After unexpected weekend off, Mavs Gaming heads into last weekend loosened up

It was Friday evening when the Mavs Gaming team was packing up their bags for their weekly trip back to New York City. They were scheduled to leave their apartments at 5 a.m. the next morning.

But before the team hit their pillows for the night, they all received a message from their head coach in the team group chat; their game and trip was cancelled due to weather conditions in New York.

The whole squad unexpectedly got the weekend off. Due to weather, multiple games were cancelled over the weekend and Dallas’ matchup with Sacramento was one of them.

Guys like Dayfri and Seem took the opportunity to head back home for the weekend and spend time with family. “It was nice to have the weekend off,” Dayfri said. “I went and cooked out with family in Palmer.”

Some of the guys stayed put in Dallas and took to Deep Ellum over the weekend.

“Couple of us went out to eat and hit up a bar in Deep Ellum,” Devillon said. “It was fun being in Dallas. We went out and went to the pool for a bit,” JLB added.

While some admitted they didn’t touch 2K over the weekend, Dimez said that is just part of his life.

“I got to sleep in Saturday and Sunday,” Dimez said with a big smile on his face. “I still played 2k and watched a few episodes of Shameless.”

Ever since the team was assembled in May, every weekend over the past couple of months has consisted of flying to New York City for their matchups. For the first time since the spring, they all got time to themselves for the weekend.

“It is like 14 weekends in a row traveling,” head coach Jonah Edwards said. “I was actually able to sit back on a Saturday afternoon and have a beer. I know the guys enjoyed themselves.”

“We are definitely loosened up compared to last week,” Edwards continued.

With their Week 11 game cancelled, this inevitably pushed their game to next weekend to finish the season on a double-header. They are now set to play the Kings on Thursday and the Bucks on Friday.

If Dallas wants any chance at making the playoffs, they need to first focus on going 2-0.

“We have to win first,” Dayfri said. “If we lose, we are automatically out.”

But it isn’t that simple. Even if Dallas wins both of their games this coming weekend, they need help from four other teams across the league. An unfavorable situation for Mavs Gaming, but a situation they know was formed by their own doing.

“We put ourselves in this situation,” Dayfri said.

After starting the season 4-1 and one of the best teams in the league, the Mavs have went 1-6 since in the regular season. The goals at the beginning of the season are much different at this point in the season. When asked if they will be relieved when the season is over, Devillon says it’s more frustrating than relieving.

“Not relieved, just mad because of how we are ending it,” Devillon said. “Our goal at the beginning of the season is way different than it is now. Right now we are in survival mode.”

Team chemistry has been better and the team has lost five games in a row, but nobody is counting out the talent that Mavs Gaming possesses. If the cards play out and Dallas sneaks into the playoffs, they aren’t your typical first round matchup.

They are known as one of the best scrimmage teams in the league, but have failed to put it together in the studio up in New York. On top of that, they do not want to be known as the team with all the talent that crashed and burned over the second half of the season.

“I think us and the Raptors are the teams that the top teams don’t want,” Edwards said. “I don’t think anyone wants us to find that rhythm and make the playoffs.”

“Teams don’t want to play us,” Dimez added. “In scrimmages, we are one of the best teams. We beat everybody.”

But before we can talk about potential matchups or how dangerous Dallas could be in the playoffs, they must first win. When I chatted with the soft-spoken JLB heading into the last weekend of games, he summed up their situation pretty clearly in a short, concise sentence.

“We have to win all of our games and hope other teams lose,” JLB said.

You can watch Mavs Gaming take on the Kings on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. CT and the Bucks on Friday at 8:00 p.m. CT. All games can be watched on twitch.tv/mavsgg.