Golden State Warriors: 3 Pivotal games for NBA Playoff race

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 19: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors removes his jacket before an NBA basketball game against against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on April 19, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Warriors defeated the 76ers 107-96. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 19: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors removes his jacket before an NBA basketball game against against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on April 19, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Warriors defeated the 76ers 107-96. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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Golden State Warriors (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

April 27 – Golden State Warriors versus Dallas Mavericks

The home stretch to the NBA Playoff begins now. An upcoming showdown with the Dallas Mavericks could help put the Golden State Warriors ahead in the standings by the end of the season.

Dallas currently occupies the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Ahead of the Warriors by only two games, a win here for Golden State would be huge in terms of securing playoff position over the Mavs.

It won’t be easy, however. The Mavericks are led by Luka Doncic who is averaging 28.6 points, 8.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in his third NBA season. Streaky shooters like Tim Hardaway, Trey Burke and Josh Richardson pose a real threat as well.

Nonetheless, the Mavericks have dropped four of their last five and Luka’s supporting cast has been shakey. As a result, the door is open for Golden State to sneak ahead of Dallas in the standings.

A potential x-factor here is Kelly Oubre, who had the best game of his career earlier this season against Dallas. Oubre scored 40 points back in February and is slowly regaining his rhythm since returning from injury.