(My Sportsbook) - The three-six matchup in the Western Conference quarterfinals is a Texas-sized showdown between San Antonio and Dallas with the opener slated for tonight in the Alamo City.

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. Meanwhile, All-Star forward Tim Duncan has struggled with his balky knees for most of the second half of the regular season.

"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.

The Mavs surged to the sixth seed following a home win over Houston on the final night of the regular season and are now three years removed from their NBA Finals collapse against the Miami Heat.

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.

The Mavs have been a shaky road team this season, compiling just a 18-23 record away from "Big D." The Spurs, meanwhile, compiled a solid 28-13 mark in the Alamo City this season.