If you're a bandwagon basketball fan that hops in during the playoffs. Tonight's game will be a little different for Mavericks fans.

The play in tournament started back in 2020 as way to get more teams a playoff shot with the shortened season due to the Covid-19 pandemic that year. The NBA officially approved for the tournament to continue on even after that 2020 season was over. Potentially two extra teams now have a shot at the NBA Finals in each conference.

What Can Happen to the Dallas Mavericks Tonight?

You're probably used to your NBA teams playing in a series during the playoffs. 'Drop the first game, don't worry get them the next day'. If your team is in the play-in tournament as a 9th or 10th seed, this is it. You have to win this first game or your season is over. If the Mavericks lose to the Sacramento Kings tonight, the 'defense wins championships' season is over for Dallas.

Who Will the Mavericks Face in the Next Round?

If the Mavericks defeat the Kings tonight, they will face the Memphis Grizzlies next in the tournament. The Grizzlies lost last night to the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors with that win secured the 7th seed in the NBA's Western Conference. The 8th seed would go to whoever wins the potential Dallas/Memphis match up. The winner of that game will face Oklahoma City in the first round of a normal playoff format with a best of seven series.

Should Nico Harrison Be Fired if the Mavericks Lose Tonight?

The Dallas Mavericks GM traded away their superstar player in Luka Doncic for a win now move that he said would give the Mavericks a better defense to win in The Finals. I do not see a scenario where the Mavericks lose tonight and Nico Harrison gets to keep his job. This trade of his has been compared to Red Sox trading away Babe Ruth. At least the owner of the Red Sox financed a theater production because of that trade. Mavericks fans have nothing but a bleak future ahead with this move. Let's see what happens tonight.