With their 110-90 win over the Cavaliers on Friday night, the Dallas Mavericks have clinched the Southwest Division for the 2020-21 season. A team winning their division isn’t the feat it used to be, but it’s a truly remarkable accomplishment nonetheless for this Mavericks team. In early February they were 9-14 and thought to be on the verge of losing their season. Now they’re the Southwest Division champs.
At one point, division champions were guaranteed a top three seed in the playoffs, regardless of their record. This system came under fire in 2006, when the Mavericks, owners of the third best record in the NBA, finished second in their division to the San Antonio Spurs, who owned the best record in the league.