(My Sportsbook) - The three-six matchup in the Western Conference quarterfinals will be a Texas-sized showdown between San Antonio and Dallas with the opener slated for Saturday at 8 p.m. (et).
The Spurs were able to win the Southwest Division on the final day of the regular season thanks to a clutch three-pointer at the regulation buzzer from Michael Finley, then surging ahead in overtime to beat New Orleans.
Trying to win the NBA title for a fourth time in seven years, San Antonio guard Tony Parker is looking forward to the postseason again. The Spurs though will be without a main cog, as star swingman Manu Ginobili is out due to a stress fracture in his leg.
"We've had a lot of injuries. With Manu (Ginobili) being out half the season, it was a tough season," said Parker. "There were a lot of ups and downs but at the end of the day we got that third seed and that's what we wanted."
The Spurs are facing a familiar foe in the sixth-seeded Mavericks. The division rivals will be meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time since 2001, with the Spurs holding a 2-1 lead in the three previous meetings, although Dallas won the most recent series, a seven-game thriller in 2006.
Dallas surged to the sixth seed following a home win over Houston on the final night of the regular season.
The Mavs are now three years removed from their NBA Finals collapse against the Miami Heat and no longer considered a serious title contender.
It's been a steady if not precipitous decline for Mark Cuban's franchise since bowing to Miami. The following year, the team sprinted to the finish line with 67 wins but were stunned in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. Last year, the New Orleans Hornets did the dirty work, bouncing Dallas in the first round yet again. Now the Mavs will hope to avoid a third consecutive first- round exit.
A late season spurt helped Dallas reach the 50-win plateau for the ninth consecutive season but its 50-32 mark is the worst record the team has posted in those nine seasons.
The clubs split the four-game seasons series this year with the highlight being the Spurs' 133-126 double-overtime victory in Dallas on December 9.
MATCHUPS:
POINT GUARD: The Parker-Jason Kidd matchup at the point figures to be the most compelling of the series. The two point stars are on opposite career paths but both are playing well coming into the series.
Parker is coming off the best season of his career, leading the Spurs in scoring and assists at 22.0 ppg and 6.9 apg. He's one of the quickest players in the league with the ball and has improved his jump shot over the years, making him a tough check for anyone, nevermind an aging player like Kidd. In fact, Parker lit up the Mavs to the tune of 31.3 points per game this season, including a pair of 37-point nights.
Kidd isn't exactly chopped liver, however. The veteran recorded 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds Wednesday in the Mavs win over the Houston Rockets, giving him his third triple-double of the season and the 103rd of his career. J-Kidd was one of only three players in the NBA this year to notch three-or- more triple doubles, joining LeBron James (seven) and Chris Paul (six). Overall, Kidd scored 9.0 ppg and dished out 8.7 assists but shot just 41.6 percent from the floor.
EDGE: SPURS
SHOOTING GUARD: With Ginobili on the sidelines, San Antonio needs Roger Mason to deliver some scoring and he has been doing that lately but needs to show more consistency on a game-to-game basis.
Either way, Mason should be able to contribute more offense than his counterpart for Dallas, Antoine Wright. Problem is, Jason Terry will often come off the bench for Rick Carlisle and light it up.
EDGE: SPURS
CENTER: Polar opposites here. Spurs center Matt Bonner is a perimeter center that can stretch the defense with his outside shot but offers little help on the boards or the defensive end.
The Mavs' Erick Dampier, on the other hand, is a plodding pivot that can be a presence on the glass and a deterrent to anyone with a desire to drive the lane. His offense leaves a lot to be desired, however.
EDGE: MAVERICKS
SMALL FORWARD: Finley, a former Maverick, is the veteran starter for the Spurs. He's no longer a big-time scoring threat (9.7 ppg) but can still fill it up from beyond the arc, nailing 131 three-pointers this season and shooting a solid 41.1 percent from long range.
The athletic Josh Howard should have a big edge. Howard missed 30 games this season with a balky ankle but was very productive (18.0, 5.1 rpg) when on the floor and scores with consistency from inside and out. He averaged 20.7 points in the three games he played against San Antonio this year.
EDGE: MAVERICKS
POWER FORWARD: Balky knees and all, Tim Duncan is still Tim Duncan. The veteran All-Star is certainly slowing down and Gregg Popovich often rested him on the second day of back-to-back games but that's never an issue in the postseason. Duncan is still a nightly double-double guy at 19.3 ppg and 10.7 and a solid presence on the defensive end.
The Mavs, meanwhile, have their own All-Star at power forward in Dirk Nowitzki. The German star still fills it up to the tune of 25.9 ppg and 8.4 rpg. The former MVP finished the season with 26 double-doubles and tied a career-high for 30-point games in a season with 26. Two of Nowitzki's 30-point outings came against the Spurs and Dallas was 19-7 when Dirk notched 30-plus points, so he needs to get off a few times in the series.
EDGE: SPURS
BENCH: Last year's Sixth Man of the Year, Ginobili, is not available for the Spurs. His heir apparent, Terry, will be ready for the Mavs.
San Antonio doesn't have many offensive options off the bench now, save veteran forward Drew Gooden. Popovich has already indicated that rookie guard George Hill will not be much of an option.
Terry has been money all year, netting 19.6 points per game, second on the team to Nowitzki. Meanwhile, guard Jose Juan Barea and forward Brandon Bass have also given Rick Carlisle effective minutes on a nightly basis down the stretch.
EDGE: MAVERICKS
PREDICTION: If you are looking for an upset in the first round, you have to look long and hard at this series. The Mavs have played very well late in the season while the Spurs are without their finisher, Ginobili.
I still think a veteran-laden San Antonio club, with all its championship experience, will have enough to oust Dallas in a Game 7 set for the Alamo City. But, anytime you are in a do-or-die situation and staring at Nowitzki and Terry on the opposite bench, things could go wrong.
The Spurs have advanced past the first round of the playoffs in every season since 1999-2000.
SPURS in 7
