Their 1992-93 record aside, the Mavericks have been one of the NBA's expansion success stories since joining the league in 1980. After the usual period of struggles, the Mavs reached the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 1983-84 and have since returned five times. In 1988, Dallas made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the eventual-champion Lakers. DID YOU KNOW? The Mavericks have never won a game in Boston. The short list for team nicknames included Express and Wranglers before Mavericks was chosen. The Mavericks have only had two players - Mike luzzolino (1991-present) and Mark Wade (1989-90) - who were under six feet tall. SCORECARD. Twenty-eight club and arena records fell or were tied December 29, 1989, as the Mavericks played their first triple-overtime game, finally yielding to Portland 144-140.