The NBA playoffs begin this week, and for the first time since their 2011 championship-winning season, the Dallas Mavericks are hosting a first-round playoff series.
Dallas finished the season at 52-30 and fourth place in the Western Conference and will face the 49-33, fifth place Utah Jazz in the first round. Game one of the series is the opening game of the NBA playoffs, scheduled to tip-off at noon at the American Airlines Center on Saturday, April 16.
The biggest question of the series will be whether or not Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic will be able to play. Doncic suffered an injury that an MRI has now confirmed as a left calf strain in the regular-season finale win over San Antonio.
No timetable has been set on his return, but a source told ESPN that Doncic is not ruled out for Game One of the playoff series.
If Doncic is unavailable, the Mavericks’ odds of winning the series will take a big hit. Doncic has had an MVP-caliber season, leading Dallas in average points (28.4), assists (8.7), rebounds (9.1), and steals (1.2) per game.
Utah is always a stringent test for the Mavericks. The two teams split the season series 2-2, each winning twice at home. The Jazz won on December 25 and February 25, and the Mavericks won on March 7 and March 27.
The first game against the Jazz was a 120-116 loss on Christmas night during the team’s COVID-19 outbreak, with Doncic, Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, and Maxi Kleber all out.
Six temporary 10-day-contract replacement players came off the bench, and just two Mavericks currently seeing game action, Jalen Brunson and Dwight Powell, were on the court at the time.
The second of Dallas’ defeats by Utah was 114-109 in the first game after the All-Star break. The Mavericks lineup was in a transition period, as it was only the third game for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans since they were acquired in the trade of Kristaps Porzingis. Since the All-Star break, the Mavericks have gone 20-7, while the Jazz has gone 15-12.
In the two meetings that resulted in Mavericks wins, Dallas outscored the Jazz by a combined 22 points, and Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists.
Utah has been a solid regular-season team for multiple years now, as they were the No.1 overall seed in the West last season. Led by two All-Stars in guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert, the core of the No.1 team has remained intact. When the calendar flipped to 2022 this season, they were a top-three team in the Western standings.
However, Utah has struggled as of late, losing seven of their last 11 games. The cold streak also includes debilitating defeats; they blew leads of 25 points in a loss to the Clippers and 21 points in a loss to the Warriors.
Dallas has been the opposite, as they have won nine of their last 11 games and 19 of their previous 25. The home-court advantage also appears to be a significant benefit for the Mavericks; they have gone 29-12 at the American Airlines Center this season. However, the advantage did not seem to apply last season when Dallas lost in seven games to the Clippers in round one by going 0-3 at home and 3-1 in Los Angeles.
The question remains whether Doncic will be on the court against the Jazz. Notably, he has played through injuries in the last two first-round playoff series.
In 2020, Doncic sprained his left ankle in Game Three, and last year, he suffered a cervical strain in his neck in Game Two. Dallas lost both series, but Doncic showed he is willing to play through pain in the playoffs.
In 13 career playoff games, Doncic has averaged 33.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 49.4% from the floor and 39.2% from three. Mavericks fans know Doncic will be needed to put together a possible deep playoff run but will hold their breath until an official determination is made.