Both the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks have clinched playoff spots, so Monday afternoon's clash between the two Western Conference foes near Orlando is about getting physically and mentally ready for the playoffs at this point.
Each team got a taste of playoff-level intensity over the weekend.
The Jazz (43-27) fell to Denver 134-132 in double overtime on Saturday in what offered a sneak preview of a possible first-round matchup. Utah currently occupies the sixth seed while the Nuggets are the third seed.
Donovan Mitchell scored seven points in the last 10.8 seconds of regulation to erase a six-point deficit and force overtime. Mitchell scored 35 points overall to lead the Jazz. It wasn't quite enough for Utah after Rudy Gobert fouled out during the first overtime period.
The Jazz suffered some defensive lapses that allowed Denver to erase a double-digit deficit and get in a position to grind out a win. Utah coach Quin Snyder admitted his team showed it wasn't used to a back-to-back game after going so long without playing one. But he liked their resolve in fighting through fatigue and mental errors.
"They challenged each other," Snyder said. "I loved how we were talking to each other on the bench. They were figuring things out on the fly."
Denver and Utah combined for 213 field goal attempts and the Jazz also made a franchise-record 22 3-pointers while shooting 40 percent from the perimeter. But Utah also missed several shots at crucial junctures that ultimately denied a victory.
Still, the Jazz came away feeling pleased with their overall effort in an important game as the regular season winds down.
"There were certain things that they executed on, and that's a credit to them, but I like the way we played as a whole, as a group," Mitchell said of the Nuggets. "Everybody stepped up. I think it was huge. I think it was a great effort."
The Mavericks (42-30) also engaged in an overtime duel on Saturday. Dallas earned a mark in the win column, edging Milwaukee 136-132 behind a dominating performance from Luka Doncic.
Doncic finished with his NBA-best 17th triple-double of the season, tallying 36 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high 19 assists against the Bucks. His passing and shooting ability left Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle feeling dazzled after the game.
"I'd pay money to watch him play," Carlisle said. "I don't say that about a lot of players, but he's really special."
The guard's performance feels even more special considering it came against a Bucks' team that is arguably the top defensive team in the NBA. It isn't exactly an anomaly inside the bubble either. Doncic has notched three triple-doubles over his past five games. His high-octane performances have Dallas looking like an extremely dangerous seven seed in the Western Conference.
Carlisle credited Doncic's vision on the court for making his playmaking seem so flawless. He finds a way to put his teammates in the best positions one possession after another.
"He knows where everybody is, not only on offense, but defense," Carlisle said. "That's the sign of a savant-type guy. I played with Larry Bird -- he could see everything like that. I had the privilege of coaching Jason Kidd -- he could see everything like that."
--Field Level Media