For the third time in the postseason in the past six seasons, the Thunder will square off on its I-35 rival to the south, the Dallas Mavericks. During the first playoff battle in 2011, the eventual NBA Champion Mavericks defeated a young Thunder squad 4-1. The very next season, however, the Thunder returned the favor by sweeping Dallas 4-0 in an eventual appearance in the NBA Finals.
This year, during the regular season, the Thunder has done the same thing to the Mavericks, winning both games at home and both games on the road in the season series.