We were blessed recently by the sports gods. Until last fall, the Texas Rangers hadn't made the postseason since 2016 — and had never won a World Series until they came through with a title win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. But now it's playoff time again.

Some different sports ball squads are up: the Dallas Mavericks, who last won a championship in the 2010-11 season, and the Dallas Stars, who last won a championship in 1998-99.

What should we expect?

🏀 Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks missed the playoffs last year — like the Stars, they also made their conference finals the year before that — but improved 12 games this season, winning the Southwest Division. Their first-round series will be against the Los Angeles Clippers, commencing Sunday, April 21 at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.

With potential NBA MVP Luka Doncic, who led the Mavs in points, assists, and rebounds, the team has only lost four times since March 7. They come in hot, but the Clippers took two out of three from Dallas this season. In their last meeting, on December 20, the Clippers won (120-111) with 30 points from their own superstar, Kahwi Leonard, formerly a champion with the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors.

The Clippers are balanced around more star-level players, from Leonard to Paul George and James Harden, but there's no denying the Mavericks are playing some of their best ball. If Dallas escapes the first series, they will face either the No. 1 or No. 8 seed in the second round.

Check out Nick Angstadt's Locked On Mavericks podcast for all things Mavs hoops.

⛸️ Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars are ready to hit the ice. | Photo by @eric.g.foley

While it's been north of two decades since the Stars won the championship, they've been competitive in recent years. The team made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019-20, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Last season, they made the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. (If you're surprised that noted desert Las Vegas has a successful NHL team, you're not alone.)

This year's Stars, led by left wing Jason Robertson, had the best record in the Western Conference.

The NHL playoffs are a notorious grind: Postseason games start on Saturday, April 20, and the first possible date of the Stanley Cup Finals is Wednesday, June 3. That means the Stars have five weeks of bone-rattling hits, often having to play 3-4 games per week.

Health is a massive factor in the postseason. Good news on that front: The Stars are relatively healthy, with only three players on injured reserve or day-to-day.

Check out Joey Erickson's Locked On Stars podcast for all things Dallas hockey. We might be back here during the playoff run with a photo gallery of "playoff beards."

🍻 Victory Plaza

While the full playoff schedule will vary based on specific wins and losses, the Victory Plaza area will be a vibrant social scene most nights in late April and early May. Head over on the Trinity Railway Express, or watch both sports at any number of Fort Worth bars — even if you're solo.

Enjoy these mutual postseason journeys, fans.