In a private meeting with journalists from various media outlets held in Sacramento, Nico Harrison stood by his decision to trade Luka Doncic, referring to the phrase “defense wins championships.” That trade with the Lakers brought Anthony Davis to Dallas, who (for now) has proven Nico Harrison right by giving the Mavericks an extra life.

Dominant Davis vs Kings

After a first quarter where the score remained close, the Mavericks delivered one of their best performances of the season and convincingly defeated the Kings (106-120) in Sacramento. With that, Dallas survived their first do-or-die game of the season and will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the play-in, seeking a spot in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

The Mavericks' win in Sacramento over the Kings was led by a standout performance from Anthony Davis, who reaffirmed his status as one of the most dominant big men in the NBA… when he’s healthy. The former Pelicans and Lakers player was the game’s top scorer with 27 points and also grabbed nine rebounds. An impressive showing… boosted by Klay Thompson, who also scored 27 points and shot an incredible 71% from three (5/7).

The Heat crushed the Bulls in Chicago

A few hours after the Kings were eliminated in the first round of the play-in—ending a disappointing season following the firing of Mike Brown and the controversial trade of De’Aaron Fox—the Bulls were also knocked out in Chicago by the Miami Heat. Led by a phenomenal Tyler Herro, who dropped 38 points, Miami dominated the Bulls and now aims to beat the Hawks for a chance to enter the NBA playoffs.

Slowly but surely, the matchups for the first round of the NBA playoffs are taking shape. Earlier this week, the Orlando Magic and Golden State Warriors won their play-in games and advanced to face the Celtics and Rockets, respectively. Meanwhile, the winner of Hawks vs Heat will face the Cavaliers in the first round… and the winner of Grizzlies vs Mavericks will grab the final ticket to take on the Thunder.