Previewing the rest of the Mavericks' extended road trip

The Mavericks are playing four more road games in a row after their win at New Orleans on Wednesday night.

Keenan Womack | Jan 31, 2025

Jan 29, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts to fan during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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Dallas Mavericks

After defeating the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night in a 137-136 thriller, a game in which both sides seemed allergic to defense, Dallas continues its road trip on Friday when they travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons. This matchup is the second of a five-game jaunt, the last four of which are against Eastern Conference squads. While the West is, overall, much more competitive, the East still has very impressive teams at the top, a couple of which the Mavericks will have to face in this stretch.

They will also see a couple of lesser opponents, but as has been established this season, Dallas can't overlook anyone, especially with their currently precarious situation in the Western Conference standings. Their injuries are a contributing factor, with Luka Doncic still inactive due to a calf strain and Dereck Lively II sidelined likely until the playoffs begin. Regardless, the Mavericks need to win at least two, ideally three of these games for it to be a successful stretch. If they can emerge 4-1 or at least 3-2, it will be a positive development.

Here are the teams they will face over the next week.

Friday, January 31 – at Detroit Pistons

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving shoots on Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Despite the heroics of elite point guard Cade Cunningham, the Pistons sit with a 23-24 record right now, good for the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference. Still, Detroit is vastly improved from last season, mostly due to the emergence of Cunningham as one of the league's best lead initiators; on the year, he is averaging 25.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game on 45% from the field and 36% from three.

Jaden Ivey and Malik Beasley are also contributing, but it remains the Cade Cunningham show with a few supporting characters. The front court of Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren has stepped up and improved, and the Pistons' staff is attempting to get recent draft picks Ausar Thompson (2023) and Ron Holland II (2024) going as well. Dallas will also see a familiar face in shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who was dealt away in the Quentin Grimes trade this past offseason.

Sunday, February 2 – at Cleveland Cavaliers

Jan 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) drives to the basket as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends during the second halfat American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

One of the NBA's biggest surprises, the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently the top seed in the East, sporting a 36-9 record overall. Not only are they in first place, but by a decent margin: they currently sit 5.5 games ahead of the second-place Boston Celtics as of January 30. The Cavaliers' strength lies in their front court, stacked with two elite defensive players in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, whose presence together at first was questioned due to overlapping skillsets on the offensive end. However, it's clear that their chemistry is not an issue, allowing them to coexist on both ends of the floor and be one of, if not the league's best big-man duo.

The backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland is also extremely productive, as they combine for over 45 points and 11 assists per game. Cleveland is a well-disciplined squad that plays complementary basketball, and the results are enough to prove that they are for real at this point in the season.

Tuesday, February 4 – at Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Sixers are another team rife with injuries, including oft-sidelined star Joel Embiid, but also rookie Jared McCain, who was playing extremely well in his first NBA season before tearing his meniscus. Philadelphia does still have superstar guard Tyrese Maxey (27.1 points, 6.0 assists), but with an underperforming Paul George (17.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists), they sit with a 19-27 record overall, 11th place in the Eastern Conference. While they do have a decent roster when healthy, their issues with injuries have sent them backward as a franchise.

As good as Maxey is on his own, he is not enough to overcome all of the obstacles that face this team in 2024-25. With Embiid's gameplay status constantly in flux and George's scoring regression, the Sixers are a team that has a very uncertain future. These are the kinds of tricky games that Dallas needs to win, even if this particular matchup is on the road.

Thursday, February 6 – at Boston Celtics

Jan 25, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) shoots over Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

A rematch of the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks will enter TD Garden on February 6 to take on the Boston Celtics, a team that holds the second-place spot in the East and is once again a major title contender. Though not as dominant as the Cavaliers have been through half of the regular season, Boston is still the odds-on favorite to retain the Eastern Conference throne in 2025 and advance to the Finals once again. With a defensively stout roster that includes Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are a fearsome group more than capable of defending their championship.

Boston is a versatile team that can win games shooting threes or playing defense (often both). It will be a tough way to end a road trip, but a win here could be massive for the team's confidence. The status of Kristaps Porzingis will affect the game's outcome, as the former Maverick contributes significantly when he is on the floor.

Once again, this is a crucial group of games for a Dallas team on the cusp of being a play-in participant. In order to climb out of the hole caused in part by injuries, they have to win games they are not supposed to – in this case, against the Cavaliers and Celtics. They have pulled upsets three times against the title-favorite Oklahoma City Thunder this season, but need to repeat that level of performance on a more regular basis if they want to compete for a higher seed.

There is a small chance that Dallas could see the return of one of the best players in the world in Luka Doncic, whose calf strain has reportedly gotten better. Nearing a comeback, Doncic's presence would completely change the complexion of the next few games, and give them a much better chance against more talented opponents. Until then, the Mavericks will continue to rely on Kyrie Irving and the front court to produce and keep them alive in games in which they are undermanned.

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KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.