Have the Mavs found their winning formula at the right time?
It's been a roller-coaster season for the Dallas Mavericks, but their show continues after blowing out the Sacramento Kings on the road to advance in the Play-In Tournament to set up a Friday showdown against the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The reward for the winner? A matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who finished the regular season with a 68-14 record. Despite this, the Mavericks will be desperate to book a spot in the postseason, looking to give themselves a chance — however slim — to defend their Western Conference crown.
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Should the Mavericks overcome the Grizzlies and secure the West's No. 8 seed, they will become the first No. 10 seed out of the West to advance to the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament. Assuming the Miami Heat don't beat them to the punch when they take on the Atlanta Hawks in the first of the two Play-In games on Friday, the Mavericks can become the first-ever No. 10 seed to make the playoffs.
On the latest episode of 'The Athletic NBA Daily,' Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni were joined by Mavericks beat writer Christian Clark to unpack Dallas' big win on the road. They discussed Klay Thompson coming up big a year after going scoreless against Sacramento in his last postseason game for Golden State, as well as Brandon Williams' impressive 17-point performance off the bench. They also discussed whether Dallas' win showed Nico Harrison's vision for the team as presently constructed.
Watch the full episode of 'The Athletic NBA Daily' below or on the YouTube channel or via 'The Athletic NBA Daily' podcast feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
(Top Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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