Coming off a disappointing first half of a back-to-back set, the Atlanta Hawks will look to hold steady in the Eastern Conference play-in race when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
Atlanta (36-39) enters play having lost three of its past four games, including Tuesday’s 127-113 home setback to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Hawks were trying to build separation on the Orlando Magic but instead saw their lackluster performance, paired with a Magic victory in San Antonio, result in Atlanta falling a percentage point in back of its Southeast Division rival.
The Hawks also lead the Miami Heat by just two games and the Chicago Bulls by 2 1/2 for a play-in spot.
Atlanta turned the ball over 19 times and took its last lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Hawks also allowed 19 offensive rebounds in the loss.
“We have to be more precise with our passing, more sure with the ball,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said. “On the glass, there’s going to be a few that are hard for us to corral, but we need to be as physical as we can. Those two areas of the game hurt us.”
Atlanta point guard Trae Young poured in 29 points and 15 assists — increasing his league-leading average to 11.6 assists per game. The seventh-year pro is looking to appear in the playoffs for the fourth time, and he knows the Hawks have another important opportunity Wednesday.
“That’s part of the NBA,” Young said. “You can never get too high or too low at any point of the season, so right now I’m not too low after the loss.”
Dallas (37-39) is in its own postseason push, currently sitting a half-game ahead of the Sacramento Kings for the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference and two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns.
After a miserable 1-9 start to March, the Mavericks have won four of six to revitalize an unpredictable season. Dallas fell 113-109 at home to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday after squandering a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
In an injury-riddled campaign, the Mavericks finally got some good news as center Daniel Gafford returned from a 21-game absence due to a sprained knee. He posted 17 points and seven rebounds in the Monday loss.
“I’ve got a big heart for the game,” Gafford said. “Every day that I was out, I was just trying to get better. It wasn’t the end of the world or the end of my career. … I’m very happy to be back.”
Gafford, who averages 12.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, started alongside fellow big man Anthony Davis in his first game back.
Davis, who returned last week from an extended absence due to an adductor injury suffered in his first game with Dallas, is averaging 16.6 points and 8.6 rebounds in five games since being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers for Luka Doncic.
