This Week in Mavs Basketball: Tough 5-Game Road Trip Begins, West Standings Lookahead

As the Dallas Mavericks begin a tough five-game road trip this week, DallasBasketball.com takes a look at what's ahead for three other team close to Dallas in the Western Conference standings.

Washington Wizards v Dallas Mavericks / Sam Hodde/GettyImages

After defeating the Utah Jazz 113-97 on Thursday night at American Airlines Center, the Dallas Mavericks got the entire weekend off before they start a crucial five-game road trip in Salt Lake City on Monday. Heading into the road trip, Dallas has major momentum, as it has won three games in a row and seven of its last eight.

Despite being on a hot streak, the Mavs still start this week as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference standings, but they could find themselves with sole possession of the No. 5 or No. 6 seed by this time next week if they take care of business. Dallas is currently 41-29, which is tied with the No. 7 seed Sacramento Kings, a half-game behind the No. 6 seed Phoenix Suns, and 2.5 games behind the No. 5 seed New Orleans Pelicans, who will be without Brandon Ingram for several games after he suffered a bone bruise in his knee.

Washington Wizards v Dallas Mavericks / Sam Hodde/GettyImages

Here is what the Mavs' schedule looks like from Monday through the end of the week: at Jazz (Monday, March 25), at Kings (Tuesday, March 26), at Kings (Friday, March 29), at Houston Rockets (Sunday, March 31).

If all goes according to plan, Dallas should win handily in Utah, but the other three games will be a big challenge for Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and company. The Kings trio of De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk can be lethal, and the Rockets are currently riding a West-leading eight-game win streak as they seek to catch the Golden State Warriors for the final Play-In Tournament spot.

As for the three teams currently above Dallas in the standings, here's a look at what they have on their schedules this week as well:

Kings: vs. Philadelphia 76ers (Monday, March 25), vs. Mavs (Tuesday, March 26), vs. Mavs (Friday, March 29), vs. Jazz (Sunday, March 31).

Suns: at San Antonio Spurs (Monday, March 25), at Denver Nuggets (Wednesday, March 27), at Oklahoma City Thunder (Friday, March 29).

Pelicans: vs. Thunder (Tuesday, March 26), vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Thursday, March 28), vs. Boston Celtics (Saturday, March 30).

It will be tough to accomplish, but a perfect 4-0 week by the Mavs would go a long way toward potentially locking up a top-six seed in the West playoff picture. Given that the Mavs have won several games recently without shooting the 3-ball well, perhaps those 3s will finally start to fall on this road trip.

“It feels great," Irving said of his team's momentum. "It is something we don’t take it for granted because it has taken time to build. We’ve had to be patient. We’ve had to build through adversity and also some of our failures. That has been the beautiful aspect of it. Through our struggles, we’ve been able to come out on the other side and see some glimmer of the light and turn it into wins.”