The regular season teams in seventh and eighth will play each other (homecourt to seventh), the winner going on to secure the seventh spot. The loser of that game gets one more crack at the playoffs by facing the winner of the game between the ninth and tenth place team. Winner of that game grabs the eighth and final spot, losers are eliminated.
The structure of these games gives advantage to the teams in seventh and eighth place from the regular season, allowing them two chances at making the playoffs. While the ninth and tenth place teams will need to win two straight to make the postseason.
Should the season end today the Mavericks would host the Kings in their first play-in game, slated for the evening of April 16 on ESPN (time to be determined). If the Mavericks were to win that game, they would go on to face on April 18 the loser of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers, their game scheduled for April 15 on TNT.
There is still some shuffling among these teams that is worth monitoring. It is nearly impossible for the Mavericks to move up in these standings, but they are just a half game ahead of the Kings and only two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns. On the other end, the Timberwolves are currently tied in record with the sixth place Memphis Grizzlies, who are currently in a tail spin. Still plenty to be resolved before these games take place in two weeks time.