5 Most crucial games left for the Dallas Mavericks this season

2. Back-to-back with the Sacramento Kings on March 26 and 29

The Dallas Mavericks don't face any of the aforementioned teams in the current five through eight range in the Western Conference barring the Sacramento Kings in back-to-back games in late March. These two games will both be in Sacramento and will feature a two-day rest in between games after the first matchup on March 26.

The reason for this game's importance are obvious, as it's extremely likely that the Mavericks and King could be jockeying for playoff positioning for the remainder of the regular season. The Kings chose to stand pat at the trade deadline after giving the Golden State Warriors a run for their money in last year's playoffs. While Sacramento hasn't been near as electric as last season, they have gained some momentum offensively as of recent, and Domantas Sabonis is still playing near an MVP level despite not being an All-Star.

The Mavericks lost both of their initial games versus Sacramento earlier this season in Dallas, so the Mavericks have to take care of both of these games versus Sacramento if they even want a chance at holding the tiebreaker between the two squads. The Mavericks will need to be prepared for the barrage of three-pointers that Sacramento will attempt with their run-and-gun style in transition, and the likes of P.J. Washington, Maxi Kleber, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford will need to ensure Sabonis doesn't start distributing at will to Sacramento's perimeter shooters.

The Mavericks defense will be the determining factor these two late March affairs versus the Kings, as the two teams are both offensive powerhouses with deep rotations. Dallas arguably even has a better top two in Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic compared to the Kings' Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox, so Dallas' improved depth in their frontcourt will really need to show in these two late March affairs.