Top billin'
Dallas at San Antonio, 8 p.m. ET
With apologies to the Suns and Clippers, there is a reason David Stern is headed to Texas on a night of two Game 7s. As he said, he "can't be in both places." Well, in honor of that, CBS SportsLine will be monogamous too and declare only one game worthy of the ol' top billin'.
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| Surrogate promoter Mark Cuban adds plenty of buzz to the Dallas-San Antonio rivalry. (Getty Images) |
What was originally billed as Dirk Nowitzki vs. Tim Duncan has expanded to include Jason Terry vs. Michael Finley as a riveting undercard. Finley has been the target of ridicule in Dallas, and after taking a low blow from Terry in Game 5 was vilified mercilessly. To stand up for their most important offseason acquisition, expect the die-hards in San Antonio to ride "The Jet" just as hard.
See, the series that has forced the NBA to rethink its seeding system has turned personal. Everyone expects the winner of this to reach the NBA Finals, but now that the two teams have traded barbs -- and in one case, a fist -- at each other, the stakes are higher. Owner Mark Cuban ridiculed San Antonio's famous Riverwalk area. Finley struck back at the Dallas fans, who so conveniently forgot about the contributions he made to their city for eight years. Even the typically reserved Duncan took a veiled shot at Cuban, saying he had nothing to say to the Mavericks owner when he was jokingly asked whether he would recommend a restaurant for him during the postgame press conference on Friday.
It has turned ugly. Hide the kids and call Michael Buffer down to do the pregame introductions, because things are getting heated. Actually, don't call Buffer, because this isn't boxing. Gloves don't come off in boxing.
"We need intense, blood-thirsty, Red Sox-Yankees rivalries in this league," Cuban told the Associated Press. "People who work side by side say, 'Oh, I hate (your team). Let's go get a beer and we'll scream about it at the bar.' This type of series leads to those things."
To his credit, Cuban has been the ultimate promoter in this series, making outrageous comments and complaining about the discipline coming down from the league office. To their credit, the Spurs haven't let much faze them, including the 3-1 deficit. It wasn't exactly unlikely given the nature of the series -- and the fact that it has come down to the final possession in almost every game. The Spurs have had to withstand series-clinching shots in the past two contests.
So now what?
There's no way to handicap this series, because there are too many variables. The Spurs have their home-court edge, perennially one of the best in the league, while Dallas has had the officiating in its favor. Head coach Avery Johnson might scoff at the previous statement given his discontent for what he perceives as touch calls, but Nowitzki has yet to be in foul trouble while Duncan has had to control his intensity down the stretch. Manu Ginobili has also joined Duncan in fouling out in critical stretches, while Dallas has managed to avoid such travails.
Beyond foul trouble and home court, not much separates these two. Johnson is a Gregg Popovich disciple and preaches similar principles. Duncan and Nowitzki have proven that despite specialists like Bruce Bowen, Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop, they can't be stopped.
Call it a tossup. Give San Antonio the edge because it has won the past two games and enjoys the AT&T Center advantage. Then throw the ball up, sit back and watch. You'll see riveting entertainment, a game that will likely go down to the wire and some heated comments afterward. The league's newest legit rivalry promises a Game 7 that won't disappoint, and the public is right to demand it, based on what we have been treated to thus far.
Called out
Steve Nash is one of my favorite players to cover, and I'll tell anyone who will ask that he's the most accommodating player in the league. So it's with a heavy heart that I implore Nash, "You better show up."
It's fine that Nash was exhausted when Game 6 tipped and did nothing with his game. His defense on Quinton Ross was atrocious, his passing was off and he had no lift on his jump shot. Phoenix had breathing room, so that hardly mattered, as there were three days to rest before a deciding game.
Now, Nash has no room for error and no excuses for shoddy play. That's the life of a two-time reigning MVP. If you're going to gain the accolades, you better produce.
"He has played a lot of minutes, and I think he has hit a wall," Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo told the Boston Globe. "They're making him work awful hard the way they are defending him. He feels like he's being grinded down, and that affects how we play. Guys aren't getting the ball where they normally get it. It's a lot more congested for him."
It doesn't matter that the Clippers have decided to gear their defense to stop Nash. He's supposed to handle that. That's why he's got two of the most difficult trophies in the world on display. He must do what he has done all season and overachieve. He must overcome Ross, Cassell and all the tricks L.A. will throw at him, not to mention those weary legs.
Because of what he has done without Amare Stoudemire, the world knows he can do it. Now it's up to him not to disappoint.
Necessary adjustments
For Dallas, particularly with Terry back, it's all about intensity. The Mavs can't sit back and allow the underdog role to envelop them. Instead, they must come out aggressive, adopt the attitude they had in Game 2 when they refused to let the crowd become a factor and do what the Spurs accomplished Friday.
"You have to give San Antonio credit," Jerry Stackhouse said. "When we look at the film, as we always do, we're going to be really (ticked) off about how we played. They were the more aggressive team on our home court. And that's the most disappointing thing about it. Hopefully, we'll be as desperate down there as they were up here."
Devin Harris, a weapon for Dallas for most of the series, was curbed in Game 6, as San Antonio played off of him and was waiting for him at the basket when he penetrated. He's got to make adjustments to keep the Spurs from containing him again.
Kurt Thomas might return for Phoenix for spot minutes, giving Mike D'Antoni a defensive presence against Chris Kaman and Elton Brand, who have been dismantling Phoenix inside for most of the series. Thomas has been out for three months with a broken foot, but if he can make it back, he will be a valuable asset for a size-depleted team that has missed both him and Stoudemire. If he's able to go, he'll be an asset.
Matchup to watch
Phoenix's Shawn Marion vs. L.A's Corey Maggette: Both are undersized rebounding threats who have been the difference in a couple of games this series. They might not guard each other, but in a series where activity and energy are often deciding factors, expect the player who has the better game to lift his team to victory.
Mejia's Selections
San Antonio 93, Dallas 90
Phoenix 114, L.A. Clippers 106
