The Golden State Warriors are making one last gasp in their quest to make the playoffs, and it begins Wednesday night when they face the Dallas Mavericks inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. Bookmaker has installed the Mavericks as a heavy - 7.5 point favorite. 

The Warriors (34-30) are in the midst of their last stand, and like an aging cowboy in a western, they will go down with their boots on. They are an aging team trying their hardest to make one more run out of the Western Conference. 

Golden State believes they might have one last push in them, and they will go as far as future HOF'er Stephen Curry can take them. He has been the face of the franchise for over a decade and will go down as one the best pure shooters in league history. He is averaging around 26 a game for the Warriors and is still a player that can drop 40 on any given night.

The Warriors' issue is that they have been hit hard with the injury bug and have had a ton of inconsistent play from veterans they have relied on in the past. If they can get any type of production from some forgotten players, they could make things interesting in this game and going forward. 

The Mavericks (37-28) have not fared much better than the Warriors, but they have also not been hit with the type of injuries that Golden State has been hit with. Dallas knows they can not let their guard down against a veteran team like the Warriors, and they will make sure to tighten up their defense in this one, too. 

The Mavericks opened as a heavy 8.5-point favorite, but the line has dipped. 

On offense, it is clear who gets the bulk of the shots and opportunities, and that is Luka Doncic, one of the most enjoyable players in the league to watch. 

He is averaging an insane 34 points per contest this season and is coming off his seven-straight triple-double, which is impressive when you think about it. He should garner some MVP votes as long as the Mavericks win more games and stay within striking distance of New Orleans in the Northeast Division. They are currently 2.5 games back but have won four straight games. Look for them to allow Doncic to create off the dribble and test the Warrior's defense. The Mavericks opened as a heavy eight-point favorite, but the line has dipped. 

Golden State is 3-2 in their last five games and 3-2 in their previous five games against the number. They are also 20-11 in their road games against the spread. The totals have gone over in two out of their last five games and 15 out of their last 34 at home. The Mavericks are 3-2 in their previous five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the spread. They are a solid 20-11 in their road games against the number, too.