It's that time of year again.
With the NBA playoffs looming next month, the Dallas Mavericks and other teams in the Western Conference are vying for a top-six seed to avoid the dreaded play-in tournament.
As usual in the Western Conference, the competition for the No. 6 spot is fierce, with No. 6 to No. 8 seeds currently tied for the losers.
After missing the playoffs and play-in tournament last season, can the Mavericks qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2022?
Here's a look at where the Mavericks sit in the West Division standings, a refresher on how the play-in tournament works, and a breakdown of some tiebreaker scenarios.
How play-in works
Game 1: No. 7 will host No. 8, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed for the playoffs. The loser advances to the third game.
Game 2: 9th place will host 10th place. The winner advances to Game 3 and the loser is eliminated and enters the NBA Draft lottery along with all other teams that finish worse than 10th place.
Game 3: The loser of the first game will be the winner of the second game. The winner of Game 3 secures the No. 8 seed, and the loser enters the lottery.
If a team finishes seventh or eighth, they only need one win to qualify for the playoffs. However, if you finish 9th or 10th, you need two wins.
Western Conference Standings
| team | W | L | GB | streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. New Orleans Pelicans | 43 | 27 | 6.5 | W1 |
| 6. Dallas Mavericks | 41 | 29 | 8.5 | W3 |
| 7. Phoenix Suns | 41 | 29 | 8.5 | W2 |
| 8. Sacramento Kings | 40 | 29 | 9 | L1 |
| 9. Los Angeles Lakers | 38 | 32 | 11.5 | W2 |
| 10. Golden State Warriors | 36 | 33 | 13 | L1 |
| 11. Houston Rockets | 34 | 35 | 15 | W7 |
tie breaker scenario
Mavs vs. Pelicans dyad: The season series ended with two wins and two losses. The next tiebreaker will be for the team with the highest division winning percentage at the end of the season.
Mavs vs. Suns dyad: Dallas won the tiebreaker against Phoenix this season, 2-1.
Mavs vs. Kings dyad: Dallas currently leads the Kings 2-0 in the season series with two games remaining.
Mavs vs. Lakers dyad: Dallas went 2-1 against Los Angeles this season, winning the tiebreaker.
Mavs vs. Warriors dyad: Dallas currently leads the Warriors 2-0 in the season series with two games remaining.
Mavs vs. Rockets dyad: The season series is currently tied 1-1 with two games remaining.
In the case of a multi-way tie, the NBA considers the following factors:
(1) Division leader wins a tie from a team that does not lead the division
(2) Improving the winning percentage in all games between tied teams
(3) Division win/loss ratio (only when all teams are in the same division)
(4) Conference win/loss percentage
(5) Improved winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in their own conference (including teams that finished the regular season in the playoffs)
(6) Reduce the total points against all opponents, resulting in a better final result of total points (“score difference”)
last outing
Heretic: They beat the Jazz 113-97 on Thursday.
Pelicans: They beat the Heat 111-88 on Friday.
Sands: They beat the Hawks 128-115 on Thursday.
Kings: They lost to the Wizards 109-102 on Thursday.
Lakers: They beat the 76ers 101-94 on Friday.
Warriors: They lost to the Pacers 123-111 on Friday.
rocket: They beat the Bulls 127-117 on Thursday.
Mavericks last 5 games
— March 21st: 113-97 win over Utah (home)
— March 19th: 113-107 win over San Antonio (road)
— March 17th: 107-105 win over Denver (home)
— March 14th: Lost, 126-119 vs. Oklahoma City (Road)
— March 13th: 109-99 win over Golden State (home)
Read more of Dallas Morning News' Mavericks coverage here.
