Basketball Betting

NBA Playoff Preview - Dallas vs. San Antonio

Basketball Betting Lines

04/16/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It wasn't easy and took the entire 2009-10 season, but the Dallas Mavericks were able to lock up the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and will face rival San Antonio in the first round.

These two teams just met on the final day of the regular season, and the Mavs locked up the second seed with a 96-89 victory. Dallas won the season series with the Spurs by a 3-1 count.

The Mavericks extended the longest streak in franchise history by clinching a postseason berth for a 10th straight season -- the second-longest streak in the NBA behind the rival Spurs, who are in the playoffs for an NBA-best 13th consecutive year. Led by All-Star and MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas went 55-27 this season and owns the most 50-win seasons in the NBA since the 2000-01 campaign (9).

Head coach Rick Carlisle guided the Mavs to their second Southwest Division title in four years, and became the ninth coach in franchise history on May 9, 2008. Carlisle owes a lot of his success to MVP candidate and All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, who's averaged at least 21 points per game in 10 straight seasons. Nowitzki has appeared in 97 career playoff games -- all starts -- and is averaging 25.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks.

Nowitzki is the franchise leader in postseason scoring (2,472 points), field goals (803) and attempts (1,770), rebounds (1,069), steals (119), minutes (4,067), blocks (101), games (97) and starts (97). In 10 playoff starts a year ago, he averaged 26.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 39.4 minutes.

Making the playoffs has also been the norm for the Spurs, who currently have longest active streak of playoff appearances in the NBA at 13 years.

The Spurs also amassed 50-plus wins for the 11th consecutive time (1999-2000 to present) to become just the second team in NBA history to accomplish the feat. The Los Angeles Lakers totaled 50-plus wins in 12 consecutive seasons from 1979-80 to 1990-91, which is the longest streak in NBA history. Under head coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs have 12 consecutive winning seasons and went 50-32 in 2009-10.

Led by future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and top reserve Manu Ginobili, San Antonio always has a shot at making a deep run in the postseason despite finishing with the seventh seed. It matches up well in this showdown with rival Dallas for obvious reasons, but playing a familiar division rival can be a problem since the opposition knows regular tendencies. The biggest question for the Spurs is if Tony Parker will be ready to go full blast after missing some time with a broken bone in his right hand. Parker still has a ways to go in terms of regaining his rhythm and conditioning, but never count out the heart of a champion.

MATCHUPS:

POINT GUARD: There's not too many point guards better than Future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd, who is still searching for that elusive NBA title. Kidd has a plethora of playoff experience, averaging 15.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 2.0 steals in 115 starts. Kidd, who ranks sixth in playoff assists with 1,011, posted 11.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.2 steals and 38.6 minutes in 10 postseason games -- all starts -- a year ago. His ability to get everyone involved is what makes Carlisle's job a lot easier.

Spurs guard George Hill, the 26th overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft, has become a key member of the Spurs rotation, especially when Parker went down with a hand injury. Many believed Hill would go through a sophomore slump, but his ability to run the offense quickly foiled those accusations. Hill, though, will take a backseat to Parker if the veteran is able to battle through pain and discomfort. Park's been here before, but his skills are no match for Kidd.

EDGE: MAVS

SHOOTING GUARD: Ginobili was rewarded with a multi-year contract extension earlier this month. He is in his eighth season with the Spurs, who selected him with the 57th pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, and has helped the franchise to three NBA titles and was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2008. Ginobili has a slight advantage over Mavs No. 2 guard Caron Butler and is San Antonio's franchise leader in three-pointers made and threes attempted. Expect to see knocking down threes against a subpar Thunder defense.

Butler joined the Mavs a few months ago from Washington and averaged 15 points with his new team. A solid all-around player, Butler can hurt teams inside, off the dribble and from long range. But don't expect to see him grab any headlines from Ginobili for heroic efforts because he'll be kept in check. Butler led Dallas in scoring on several occasions and will have the Spurs on their toes if he ends up doing so again.

EDGE: SPURS

CENTER: The center matchup in this playoff series will be a boring one between Dallas' Erick Dampier and Antonio McDyess of San Antonio. The oft-injured Dampier won't get many points but is a presence inside with his 6-11, 265- pound frame.

McDyess is also reaching the twilight of his career and is averaging less than six points, six rebounds and one block in 2009-10. McDyess is in his first season with the Spurs.

EDGE: EVEN

SMALL FORWARD: The small forward position in this matchups is another that could go either way. Shawn Marion of the Mavericks enjoyed a strong first season in Big D and has the potential to take over a game when Nowitzki or Butler are off their mark. Marion is an athletic player who averaged almost 13 points per contest this season and is also a pesky defender. Barring any injury, Marion will be a big producer for the Mavericks this postseason.

Fellow veteran small forward Richard Jefferson is putting up similar numbers to Marion, but is slightly more athletic. Jefferson, in his first campaign with the Spurs, is one of the top 50 players in the league from his playing days with New Jersey, and is another player who could change the outcome of the game. Jefferson won't be as valuable as Duncan, Ginobili or Parker.

EDGE: EVEN

POWER FORWARD: The power forward matchup will be the most intriguing between Nowitzki and Duncan. Nowitzki has been Dallas' most valuable player since he broke into the league, with his terrific range and basketball smarts. The German superstar ended the season on a hot note and was second player to reach the 20,000-point plateau this season, joining Boston's Ray Allen. Nowitzki, who helped the Mavs secure a Southwest Division title, was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played April 5-11. He has earned the honor four times this season and 14 times in his career.

Duncan is a Future Hall of Famer and is much like a fish in water when the postseason rolls around. The NBA's MVP in 2002 and 2003 and Finals MVP in 1999, 2003 and 2005, Duncan has appeared in 160 playoff games, averaging 23.3 points and 12.6 rebounds. He may be getting a bit older and losing a step, but Duncan's a cerebral player who can easily change the outcome of a game.

EDGE: SPURS

BENCH: The top reserves for the Mavs in this matchup are Jason Terry, Rodrigue Beaubois, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson. Terry, a former Sixth Man of the Year recipient and occasional starter, trails former Maverick Michael Finley (12,389) for fifth place on the team's all-time scoring list. Guard Beaubois showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie year and made a name for himself with a 40-point effort on March 27 versus Golden State. Haywood was acquired as part of the Butler deal and will serve as Carlisle's top big guy off the bench.

Spurs big men DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner don't have much experience in the playoffs, with Blair sniffing the postseason in his rookie campaign. Guards Keith Bogans and Hill will give Parker breathers if he's able to start. Fellow guard Malik Hairston suffered a sprained left ankle and a timetable for his return in unknown.

EDGE: MAVS

COACHING: One of five coaches in history with four or more NBA Championships, Popovich has led the Spurs to four NBA Championships in his tenure as the team's head coach (1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007). His playoff career winning percentage of .618 (102-63) is the fifth best in NBA history and his 102 playoff wins are the third most in league history behind Phil Jackson and Pat Riley. Popovich clearly has the advantage over Carlisle in this one.

Carlisle, the ninth head coach of Dallas, joined the Mavericks after spending six seasons with Detroit and Indiana as head coach. He went 5-5 in the postseason a year ago with the Mavs and is 35-37 all-time in the playoffs.

EDGE: SPURS

PREDICTION: The Spurs are an aging group in all the vital areas, and they're postseason ride will come to an end at the hands of their Southwest rivals. Unfortunately for Popovich, Duncan's age, Parker's questionable hand and inexperienced youth will expose the Spurs in round one. Ginobili will shine, though, but one man will not be able to stop or even contain the high-flying Mavericks. Nowitzki is still searching for that elusive NBA title and will be aided by Butler, Terry, Marion and Kidd in that quest.

MAVS in 6