Behind the Scoreboard - Claude Vinson


Thursday, June 1, 2006
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Behind The Scoreboard
By Claude Vinson

Mavericks show hunger vs. Spurs

Someone once told me that anytime you begin a piece of correspondence with an apology, you are definitely on the right track.

While pondering just how deeply that I believe in such a principle is still up in the air, I must render an apology to Mark Cuban and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks. I am sorry that I sold you short. My son Chris told me that I was discounting the tall man on the Mavericks, Dirk Nowitski.

The hunger on the Mavericks was deeply seated. They have never been crowned the champion of all champions. The performance from Nowitski in game seven of the showdown in the Western Semis was a huge 37 points. He had help from Terry, Howard and Stackhouse.

So sure was I that San Antonio was going to send the Mavericks back to rest on their success thus far, that when the Spurs wiped out the 14 point halftime lead of the Mavericks, I took it to be all over.

Still no worry when the game went into overtime with a 104 knot at the end of regulation. How stunned was yours truly when later hearing that the Mavs had done it 119-111.

So, OK, Mavs, you have your due. Sorry about that loss to Phoenix in game one of the Western Finals. I had nothing to do with that!

As dramatic and sensational as the playoffs have been so far, I still maintain that the series to watch will be the one between the Pistons and the Heat. The Pistons didn’t show a lot in game one, allowing the Heat to embarrass them at Auburn Hills.

But the second game was a rejuvenation of the Wallace combine. They, too, had plenty of help from Chauncey Billups , Prince and Hamilton. They tied the series 1-1.

The Heat has not been turned off yet. They are in Miami for the next two games (at the time of this writing with an early deadline).

I am afraid that I have to show my hand again and say that the Mavericks will move on past the Suns and take their history making into the finals against Shaq and company.

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