NBA Playoff Schedule 2012: Mavericks vs. Thunder Rematch Is the Series to Watch

The matchups are official and the NBA playoffs begin on Saturday with four tough matchups, the most exciting of which is a rematch of last year's Western Conference finals showdown between the Mavericks and the Thunder.

This year, the Thunder are a serious title contender and the Mavericks limped their way into the postseason, so we'll whether they can pull off some magic against the kids or whether their efforts will be futile.

Here's a look at the best matchups Saturday has to offer, ranked bottom to top. The complete playoffs schedule can be found here at NBA.com. 

4. Magic vs. Pacers, 7 p.m. ET

Is there anyone expecting the Magic to pull off more than one win in this series? The way they've been playing in April, it's hard to believe that even they aren't just waiting for their season to be over.

With Dwight Howard officially done for the season, sixth-seeded Orlando heads into this battle against Indiana with Glen Davis manning the 5 and very little of the defensive fortitude it once had with Howard up front. Since March 28, the Magic have won just five games and have lost 11, including Thursday night's regular-season finale at Memphis.

The Pacers, meanwhile, are the third seed in the East and have posted an impressive 12-3 record in the month of April. They've gone 1-3 against Orlando this season, but that was before Howard was ruled out and the team's morale was at an all-time low. They already are the fourth-best rebounding team in the NBA, and they could've competed with the Magic on the boards even if the Magic had Howard.

Without him to worry about, the Pacers will be able to dominate. 

3. 76ers vs. Bulls, 1 p.m. ET 

With or without Derrick Rose, it's hard to believe the Sixers are going to be able to put up a formidable front against Chicago. The Sixers, the eighth seed in the East, have done a lot more losing in April than winning, going 6-8 and beating just one playoff-bound team (the Pacers).

The Bulls somehow managed to hold on to their top seed even without Rose for much of the second half of the season. With the team in need of a pick-me-up, Kyle Korver has stepped up as a solid shooter, and C.J. Watson, Ronnie Brewer and Jimmy Butler have all emerged as reliable bench presences.

Rose isn't at his best, but at least he's playing, and he desperately wants a title—but the Bulls have been able to win even when he isn't at 100 percent because of their deep bench. With or without their star, they will overmatch the Sixers. 

2. Knicks vs. Heat, 3:30 p.m. ET 

Everyone is eager to see what the Heat are going to be able to do in the postseason. Will they be able to get back to the Finals again? Can the Big Three play with cohesion? Do they have enough passion to truly want it? 

The Heat are arguably the favorite to make it to the Eastern Conference finals because they're the healthiest and their roster is the most stacked. But in the NBA Finals against the Mavericks, we saw that wasn't enough. This season, LeBron James is putting up MVP-type numbers with 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.3 blocks per game, and though the Heat were at their most dominant in February, they're still the team no one in the Eastern Conference wants to face.

The Knicks surged earlier in the season as Jeremy Lin emerged, but since he and Carmelo Anthony have struggled to stay healthy, the team has been far less intimidating. Their track record against the Heat this season isn't great, either—they've gone 0-3, and most recently lost 93-85 at home on April 15.

The Knicks could put up a fight and make this tougher than some of the other matchups, but ultimately, the Heat will make it out of the first round alive. 

1. Mavericks vs. Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET

This will be the marquee matchup of the day, as the two teams that battled for the Western Conference title last season meet again. Last year, the Thunder got embarrassed 4-1, so they're out for blood this year—especially since they're much improved and the Mavericks are far more vulnerable. 

Kevin Durant, fresh off his 2011-12 scoring title, leads the charge for Oklahoma City, which went 3-1 in the regular season against Dallas. The Thunder rank third in the league in points per game (103.1) and sixth in rebounds per game (43.7). The Mavericks, alternately, have been an up an down team all season, losing and winning in spurts.

They've been a little bit better since dispatching Lamar Odom for good earlier in the month, but given their tendency to lose in handfuls, the Thunder will have a prime opportunity to send them spiraling downward for good.

The wild card here is that the Thunder are young and the Mavericks have been there and done that as recently as last year, and experience goes a long way in the postseason.