WESTERN CONFERENCE

San Antonio vs. Dallas

BEST-OF-SEVEN SERIES

Today at San Antonio, 3:30 p.m.

Monday at San Antonio, 5 p.m.

Wednesday at Dallas, 6:30 p.m.

May 12 at Dallas, 12:30 p.m.

May 14 *at San Antonio, 5 p.m.

May 16 *at Dallas, TBD

May 19 *at San Antonio, TBD

* If necessary. TBD--to be determined

THE BREAKDOWN

* Regular season (seeds): (1) San Antonio 58-24, (6) Dallas 53-29.

* Season series: San Antonio, 3-1.

* Scouting report: The Mavericks are for real, as the Jazz learned in the first round. A Western version of the Bucks, the gunslinging Mavericks showed they were gritty enough to rise from an 0-2 deficit in the series and a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter of Game 5 at the Delta Center. Michael Finley, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash give Dallas a three-headed outside threat that resembles Milwaukee’s Sam Cassell, Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson. The Mavericks made 38 three-point baskets to the Jazz’s 18 and outshot Utah from behind the arc, 37% to 33%.

* Prediction: San Antonio, 4-1. Unlike the Bucks, the Mavericks don’t get to play in the East. Unless they make a lot of three-point shots, they’re over their heads.

REGULAR-SEASON STATISTICS

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MATCHUPS S.A. DAL. Avg. pts 96.2 (12) 100.5 (4) Avg. pts allow. 88.4 (3) 96.2 (16) Avg. reb. 44.1 (9) 41.5 (21) Opp. avg reb. .41.5 (9) 45.0 (27) FG% .461 (4) .459 (5) Opp. FG% .419 (2) .439 (14) Three-point% .407 (1) .381 (4) FT% .715 (25) .794 (4)

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Note: League rank in parenthesis