The Mavs entered Thursday night in sixth place in the Western Conference, the highest team in the West yet to clinch a playoff berth. But with Houston's loss to New Orleans, Dallas has finally clinched that playoff spot.
With two games this weekend and three remaining in the season, the Mavs' seeding is far from decided with the logjam in the middle of the Western Conference standings. So there still is a lot of play for.
The Mavs regular-season home finale is Friday night as the Golden State Warriors come to town. Dallas is 22-10 at home this season and the Warriors are 13th in the Western Conference standings. By all means, this is a game the Mavs should win easily.
The next night, the Mavs head to Chicago to take on the top team in the Eastern Conference in the Bulls. Chicago hasn't yet clinched the top spot in the East, so they could still have something big to play for. The Mavs are 13-18 on the road this season.
For more on the Mavericks, check out Mavs Moneyball.