17-1! Defending No. 1 in the league! For 13 years, they waited

The Mavericks have been so fierce lately! The Mavericks are 16-2 in their last 18 games! For the first time since winning the championship in 2010-11, the Mavericks have achieved this record in 18 games. What's even more surprising is that during the 16-2 period, the Mavericks' defense ranked first in the league! Wait, who said the Mavericks didn't defend?

The Mavericks are currently 50-30 and fifth in the West, one win behind the fourth-place Clippers and 2.5 games ahead of the sixth-place Pelicans. The Mavericks can't go any further, and the worst is also the fifth in the West! Irving is double happy: 1. After 6 years, his team finally won 50 wins, and 2. Triggered the contract incentive clause and got a $1 million bonus.

Ramadan (March 11 – April 10) just ended, during which Irving played 15 games and the Mavericks went 13-2. Irving averaged 26.3 points, 5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game in Ramadan, shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 92.2 percent from the free-throw line. For comparison, he's shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 90.5 percent from the free-throw line this season.

Owen is in such a good state, on the one hand, his own adjustment ability is strong enough, and on the other hand, he can't do without the care of the Lone Ranger. During Ramadan, the Lone Ranger assigned Owen a dedicated chef to ensure that Owen had access to food as soon as the sun went down. In the past, he could only eat yogurt and fruit on the sidelines, but now he can eat nutritious meals.

Speaking about the Mavericks' 50 wins, Irving said: "It feels great! We deserve 50 wins! Everyone is very selfless, and we can't get 50 wins without everyone's dedication and selfless help." "I have to give credit to Gafford and PJ Washington, who played around Eastern Europe, starting on the defensive end and doing the dirty work on the field.

Gafford is a new generation of pie kings, having hit 20+ goals twice in a row this season: 33 in a row, 22 in a row, and counting. Since the 1996-97 season, Gafford has top-two in the NBA in terms of consecutive hits. The record is multiple consecutive hits, but Gafford has a 12-of-12 game!

Since Gafford was traded to the Mavericks, he has shot 78 percent from the field! What Holmes, Powell, how can there be Gafford? Another terrible statistic, when Gafford and Doncic started together this season, the Mavericks are 17-1. Don't forget, the Mavericks also have Lively with a season shooting percentage of 74.7%!

Compared to Gafford D.J., P.J. Washington is more likely to be overlooked by fans, averaging 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1 block per game for the Mavericks this season, shooting 41.8%, 31.3% and 62.7% from three. For comparison, Washington is averaging 13.6 points per game and shooting 44.6 percent from the field with the Hornets this season. However, his role cannot be reflected in the data!

Washington can defend from the No. 1 position to the No. 4 position, and the small lineup can also block and protect the frame. When his three-point shooting percentage improves a bit, it will be the perfect puzzle piece for the Mavericks. The Mavericks' opponent in the first round of the playoffs has been determined to be the Clippers. In the face of Xiaoka and George, Washington has to take on greater defensive responsibilities, I wonder if he can withstand it?

Final question: Mavericks vs Clippers, how much do you predict this series?