Clash of the Texas titans
(No. 2) Dallas Mavericks (55-27) vs. (No. 7) San Antonio Spurs (50-32)
Throw out the Dallas Mavericks' 3-1 season series edge over the San Antonio Spurs. Disregard Dallas' 4-1 opening round playoff series win in last year's postseason. When the Mavs and Spurs meet in a seven-game series, all bets are off.It's that notion, and knowledge of playoffs past, that has the Mavericks very focused before matching up with their Southwest Division rival yet again with bragging rights and a second-round berth on the line. The two squads have meet three of the last five postseasons, all of which have had signature moments. Forward Dirk Nowitzki said it's only right that the Mavs go through the Spurs if an NBA title is in Dallas' future.
"We're looking forward to a fun playoff run, so we'll see how it goes," Nowitzki said. "We know (the Spurs) are tough...They're going to be a tough matchup for us, but we're going to be prepared. It seems like we play them every year anyways, so it's kind of fittingly."
Fortunately, the Mavs enter the playoffs riding a five-game winning streak. That includes a 96-89 win over a shorthanded Spurs squad on Wednesday night, playing without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in the final game of the season. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich decided to rest the two stars in preparation for what figures to be another epic Texas shootout.
Now, the Mavericks look to ride the momentum of a 55-win regular season, which included the team's third ever division title. Meanwhile, San Antonio will be out for retribution after the Mavs ended the Spurs' season one year ago.
"This is a big battle in Texas," forward Shawn Marion said of the matchup. "Two big Texas teams going head to head...The regular season is over with and the second season is about to start. That's what it's about."
It's also about correcting the mistakes of the regular season, like overlooking Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair. The first-year pro stepped up with a monster effort in the season finale, making up for Duncan's absence inside with a 27-point, 23-rebound performance.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle says Blair certainly has his team's full attention heading into the first round series.
"Blair made a case that he should be playing a lot in this series," the coach said. "He has had a solid year and he has done a great job for them. He has started some, sometimes he hasn't, but he plays hard and plays with force. I would like to see us do a better job on him, but these are numbers he is capable of."
But make no mistake, the Mavericks know very well that stopping the Spurs means containing the Big Three of Duncan, Ginobili and Tony Parker.
"San Antonio is tough. They've got a Hall of Famer in Tim Duncan and two All-Stars that can take over the game at any time," sixth man Jason Terry said. "We know the threat that they pose. For us, it's all about coming out consistent offensively and defensively and executing our game plan...It's always a hard challenge with the weapons they have over there."
The Mavs will not back down from the challenge, despite the daunting task of knocking off a franchise with four championships for the second consecutive year.
"We're all veteran guys, so I think we know what we have to do," Jason Kidd said.
"For us, it's all about us. San Antonio is a great team. They're big brother, we're little brother. They have the rings, we don't. Our focus is on 16 wins, regardless of who we have to face," Terry concluded.
The journey to 16 wins and the Larry O'Brien trophy starts on Sunday night. In a two-versus-seven matchup, the Mavericks will look to take a quick advantage in the series by winning on their home court in the first two games. Game 1 of the opening round series will air nationally on TNT and locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.
Note: The Mavs-Spurs First Round series schedule is as follows:
Game 1 – Sun April 18 San Antonio at Dallas 7:00PM TXA21/ TNT
Game 2 – Wed April 21 San Antonio at Dallas 8:30PM TXA21/ TNT
Game 3 – Fri April 23 Dallas at San Antonio 8:30PM TXA21/ ESPN
Game 4 – Sun April 25 Dallas at San Antonio 6:00PM TXA21/ TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 27 San Antonio at Dallas TBD TXA21/ TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 29 Dallas at San Antonio TBD TXA21/ TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 1 San Antonio at Dallas TBD TXA21/ TNT
Mavs.com has introduces a new, interactive broadcast entitled "Technical Foul," hosted by Mavs television broadcasters Mark Followill and Bob Ortegel. The second live-streamed broadcast will be Tuesday, April 20 at 12:30 p.m. CT, recapping Game 1 and previewing Game 2 of the series. Earl K. Sneed will also talk with fans and answer questions via a live chat during the show. Tune in for exclusive Mavs talk with the people that know the team the best.
For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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