Bleacher Report predicts Mavericks fall in standing but pull playoff upset

The Dallas Mavericks have caught fire as superstar Luka Doncic has regained his MVP form. They are 19-6 since Dec. 31 and continue to climb in the Western Conference standings. The Mavs sat fifth at the All-Star break, but just 1.5 games behind the Jazz for fourth and homecourt in the first round.

Dallas opens with a challenging stretch starting Friday night in Utah. They have the Jazz and Warriors twice over the next six games, plus have games against the Lakers and Kings, who are fighting for a berth in the play-in tournament. There will be no easy wins for Dallas as they look to continue their hot play.

With games starting back up on Feb. 24, Bleacher Report decided to predict the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. They had the Mavs falling in the standings before making a playoff push. Here is a closer look at their predictions.

Bleacher Report predicts Dallas Mavericks to win first playoff series since 2011

In BR’s prediction of the rest of the regular season, Dallas slipped to sixth in the Western Conference as the Denver Nuggets passed them in the standings. Nikola Jokic will be making his MVP case down the stretch, and the Nuggets are hoping Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. can return for the playoffs.

Bleacher Report had the Mavericks matching up against the Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. Dallas won the regular season series three games to one but would be an underdog in a playoff matchup. BR had the Mavs pulling the upset in six games for their first playoff series victory since winning the championship in 2011.

Golden State was the two seed in Bleacher Report’s predictions, and they defeated LA Clippers in the first round before taking out Dallas in five games in the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors were the pick to win the championship this year.

Can Luka Doncic win his first NBA playoff series? Will the Dallas Mavericks have enough firepower to compete with the Western Conference’s elite? Stay tuned to find out, but Bleacher Report predicts the Mavs will take another step forward in the 2022 postseason.