'Ready To Play': Mavs Unbothered By Potential Nuggets, Jazz Playoff Matchups

The Dallas Mavericks could face either the Denver Nuggets or Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. Which team would they prefer to face?

The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the NBA's better teams since bouncing back from a 16-18 start. Entering Sunday's season finale against the San Antonio Spurs, the Mavs have gone 35-12 since their initial 34 games — raising their record to 51-30. 

After clinching a top-four seed in the Western Conference, the confidence level is high for the Mavericks. While Dallas will have home-court advantage, there are still unknowns surrounding their first-round matchup. Will it be the Utah Jazz as currently projected? Or will the Golden State Warriors (52-29) fall to fourth — causing the Mavs to face Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets? 

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The outcome of two games on Sunday will determine the matchup: Mavericks vs. Spurs and Warriors at Pelicans.

With the Mavericks holding the tiebreaker over the Warriors, a victory against the Spurs and a Golden State loss would net Dallas the third seed. Under any circumstance, the Mavs will finish fourth if the Dubs win.

The Mavericks' goal is to win as many games as possible and finish as high as they can in the Western Conference standings. The particular team they face isn't a concern because, in the big picture, tough matchups will be required to pull off a title run.

“If you try to win (championships), you got to beat everybody,” Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic said Friday. “So we’re just trying to get the third seed and we’ll see.”

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

A similar sentiment was shared by Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith. The Mavericks' confidence is high, and it'll only help to have the energy of the home crowd on their side to begin postseason.

“(Home-court advantage) means a lot,” Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith said. “We’ll get the energy from the city and from the fans. We got back to 50 wins, and I’m excited about that. I feel like whoever we play (in the playoffs), we’re going to be excited and ready to play, so it doesn’t matter.”