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The Dallas Mavericks defeated Miami Heat to set up a first-round playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers for the third time in five years.
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat to win the Southwest Division and open the NBA playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers for the third time in five years.
The 111-92 blowout win against Miami helped secure their fifth division title in franchise history and finish with a 50-win season for the second time in three years.
Dallas to face Clippers in Round 1
Luka Doncic led the way with 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, and Kyrie Irving was right behind him with 25 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals.
After the win, Irving expressed delight at the Mavs making it back to the playoffs after missing last season's postseason.
“It means a great deal because that was the first time I had dealt with failure at that type of level," Irving said.
"Part of the human experience is not negotiating with yourself about what you want to achieve, it’s just going after it and I think that’s what we did this season."
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