I'm a big time Mavs fan and it's good to see them in the WCF again. It's only been 15 years...fifteen mostly excruciating years. As much as I love the Mavs and am excited to see them dispel some of the "can't win it when it counts" claims, I find it hard to see them pulling it off against the Spurs. My prediction in short is that they will do a good job spreading things out on offense, but the inside presence of Duncan and the San Antonio big men will be too much for the Mavs to handle. The Spurs are talented enough to keep up even if they don't have the same uptempo game that Dallas does (who does?). I think the games will go down to the wire in a lot of cases in the series, but here is how I think the series will go...

Game 1 - Dallas comes to San Antonio and surprises the Spurs with an upset win in their hometown.

Game 2 - San Antonio plays their game on their home turf having learned their lesson from game 1 to tie the series in a close played game.

Game 3 - In Dallas, the inexperience of the Mavs show through a little as the Spurs surprise the Mavs at home with a blowout win.

Game 4 - Dallas recovers and holds to pull out a victory and even the series once again.

Game 5 - San Antonio with the help of home court pulls out another close game down the stretch, holding on to win the game and take the lead in the series 3-2

Game 6 - Showing poise and experience, the Spurs win the series in a game close for the most part, but dominated by the Spurs late in the fourth.

Spurs win 4-2

Let's hope my prediction proves false...go Mavs!

Spurs win 4-2

Well, after I posted my first message, I looked over at the score and saw that the Mavs were down by seventeen!!! Well, my predictions are out the window, I thought. My new motto: Never doubt the Mavs. 113-110! Yeah, buddy!

I've already stated that the Mavs will win in seven. However, I was expecting them to lose tonight. Tonight's game was absolutly huge. 49 out of 50 free throws? What the hell is up with that? That's absolutely amazing..

Originally posted by ACStrider
Well, after I posted my first message, I looked over at the score and saw that the Mavs were down by seventeen!!! Well, my predictions are out the window, I thought. My new motto: Never doubt the Mavs. 113-110! Yeah, buddy!

Dola-

I learned that lesson after the first game against the Kings. After that game I thought they were through, but they came through and demolished them in game two.

Don't ever count out the Mavs...

Hey JD - In case you didn't know, I'm planning on moving to the Dallas area in the fall. I grew up in Carrollton, so I've always been a Dallas team fan. Anyways, I'm coming into the area next week to start making preparations for the move. It looks like the series will last long enough for me to catch game five. I'm excited about that (as long as there are still tickets).

Mavs will win the series 4-2.

The last 18 winners in the WCF who won game 1 went on to win the series.

So I am hoping that will continue to be the case.

What a great win last night, what a comeback!

C'mon Mavericks!

I think the Spurs will take the series. Unless in a surprise move Rolando Blackman, Mark Aguirre, and Roy Tarpley (hopefully a cleaned up Roy Tarpley) come out of retirment and rejoin the Mavs. Then they might win. :)

Stayed up 'til 1 to watch the ending. 49 in a row? Good god.

Very big win by the Mavs... That would be awesome to see the Mavs win it all...

I don't know what to think of the Eastern Conference teams. Here is what I mean. The Nets are a solid team but should have their hands full with Detroit. I think they will pull it out 4-2 against the Pistons in a very close series. Here's where it gets interesting.

If it's a Nets-Spurs series, I think the Nets are simply outmatched in nearly all of their strengths and will lose 4-0. If it's a Nets-Dallas series it will be very close but the Mavs will hang on to win 4-3.

The Pistons' angle is just the opposite. I think that Detroit can manage a few wins against a team like SA, so if it's a Pistons-Spurs series, SA wins 4-2. Against Dallas, the Pistons will struggle and lose the series out of hand 4-0.

So a Mavs fan wants a Mavs-Pistons series.
A Pistons fan wants a Pistons-Spurs series.
A Spurs fan wants a Spurs-Nets series.
A Nets fan wants a Nets-Mavs series.

Spurs in 6 or 7, probably 7. I think that everyone has dismissed the Mavs, for most of the season, they were on pace to land a mid-90's Chicago Bulls record. And the Spurs shouldn't get too cocky after beating the Lakers because I believe the Spurs, Mavs and Kings all would have beaten them. They're a diminished team this year. The Spurs shouldn't try to play the Mavs game, if they try to outscore the Mavs in an offensive frenzy, they'll lose.

Originally posted by ACStrider
Hey JD - In case you didn't know, I'm planning on moving to the Dallas area in the fall. I grew up in Carrollton, so I've always been a Dallas team fan. Anyways, I'm coming into the area next week to start making preparations for the move. It looks like the series will last long enough for me to catch game five. I'm excited about that (as long as there are still tickets).

Sweet, I hope that you can manage to get some tickets. I'm sure they won't be cheap, but I'm sure that they'll be worth it.

And congrats on coming back to the Big D. We can always use more FOFCers here... :)

Do you know yet what area you're moving to?

Actually, Mavs tickets slide anywhere from pretty dang expensive to pretty cheap. You can get seats on the first level of seats (not courtside but the next series of rows) for $60. Not bad. Center courtside is something like $215 or something rediculous like that. Upper Mezzanne is only $10. I'm thinking of shelling out $40 and getting some upper level seats. The only way this works, though is if it goes to six games. I think it will, but you never know. As far as where I'm moving to...I'm not real sure yet. I'll be going to UT Dallas so I won't be too far from that I don't think. I'll have a better idea in a week.

Dola

Growing up I went to one of the private schools where some of the Mavs sent their players (my mom taught Fat Lever's daughter one year). One of the coaches at the school was the weight trainer of the Mavs for one year, so I remember going to PE and seeing Mavs players in the weight room (talk about a rush...Ro Blackman and Mark Aguirre). We even had Bill Wennington and Uwe Blab step in and take over the PE class for 15 minutes one day. That was a blast.

Game 2 is tonight!!

GO MAVS GO! GO MAVS GO!

Hell yeah! Going to the country club where they have dollar beers during the game and gonna yell my lungs out.

Go Mavs!!!!

SPURS IN 6. I like the MAVS but they still havent figured out the basics of Defense. Even the Pistons could score 110+ on the MAVS.

Originally posted by mrbuttercup
SPURS IN 6. I like the MAVS but they still havent figured out the basics of Defense. Even the Pistons could score 110+ on the MAVS.

That's funny, because in the two games that they played each other this year the Pistons didn't even come close...

Dallas 114 Detroit 75

Dallas 102 Detroit 82

Where was that vaunted Pistons D then?

gotta go with the mav's I root for Naharja

Who? Is he an Asian-Indian Mav?

Oh, wait, you mean Najara. Gotcha... ;)

No doubt the Refs were star player in game 2!

5 Technical fouls!??? Nelson, Sr. and Dell Harris ejected???

I think somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed yesterday morning!!

I hate it when referees take over a game!!

I saw one call on Nowitski and HE DID NOT EVEN TOUCH THE GUY!! Freaking ridiculous!!

Hopefully the Mavs can win games 3 and 4 in BIG D!!

They really need to play with some killer instinct!!

GO MAVS GO!

So far, so good on my predictions. We'll see tomorrow if the Mavs can surpass my expectations.

Crap, not going to be able to see the game tonight. I'm going out with my girlfriend and her parents for dinner. Her parents hate me, and this is the first time they've been willing to sit down and talk with me in about three years.

Damn, why couldn't they have come into town yesterday?!?!?

That's alright Jeeber D!

Time spent with family is always important!

Try to make peace brother!!

I'm rooting for the Mavericks and my favorite owner in sports, Mistah Cuban. I just don't think it's gonna happen.

That's OK. I like the Spurs, too. And it ain't the Lakers. Always a good thing.

Originally posted by cincyreds
That's alright Jeeber D!

Time spent with family is always important!

Try to make peace brother!!

Oh, I'm certainly going to try and make peace. I don't hate them, they hate me. Hopefully the dinner will go well tonight. And if not, well, I'm still going to be with their daughter, so they better get used to me...

Nope...my predictions still hold true. Spurs up 2-1.

How serious is the Nowitzki injury? I didn't get to see the game but heard something on SportsCenter about his knee getting injured...

Nelson just said he didn't expect him to play this next game, or maybe the rest of the series, whatever that is worth.

Then the usual spiel about how he won't let him play if he wasn't 100%, his health was more important, etc...

Either way, I have a feeling the Mavs are done for. :)

Originally posted by Calis
Either way, I have a feeling the Mavs are done for. :)

I think you meant to say...

"Either way, I have a feeling the Mavs are done for. :("

Err, of course that's what I meant! :D

edit: In all seriousness though, what about Tony Parker? Man that kid can play, he embarrassed the hell out of Nash during that 3rd quarter, I think he could really turn into a great player a few years down the road. I think this should help put to rest any rumors about the Spurs going for Jason Kidd. I just can't wait to see what San Antonio does this off season.

jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil jermaine o'neil

who else is out there in FA that can play center? olowakandi maybe. is he any good? i know about half the clippers are free agents. the spurs need another big body or two (o'neil would be a great start) and then maybe another point guard, since speedy will likely sign elsewhere