA League Pass.