Western Conference Standings: Mavs Sit In 6th, But Far From Safe

Wednesday night's win over the Rockets helped Dallas get one step closer to the playoffs, but the defending champions have not locked up a spot yet.

The Mavs entered the night in seventh place, but the win over Houston plus Denver's loss to the Clippers moved Dallas into sixth place with a 35-28 record.

With three games remaining, the Mavs are 2 1/2 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for fifth place, but the focus should be on just getting into the playoffs. Dallas is 1/2 game up on the Nuggets, who sit in seventh, and two games up on Utah, which sits in eighth. Behind the Jazz, the Suns and Rockets are outside of the playoffs, but just 1/2 game behind Utah and 2 1/2 games behind the Mavs, so the playoff picture is far from clear.

The Mavs obviously are in the best position among teams that have yet to clinch a playoff berth, but the final two games for Dallas are at Chicago and Atlanta, two of the top teams in the East, and Dallas has struggled on the road this season. The final week of the regular season should be quite exciting.

For more on the Dallas Mavericks, check out Mavs Moneyball.

Mavericks Vs. Rockets: Dallas Closer To Playoffs After 117-110 Win

With both teams fighting for their playoff lives, the Mavs edged out a 117-110 win over the rival Rockets to move one step closer to the playoffs.

Dirk Nowitzki led all scorers with 35 points on 10-for-18 shooting, with almost all of those points coming in the second half. This came after Nowitzki score 40 points against Utah on Monday. Vince Carter scored a season-high 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting and Jason Terry added 19 points.

The teams were tied after the first quarter and at halftime. Houston led by six after the third quarter, but the Mavs opened the fourth on a 19-8 run. Dallas led by as many as nine in the quarter and went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line in the final 2:30 to hold on for the victory.

Mavericks Vs. Rockets Score Update: Desperate Teams Deadlocked 55-55 At Halftime

Looking to boost their playoff hopes, the Mavs are tied with the equally-desperate Houston Rockets 55-55 at halftime.

Dallas entered the night 1/2 game behind the Denver Nuggets for sixth place in the Western Conference, but also just 1 1/2 games ahead of the Rockets, who are sitting in ninth place just outside the playoffs. So Wednesday's game could be considered a must-win for both teams.

Jason Terry leads the Mavs with 12 points off the bench on 4-for-6 shooting in 14 minutes. Vince Carter has 10 points, while Jason Kidd has nine points and four assists. The Mavs are shooting 51.2 percent (21-for-41) from the field, while Houston is shooting 50 percent (22-for-44). The Rockets have a 24-18 edge in rebounds.

For more on the Dallas Mavericks, check out Mavs Moneyball. Rockets news and info can be found at The Dream Shake, and all your NBA news is at SB Nation's NBA page.

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