Luka Doncic, Mavericks Clinch 2022 NBA Playoff Spot with Win over Cavs, T-Wolves Loss

The Dallas Mavericks are headed to the NBA playoffs for the third straight year.

Dallas clinched its spot in the postseason Wednesday with a 120-112 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers coupled with the Minnesota Timberwolves' 125-102 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

It wasn't always a foregone conclusion Luka Doncic and Co. would be in the playoffs. After all, the Mavericks fell to 16-18 with a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 29 and didn't seem to be playing at the level necessary to compete with the top teams in the Western Conference even with one of the league's brightest stars.

Yet they won the next six games and went 10-1 in the next 11 games.

That stretch announced the Mavericks as contenders with Doncic a threat to post a triple-double every time he stepped on the floor. However, major changes arrived in February when the team traded second option Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards.

Dallas got Spencer Dinwiddie back in the trade, and he has been a welcome addition.

His ability to hit from three-point range (38.6 percent during his time with the Mavericks) has been key with opposing defenses collapsing on Doncic, and he quickly established himself as the team's second-best scoring option, though he missed Wednesday's contest because of right knee recovery.

Dinwiddie's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer of a March victory over the Brooklyn Nets after Doncic and Kevin Durant traded buckets was one of the season's defining moments and proved the Mavericks can compete against championship-caliber players.

Next up is further proving that in the playoffs.

The last time the Mavericks won a postseason series was the 2011 NBA Finals when Dirk Nowitzki led the team to a victory over LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. They have lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round in back-to-back years with last season's exit coming in the seventh game.

Doncic cannot be blamed for the playoff losses considering he averaged 33.5 points, 9.5 assists, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in his first two postseason series, but Dallas just hasn't had enough secondary support to reach the second round.

Perhaps Dinwiddie can help change that this season.