Playoff scheduling creating tough choices for fans in Dallas
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.
Fans of both the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars are going to be faced with some difficult decisions over the next week-plus.
The fifth-seeded Mavericks advanced to the Western Conference semifinals on Friday when they defeated the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, 114-101 in Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs. The Stars moved on to the second round on Sunday after eliminating the defending-champion Vegas Golden Knights with a 2-1 victory in Game 7. The Stars came back from a 2-0 hole to win Games 3, 4 and 5 before dropping Game 6.
If any Dallas fans plan on attending their teams’ second-round postseason games in person, it’ll mean they won’t have the luxury of watching the other team’s contest that night.
While the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder have homecourt advantage against the Mavs on Tuesday and Thursday, hockey fans have the chance to watch the Stars in person in Games 1 and 2, and potentially Games 5 and 7.
It’s not until a possible Game 6 between the Colorado Avalanche and Stars when scheduling will allow for fans to focus on one team. If both series go the distance, basketball and hockey fans will be in for back-to-back nerve-racking nights, with a Game 7 on the ice scheduled for May 19 and a do-or-die contest on the hardwood slated for May 20.
It’ll be a particularly busy time of year for the American Airlines Center too, which is the home arena for both the Mavericks and Stars.
Neither team has won a championship in over a decade, but both squads are familiar with deep playoff runs.
The Mavericks’ only title came in 2011, but this is the 12th time in their 44-year history where they’ve advanced to the second round (most recently in 2022 when they made the conference finals). The team has made five runs to the conference finals and two trips to the NBA Finals.
The Stars’ lone championship was in 1999, but this is the 20th time in franchise history where they’ve made it at least to the second round. It’s the 12th time that they’ve advanced to the second round since relocating from Minnesota in 1993. The Stars have made nine runs to the conference finals (six while in Dallas) and appeared in the Stanley Cup Final five times, including three times while calling Dallas home.
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