NBA: Dallas Mavericks vs Washington Wizards | 31 March, 7 AM

[Mary C]

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

DALLAS MAVERICKS: 

PG | Luka Doncic 

SG | Jalen Brunson 

SF | Reggie Bullock 

PF | Dorian Finney-Smith 

C | Dwight Powell 

 

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: 

PG | Raul Neto 

SG | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 

SF | Corey Kispert 

PF | Kyle Kuzma 

C | Bristaps Porzingis 

 

 

After claiming victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, the mighty Mavericks are on their way to Washington to go against the Wizards. 7 AM this Sunday, April 2, 2022, the Wizards’ Capital One Arena shall be hosting the battle between the two teams.  

 

As of late, home team Wizards are currently the 12th team from the Eastern Conference with a 32-42 record. On the other side of the court, visiting team Mavericks stands quite tall at the Western Conference’s 4th with 47-29.  With these numbers and rankings, it’s easy to undermine the Eastern Conference’s contender, but it’s important to remember that different factors come into play for each game. From their last matchup on November 26 earlier this season, the Wizards outplayed the Mavericks in three out of four rounds. The match ultimately ended with 114-120 in favor of Washington, which was a shock for most fans and viewers.  

 

Speaking in the now, each teams’ season leaders for points, rebounds, and assists are a tight comparison between Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Washington’s Kyle Kuzma. Something that makes the upcoming game interesting though is that Kuzma is out for a knee injury. Kuzma has already missed six games and has been ruled out for the upcoming two, making it likely that he won’t be making an appearance in the Wizards-Mavericks game anytime soon. Bad news for the Wizards but a big opportunity for the Mavericks— however, Dallas can’t count their eggs yet. Washington has been revving up its game regardless of Kuzma. So much so that they were able to defeat the formidable fan-favorite, Golden State Warriors, this 28th. The Mavericks need to make sure to bring their A-game if they want to come out victorious in this game and kick the Warriors off the West’s top three soon enough.  

 

So, who will it be? We’re going to have to vouch for the Mavericks here, folks. It’s likely that the team knows everything we’ve mentioned, especially Doncic. Being so close to third in the Western Conference, they cannot risk a loss across the board. Kuzma’s predicted absence is a noticeable window of opportunity, and they can’t let the Wizards be more than just a sizeable competitor. It’s going to be an interesting game for sure. 

 

7 AM, 31 March 2022. Capital One Arena, Washington, DC.