3 Dallas Mavericks (57-25) vs. 6 Portland Trail Blazers (48-34)
Inside the Series
Season Series: Tied (2-2)
Scoring Leaders: Dirk Nowitzki (DAL): 23.0 PPG
LaMarcus Alridge (POR): 21.8 PPG
Assist Leaders: Jason Kidd (DAL): 8.2 APG
Andre Miller (POR): 7.0 APG
Rebounding Leaders: Marcus Camby (POR): 10.3 RPG
Tyson Chandler (DAL): 9.4 RPG
Key Players
Dallas: C Tyson Chandler
You hear about every NBA analyst saying that Chandler drastically changes the Mavs and makes them that much better. Let's see if he can prove it in this series because to me, Dallas is still the same unmotivated team that's always in danger of an early exit.
Portland: G Brandon Roy
Roy must provide a number of sparks off the bench. Although his role his diminished due to injury, Brandon Roy has to somehow contribute to the 24th ranked offense in the league.
Key Matchup
Dirk Nowitzki vs. LaMarcus Alridge
Yes, this is the obvious pick. But who else is it really going to come down to? Even though they're both at the power foward spot, Alridge and Nowitzki have two completely different games. They will have to adjust to each other which should make for an intriguing battle.
Prediction
Game 1: Portland 96, Dallas 91
Game 2: Portland 84, Dallas 102
Game 3: Dallas 101, Portland 113
Game 4: Dallas 107, Portland 110
Game 5: Portland 95, Dallas 99
Game 6: Dallas 105, Portland 107
Portland wins 4-2
Can you ever really trust the Mavericks? No.
I don't see how this team is any different from previous Dallas teams. They do have some size in Chandler and Haywood but still seem to lack heart. They can have all the depth they want, the Mavericks are just destined to lose.
Portland, on the other hand, could be a dark horse out in the West. They have a solid starting five in Miller, Matthews, Wallace, Alridge, and Camby and have their most skilled player coming off the bench in Brandon Roy.
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