The Dallas Mavericks concluded regular season action after winning the Southwest Division title and reaching the 50-win mark. Both feats seemed out of reach just weeks before the Mavericks finished the regular season with a 16-4 record. In the last 20 games.
As everyone knows at this point, the Mavericks will face the LA Clippers in the first round of the playoffs for the third time in the Luka Doncic era. The Clippers are a savvy veteran team with an effective mix of athleticism and wing length, but they certainly haven't played well enough for Dallas to have to finish the regular season, and whether Kawhi Leonard will play or not. There are some skeptics as to whether this is the case. Get healthy by the first game in this series.
That being said, the Clippers are not as threatening a team as the Mavericks faced a few years ago. The NBA playoffs with a much worse roster than Dallas currently has, especially considering the Mavericks beat the Clippers to seven games in the first round in 2021.
The Dallas-Clippers matchup wasn't the only one that got easier for the Mavericks. Because the Mavericks had a very fortunate stroke of luck just days before the end of the regular season. About a week ago, every indication was that the Denver Nuggets would be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but last Friday night, a 20-60 San Antonio Spurs team lost Devontae Graham's final He beat the Nuggets with a layup.
Unbelievable! 🤯#porvida | @spurs | @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/zQhKFe2lMh
— Bally Sports San Antonio (@BallySportsSA) April 13, 2024
As a result, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Mavericks in the final game of the regular season, finishing as the No. 1 seed in the West and leapfrogging the Nuggets in the standings. Dallas is the No. 5 seed and will face the winner of the Western Conference, who is 1-8, if it advances to the second round.
This means that if the Mavericks make it to the second round, they will likely face the Thunder, and considering their much better matchup compared to the Thunder, Dallas will move higher in the playoffs. Considering the possibilities, this will be important. To Denver.
The Mavericks aren't going to avoid anyone in the playoffs, but this opportunity presented itself as the reigning NBA champion Nuggets and Nikola Jokic seemed unstoppable at certain points in the playoffs in recent years. You should feel lucky.
Considering Dallas won't be able to face Denver until the third round, the overall path to the NBA Finals has become much easier, but that doesn't mean the Mavericks can underestimate the opponent in front of them. This is because there is no matchup without walks. in the park during the playoffs.
Dallas begins playoff action against the Clippers on Sunday, so stay tuned for extensive coverage of the series.
