It’s that time of year again.
With the NBA playoffs approaching next month, the Dallas Mavericks and other members of the Western Conference are fighting to place in the top six to avoid the dreaded play-in tournament.
Like every year in the Western Conference, the race for sixth place is hotly contested, with the sixth through eighth seeds currently tied in the loss column.
After he missed the playoffs and play-in tournament last seasoncan the Mavericks clinch their first playoff berth since 2022?
Here’s a look at where the Mavericks stand in the West standings, a refresher on how the play-in tournament works, and a look at some tiebreaker scenarios.
How play-in works
Game 1: No. 7 hosts No. 8 and the winner gets the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The loser goes to game 3.
Game 2: No. 9 welcomes No. 10. The winner advances to Game 3, the loser is eliminated and enters the NBA Draft lottery with all other teams who finished lower than No. 10.
Game 3: The loser of Game 1 hosts the winner of Game 2. The winner of Game 3 gets the No. 8 seed and the loser enters the lottery.
If a team finishes with the 7th or 8th best record, they only have to win once to earn a playoff spot. However, finish 9th or 10th and you will need to win two games.
Western Conference standings
| Team | W | L | FR | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. New Orleans Pelicans | 43 | 27 | 6.5 | W1 |
| 6. Phoenix Suns | 42 | 29 | 8 | W3 |
| 7. Sacramento Kings | 41 | 29 | 8.5 | W1 |
| 8. Dallas Mavericks | 41 | 29 | 8.5 | W3 |
| 9. Los Angeles Lakers | 38 | 32 | 11.5 | W2 |
| 10. Golden State Warriors | 36 | 33 | 13 | L1 |
| 11. Houston Rockets | 35 | 35 | 14.5 | W8 |
Tie-breaker scenarios
Mavs-Pelicans two-way tie: The season series ended 2-2. The next tiebreaker goes to the team with the best division winning percentage at the end of the season.
Mavs-Suns tie: Dallas owns the tiebreaker after leading 2-1 against Phoenix this season.
Mavs-Kings two-way tie: Dallas currently trails the Kings 2-0 in the seasonal series with two games remaining.
Mavs-Lakers tie: Dallas holds the tiebreaker after leading 2-1 against Los Angeles this season.
Mavs-Warriors two-way tie: Dallas currently leads the Warriors 2-0 in the season series with two games remaining.
Mavs-Rockets two-way tie: The season series is currently tied 1-1 with two games remaining.
In the event of a tie, here are the factors taken into account by the NBA:
(1) The division leader wins the tie against a team that does not lead a division.
(2) Best winning percentage in all matches between tied teams
(3) Division win-lose percentage (only if all teams are in the same division)
(4) Conference Won-Lost Percentage
(5) Best winning percentage against playoff-eligible teams in their own conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff spot)
(6) Best net result of total points scored minus total points allowed against all opponents (“point differential”)
Many have asked why winning the division might matter: it’s one of the main tiebreakers, as you can see below. Example: In 2020-21, Dallas, Portland and the Lakers are tied for the fifth best record in the West, but Dallas earned the 5th seed thanks to winning the SW Division. pic.twitter.com/xRyY6tGwuZ
– Brad Townsend (@townbrad) March 22, 2024
The last time
The non-conformists: Beat the Jazz 113-97 on Thursday.
Pelicans: Beat the Heat 111-88 on Friday.
Suns: Defeated the Spurs 131-106 on Saturday.
Kings: Beat the Magic 109-107 on Saturday.
Lakers: Beat the 76ers 101-94 on Friday.
Warriors: Fell to the Pacers 123-111 on Friday.
Rockets: Beat the Jazz 147-119 on Saturday.
The last 5 Mavericks games
— March 21st: Victory, 113-97 against Utah (at home)
— March 19: Victory, 113-107 against San Antonio (road)
— The 17th of March: Victory, 107-105 against Denver (at home)
— March 14: Loss, 126-119 against Oklahoma City (road)
— March 13: Victory, 109-99 against Golden State (home)
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
