Coming into a night with a chance to move into the No. 6 seed, the Dallas Mavericks look like they're expecting to be the No. 7 seed.
Dallas trails 60-44 against the Hawks in Atlanta. Dirk Nowtizki leads the Mavs with 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting. Rodrique Beaubois has nine points and three assists. Jason Terry also has nine points. The Mavs are shooting just 39.5 percent (17-for-43) from the field, while the Hawks are shooting 56.5 percent (26-for-46). Josh Smith leads Atlanta with 16 points.
Currently in the No. 6 spot, the Denver Nuggets have a sizable lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves, so the question becomes how much Dallas will play its starters in the second half in Atlanta.
If Dallas finishes in the No. 7 seed, they will face the No. 2 seed Oklahoma Thunder in the first round.
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