SB Nation Dallas - 2011 NBA Playoff Picture: Mavs In Danger Of Losing Third Seedhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48887/dallas-fave.png2011-04-11T13:58:36-05:00http://dallas.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18568562011-04-11T13:58:36-05:002011-04-11T13:58:36-05:00NBA Playoff Picture: Mavericks Could Take Second Seed From Lakers
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<p>At 55-25, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> have tied the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> for the Western Conference’s second playoff seed. Because L.A. is a division winner and Dallas is not, the Lakers own the tiebreaker over the Mavericks at the moment. However, the Mavs can seize control of the second seed if they finish with a record outright better than Los Angeles’.</p>
<p>To do that, the Mavericks need to win their remaining two games and the Lakers have to lose at least once. Dallas’ schedule includes a visit to Houston (Monday evening) and a home date against New Orleans (Wednesday). The Mavericks are 3-0 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> and 1-2 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/new-orleans-hornets">Hornets</a> so far this season.</p>
<p>The Lakers, meanwhile, host the top-seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a> on Tuesday, then fly to Sacramento to visit the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Kings</a> in what could be the last <span class="caps">NBA</span> game ever played in California’s capital. L.A. is 1-2 against the Spurs and 2-1 versus the Kings. Notably, the Lakers have lost five straight games, their longest skid since they lost seven straight from March 2nd-15th, 2007.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-mavericks/2011/4/11/2104501/nba-playoffs-2011-picture-mavericks-lakers-second-seed-western-conferenceEvan Dunlap2011-04-08T12:22:45-05:002011-04-08T12:22:45-05:00NBA Playoffs 2011: Denver Nuggets' George Karl Prefers Facing Dallas Mavericks
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a>, losers of four straight games, have slipped in the Western Conference standings and, as we pointed out Thursday, may fall from third to fourth in the playoff bracket. That would suit the fifth-seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> just fine, if you ask their head coach. Indeed, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/4/7/2097404/nba-playoffs-2011-george-karl-nuggets-mavericks-thunder" target="blank">George Karl would rather his club face the Mavericks than the Oklahoma City Thunder</a>.</p>
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<p>“If we had to pick and choose on [our preferred playoff opponent], we would probably say 55 percent Dallas, 45 percent Oklahoma City, only because Oklahoma City is athletic like we are and they have two great players,” Karl said.</p>
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<p>Generally, coaches and players in professional sports like to avoid saying they prefer facing a given team in the postseason. They’d rather not give anyone they slight any motivation.</p>
<p>Karl frames his remarks as complimenting Oklahoma City and respecting the problems their personnel present the Nuggets. But it’s hard to read what he said and come away without acknowledging the Mavericks aren’t at feared now as they were when they started the year with a 24-5 record.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-mavericks/2011/4/8/2098943/nba-playoffs-2011-denver-nuggets-george-karl-prefers-dallas-mavericksEvan Dunlap2011-04-07T11:47:19-05:002011-04-07T11:47:19-05:00NBA Playoff Picture: Mavericks Clinging To Third Seed
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<p>Wednesday’s <span class="caps">NBA</span> action kept the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> in line to finish third in the Western Conference, but changed the possible identity of their playoff opponent. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/new-orleans-hornets">New Orleans Hornets</a> moved into the sixth position, setting the stage—if only temporarily—for a Mavericks/Hornets first-round playoff tilt. Previously, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Portland Trail Blazers</a> owned the sixth seed.</p>
<p>This development is an interesting one for Dallas, which has lost two of three to the Hornets this year. The teams meet again on the final night of the season, which may give Dallas a say in who it plays in the first round. If it happens that next Wednesday’s game determines the sixth seed in the West—and there’s no guarantee it will—then the Mavericks can use that information to decide how seriously to take the game. They went 2-2 against Portland this season and may prefer that matchup.</p>
<p>However, that analysis presupposes the Mavericks will finish with the third seed, which is not a given. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> stand just one game behind Dallas, and if the teams finish with identical records, then Oklahoma City will earn the higher seed by virtue of winning its division; the Mavericks’ 2-1 record head-to-head versus the Thunder would not come into play.</p>
<p>The Mavericks are slipping, having lost four in a row and five of their last 10 games. The Thunder, meanwhile, have gone 7-3 in the same span. </p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-mavericks/2011/4/7/2096765/nba-playoffs-2011-picture-mavericks-third-seed-matchups-portland-trail-blazers-new-orleans-hornetsEvan Dunlap2011-04-05T16:00:30-05:002011-04-05T16:00:30-05:00Would Falling Below OKC Be A Good Thing For The Mavericks?
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<p>The <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mavericks</a> sit in third place in the West, with first and second out of reach due to their slow finish. They lead the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> by two games in the loss column and have five games remaining on their schedule. Since Dallas has the tiebreaker, they would have to lose three games in the standings, and it's not likely to happen since OKC has a home-and-home with Denver and a road game with the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lakers</a> still on their schedule, and the Mavericks having thre lottery teams remaining on their schedule. It would also park a dark cloud over the AAC, since the Mavs are already on a depressing three-game losing streak entering their last five. But just from a matchup standpoint, it might not be a bad thing.<br><br>Dallas would meet up with Denver in the first round, rather than, most likely, Portland. Denver is hot. They've won six straight and are 15-4 since the <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> trade. Portland is hot, too, though, and they just demonstrated why they will be a difficult matchup in the first round. Denver has talent, but they lack an elite player, and we know what elite players usually do in the playoffs.</p>↵<p>The other factor is delaying a potential series with the Lakers to (almost certainly) face the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> if they make the second round. I think that's a plus for several reasons. First, the only way that I can conceive of the Mavericks giving the Lakers a series is with a healthy <span>Caron Butler</span>. The chances of him being back and effective by the conference finals are slim, but they're greater than the his outlook for the semifinal round, which is a near impossibility. Second, the Lakers aren't likely to lose in the second round, but OKC has already given them one tough series, and they have more size this time around. Third, while the goal is obviously to win a title, we would be crazy to not prefer a three-round playoff run to a two-round playoff run, even if you can't beat or avoid the Lakers.</p>↵<p>It wouldn't be a pretty sight for Dallas to finish poorly enough to fall to the four slot, but it would make for an easier road.</p>↵<p>And while we're on the subject of the Thunder, LJ Rotter of Mavs Moneyball had an interesting discussion with Welcome To Loud City, the SB Nation Thunder blog, about the two teams. Here is the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2011/4/4/2090425/outside-perspective-chatting-with-the-oklahoma-city-thunder">Thunder</a> side, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/2011/4/4/2090399/dallas-mavericks-q-a-a-thunder-fans-questions-for-mavsmoneyball">Mavs</a> side.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/dallas-mavericks/2011/4/5/2092123/would-falling-below-okc-good-thing-mavericksBrett Perryman2011-04-05T15:45:33-05:002011-04-05T15:45:33-05:002011 NBA Playoff Picture: Mavs Would Host Blazers If Season Ended Today
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<p>The 2011 NBA playoff picture for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> is pretty cut and dry considering they've already clinched a playoff berth and are out of the running to win the Southwest Division (San Antonio locked that up a few games back), but there are still plenty of reasons to follow their games right up to next Wednesday's finale.</p>
<p>Over the course of the next week, Dallas will have the opportunity to potentially play spoiler to three other teams trying to settle into playoff spots of their own as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> -- Wednesday's opponent -- are still attempting to make it into the top four of the Western Conference and neither the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/new-orleans-hornets">New Orleans Hornets</a> or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a> have been able to secure their ticket to the NBA playoffs quite yet.</p>
<p>In fact, the season finale against the Hornets could become a preview of the Mavericks' first round match-up if things fall into place because New Orleans trails the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Portland Trail Blazers</a> -- Dallas' current first round opponent -- by just one game in the standings. For a closer look, check out <a href="http://www.nba.com/statistics/playoff_picture.html" target="_blank">NBA.com's Playoff Picture</a>.</p>
<p>Regardless, Dallas is going to the playoffs and <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ticketmaster.com%2Fartist%2F805932%3Futm_campaign%3Dplayoffs%26utm_medium%3Dsplashpage%26utm_source%3Dmavsdotcom0%26utm_term%3Dtickets&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fdallas.sbnation.com%2F2011%2F4%2F5%2F2332838%2F2011-nba-playoff-picture-mavs-would-host-blazers-if-season-ended-today" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">tickets are already available</a>.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/2011/4/5/2332838/2011-nba-playoff-picture-mavs-would-host-blazers-if-season-ended-todayScott Schroeder