The Mavericks finished second in the Midwest Division with a 53–29 record.
They defeated the Houston Rockets four games in the first round of the 1988 NBA Playoffs, then defeated the 2nd-seeded Denver Nuggets six games in the semifinals.
The Mavs made their first appearance in the Western Conference finals, where they pushed the eventual-champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games.
The Mavs were coached by John MacLeod and played their home games at Reunion Arena.
[1] Mark Aguirre and James Donaldson were both selected to play in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.