The Dallas Mavericks will host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. The Mavericks will play in their 77th game for the season, while the Hawks will play in their 76th game.
Both of these teams are in the play-in position and will seek the best seeding possible as the season ends. As both teams look to do that, the Mavericks, in particular, will look for the season series sweep over Atlanta.
The two teams faced off in late November; however, that was before an array of trades.
Atlanta and Dallas played each other in November, and a ton of changes have transpired as we sit at the beginning of April.
Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after hitting a three-point basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after hitting a three-point basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The Mavericks have a new star player, Anthony Davis. Davis was traded to the Mavericks in early February as part of the key piece Luka Doncic trade. He has been injured for most of his Dallas tenure, but that won’t be the case on Wednesday.
Davis entered the game listed as probable, but he has since been upgraded to available and will start for Dallas. Davis will play in his sixth game for the Mavericks and his 48th overall.
Anthony Davis (adductor) available to play Wednesday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 2, 2025
The Hawks have the likes of their stat guard, Trae Young. Young, who has been a mainstay on the injury report with an Achilles issue, has also been upgraded from probably to available.
Young will also start and play in his 71st game of the season.
Trae Young (Achilles) available to play Wednesday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 2, 2025
Davis and Young have been mainstays on the injury report for most of the season for their respective teams.
Nonetheless, when they’re out there, they are a handful. Davis is having one heck of a season when on the floor, averaging 24.8 points per game, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals while shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 28.7 percent from three in 33.7 minutes of action.
As for Young, he is averaging 24.1 points per game, 11.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 40.9 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from three in 36.1 minutes of action.
The Mavericks hold a 20-17 record on their home court but have struggled in tight contests, posting a 4-8 record in games decided by fewer than four points.
Meanwhile, the Hawks have gone 17-21 on the road this season. Atlanta thrives on ball movement, ranking second in the league with 29.5 assists per game, with Young leading the way at 11.6 per contest.
Neither team has found much consistency over their last 10 games. Dallas has gone 4-6 during that stretch, while Atlanta sits at an even 5-5. Both squads have also had difficulty on the defensive end, allowing over 118 points per game in that span.
More NBA news: Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Responds to NBA Investigation Over Controversial Celebration
76ers’ Joel Embiid Set to Undergo Second Surgery on Knee
For more NBA news and rumors, stay tuned to Newsweek Sports.
