The Dallas Mavericks earned the No.5 seed in the Western Conference for the NBA Playoffs and will face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round.
Dallas went 1-2 against the Clippers during the regular season but is a completely different team since its last meeting on December 20, as the Mavericks added some players at the trade deadline who have transformed their defensive efforts and brought additional skillsets to the offense that complement Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.
Game 1 begins at 2:30 p.m. CT on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Here is the complete schedule for the series:
Sunday 4/21 – Mavs at Clippers, 2:30 p.m. CT
Tuesday 4/23 – Mavs at Clippers, 9 p.m. CT
Friday 4/26 – Clippers at Mavs, 7 p.m. CT
Sunday 4/28 – Clippers at Mavs, 2:30 p.m. CT
Wednesday 5/01- Mavs at Clippers, TBD (if necessary)
Friday 5/03 – Clippers at Mavs, TBD (if necessary)
Sunday 5/05 – Mavs at Clippers, TBD (if necessary)
Here is Dallas’ playoff roster and coaching staff that will try to mount a deep postseason run:
Guard Brandon Williams (#00)
Williams is in his second NBA season and has appeared in 17 games for the Mavs on a two-way contract between Dallas and the G-League’s Texas Legends. He scored 22 points in Sunday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Guard Dante Exum (#0)
The veteran combo guard and former first-round pick returned to the NBA this season with Dallas after two years overseas. As a backup, he has been averaging 7.8 points per game and has made some clutch plays this season.
Guard Jaden Hardy (#1)
The second-year guard has shown flashes when healthy and can be a critical component for the second unit. He is one of the top backcourt scoring options off the bench and has a few starts under his belt.
Center Dereck Lively II (#2)
The rookie from Duke has had a strong debut season, displaying the defensive prowess and athleticism for which he was drafted. He has been extremely consistent across the board and is a massive part of the team, solidifying its rotation at center.
Center Dwight Powell (#7)
Powell has seen his role diminish this season, going from starting 63 games a year ago to just nine. Still, he’s a veteran who can provide good minutes off the bench and play efficiently on the offensive end.
Forward Josh Green (#8)
Dallas’ first-round pick in 2020 has always had great potential but has yet to completely reach it at the pro level. He’s faced plenty of injuries in his career, but the balance in his game helps complete the Dallas lineup.
Guard AJ Lawson (#9)
Lawson is in his second year with Dallas and has appeared in 56 games off the bench.
Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (#10)
Hardaway Jr. provides complementary scoring through three-point shooting in his sixth season with the Mavs. He is the team’s third-leading scorer behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, with 14.4 points per game this season.
Guard Kyrie Irving (#11)
Much was made of the Mavericks’ collapse after acquiring Irving last season, but now that the team is in the playoffs, he is one of the few team members with experience with deep playoff runs — not to mention his scoring ability and ability to run the offense.
Forward Greg Brown III (#13)
Brown III has played six games this season after spending his first two NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper (#18)
Dallas’ other rookie appeared in 40 games this season. While he will likely not see much time on the court, the playoff experience is an important aspect of developing his career.
Forward/Center Daniel Gafford (#21)
Gafford is one of the big trade deadline acquisitions, and he has helped solidify the center spot tremendously. The combination of he and Lively II gives the Mavs a balance on both ends of the floor that Dallas has not had and for which opponents must now prepare.
Forward PJ Washington (#25)
The Frisco Lone Star High School alum has returned home and flourished with the Mavs. His calling card has been his defense, but he has also hit some big shots and boosted the team in all areas.
Forward Maxi Kleber (#42)
Kleber has also seen his role diminish a bit this season, but he still plays a healthy share of minutes as part of the big-man rotation.
Forward Derrick Jones Jr. (#55)
The undersized forward has started 66 of the 76 games he has played during his first year in Dallas and has set career highs in points per game and three-point shooting percentage.
Guard Luka Doncic (#77)
Doncic continues to climb the record boards as the face of the team and had an MVP-caliber season. His defense has always been a question mark, but he remains one of the league’s most prolific scorers.
Forward Markieff Morris (#88)
Morris is another veteran with plenty of playoff experience on an otherwise young team. While he has played sparingly this season, the younger guys can lean on him from his 50 career playoff games and 2020 NBA Championship.
Head Coach: Jason Kidd
The former Maverick and National Basketball Hall-of-Famer has led the Mavericks to the playoffs twice in three years since taking over for Rick Carlisle, reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2022.
Assistant Coach: Darrell Armstrong
Another former Mavericks player, Armstong, spent 14 years in the NBA and has been with the Dallas coaching staff since the 2008-09 season.
Assistant Coach: Sean Sweeney
After a few years with the Detroit Pistons, Sweeney joined the Mavericks in the offseason. He is known league-wide for developing players, especially during his time in Milwaukee and in Brooklyn.
Assistant Coach: Marko Milic
The first Slovenian player to be drafted into the NBA joined Dallas as an assistant in 2022 after working with the Basketball Federation of Slovenia following his playing career. He is one of just two players to have his number retired by Union Olimpija in Slovenia.
Assistant Coach: Jared Dudley
Dudley played 14 years in the NBA with seven different teams. He joined the Dallas staff in 2021.
Assistant Coach: Keith Veney
Veney was a prolific shooter in Europe and has developed players like Malcolm Brogdon, Caron Butler, and Steve Francis.
Assistant Coach: Josh Broghamer
Broghamer’s connection with Jason Kidd goes back to their days on the staff in Milwaukee. He joined Dallas before this season and has also spent time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns.
Assistant Coach: Eric Hughes
Hughes also joined the Mavs’ staff this season after four years in Philadelphia. He was also part of Kidd’s staff in Milwaukee and Brooklyn and assisted former Mavs’ assistant Dwane Casey during his stint as head coach in Toronto.
Assistant Coach: Alex Jensen
Jensen joined the Dallas staff before the season after 10 years with the Utah Jazz. He has also coached in college and the NBA G-League and helped the U.S. National team.
Player Development Coach: God Shammgod
The former second-round NBA pick played mostly overseas and helped develop eventual NBA players as an assistant at Providence College. He has been with Dallas since 2019.
Emotional Support Dog: Bailey
Bailey is the NBA’s first emotional support animal, thanks to an idea from the Mavericks’ wellness department.
