The Clippers Officially Play Dallas Mavericks in First Round of Playoffs

The Clippers' first round playoff matchup is set

The LA Clippers will officially face the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The runback between the Clippers and Mavericks is coming.

After a series of very tumultuous final games, the Clippers and Mavs solidified their playoff standings on the very last day of the season. With the way things turned out, the Clippers would have faced the Portland Trail Blazers if LAC won their final game; LAC ended up ultimately losing so they matched up with the Mavs. The two will face each other in the 4-5 seeded matchup. Typically, the Blazers would have been the 5th seed since they won the tiebreaker over the Mavs, but in the case of a three-way tie (Blazers/Mavs/Lakers), the winner goes to the division leader.

"I feel good," Ty Lue said about entering the playoffs. "We've been through a lot of ups and downs this season, injuries and guys being in and out of the lineup...I thought our guys handled it well."

The Clippers are a better team than the Dallas Mavericks, but this is the only first-round matchup that LA has a losing record against - losing 2-1. The Mavericks are certain to still feel a major sting after losing to the Clippers last season - suffering the worst playoff loss in franchise history.

It truly seemed like the Clippers were going to get matched up with the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite what fans wanted, this will be the team's matchup for the first round. 

"Main thing for us is just making sure we go into the playoffs healthy," Ty Lue said.

Related Stories

Serge Ibaka Not Yet Feeling '100 Percent' After Returning from Back Injury

Kobe Bryant Was Spurs' 'Mechanical Model' When Developing Kawhi Leonard

Tyronn Lue Shares Favorite Kobe Bryant Memory Before Hall of Fame Induction