Wed, Mar 10, 2021
By Jim Vassallo (Veri.bet Writer)
The San Antonio Spurs (18-14, 7th place) visit the Dallas Mavericks (18-16, 8th place) in a pivotal Western Conference matchup on Wednesday, March 10, at 8:30 pm ET.
These two storied franchises face each other to begin the second half of the NBA season after All-Star Weekend with a lot on the line. Sitting in the seventh and eighth spots in the Western Conference standings, both the Spurs and Mavericks know that they have a lot of work to do to secure playoff spots.
Both teams reside in the Southwest Division, which means taking home a division crown will be just as tough as securing an at-large spot in the post-season. Dallas is just one game behind San Antonio for the division lead and both teams sit more than five games out of first in the conference standings
The Mavericks won the first meeting of three in the regular season, 122-117, and they won’t meet again until April 11.
Dallas enjoyed a three-game win streak and had won five of six games right before the break and will look to keep it going when San Antonio visits the American Airlines Center tonight. In their last 10 games played, the Mavericks are an impressive 8-2, helping them climb up the Western Conference standings and pull closer to the Spurs.
San Antonio has not had as much luck of late, going just 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Spurs suffered a loss in their final game before the All-Star break, a 107-102 setback against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Spurs, much like the rest of the teams in the league, have had a handful of games suspended this year. In fact, the Spurs suffered four straight suspended games just weeks before the break.
How the Spurs and the rest of the league react to the suspended games and subsequent makeups will play a big role in the playoff landscape.
The Spurs will need DeMar DeRozan to continue his strong season if San Antonio wants to make another playoff appearance. DeRozan leads the team in the three major offensive categories: points per game (20), assists (7.2), and field goal percentage (48.4).
Dallas is paced by Luka Doncic, who is averaging 28.6 points per game and nine assists per game. Doncic might need to take control of the court tonight if Dallas wants to come out victorious over the Spurs.
The Spurs will be without shooting guard Devin Vassell due to COVID-19 protocols related to conditioning. Point guard Tyrell Terry of the Mavericks is listed as day-to-day and might wind up being available for tipoff Wednesday night.
Ready to place a bet on tonight’s Dallas-San Antonio Western Conference tilt? The over-under is set at 224 points. Dallas has the -175 money line and the advantage so far in the season series. Place your bets on the Mavericks at home tonight, where they are 9-8. This contest should be close from start to finish with Dallas securing the win and moving into a tie for first place in the Southwest Division.
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