Dallas Mavs & Brooklyn Nets Missing Star Players: GAMEDAY

The Mavericks host the Brooklyn Nets in an important star-studded affair on national television Thursday night.

DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks host the Brooklyn Nets in an important star-studded affair on national television Thursday night. 

Dallas has won seven of their last nine games while the Nets are trying to snap a three-game losing streak, including dropping two to the Milwaukee Bucks. With a win, the Mavs would be 10 games over .500 for the first time this season.

On the most recent injury report, it appears that Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will all be ready to tango in this showdown. The Mavs will be without Maxi Kleber and Kristaps Porzingis. The Nets will be without James Harden. 

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PLAYOFFS NEAR: With seven games left in the regular season, and only one more game against a team with an above .500 record, the Mavs hope to hold on to their current spot in the standings and avoid the NBA's play-in tournament.

Dallas needs to keep winning to stay out of the play-in tournament, while Brooklyn is one game ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference.

6TH MAN OF YEAR: Tim Hardaway Jr. has been a man on fire lately. He is a legitimate sixth man of the year candidate. Although in his last two starts, Hardaway scored 42 at Detroit and 36 at Miami, totaling a wild 78 points.

His 10 three-pointers in the Mavs win at Miami ties the franchise record for three-pointers made in a game that was co-owned by George McCloud in 1995 and by Wesley Matthews in 2015.

ODDS: The Mavs entered the day as 4-point underdogs to the Nets, and the total over/under is 233.5.

BETTING TRENDS: Interestingly, the Nets are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 game and the Mavericks are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games.

RECORDS: DALLAS MAVERICKS (37-28) VS. BROOKLYN NETS (42-23)

WHEN: Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. CT

LOCATION: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)

TV/RADIO: TNT, BSSW, ESPN 103.3 FM, Univision 1270 AM

[LISTEN: MAVS Step Back Podcast: Hardaway Jr., Doncic Cool Off Heat In Miami]