Preview from NBA.com <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> DALLAS (Ticker) -- The Dallas Mavericks try to shake off a disappointing finish to the regular season when they host the Portland Trail Blazers in Game One of a Western Conference first-round series. The Mavericks got off to a huge start, winning their first 14 games, and boasted the NBA's best record for most of the season. However, after going 31-8 in the first half, they went just 15-10 down the stretch. Dallas ended the regular season with a 93-72 victory at San Antonio and finished tied with the Spurs atop the Midwest Division. However, the Mavericks lost the tiebreaker and dropped to the No. 3 seed despite sharing the league's best record and winning 60 games for the first time in franchise history. However, Portland did Dallas a big favor by suffering an inexplicable 107-93 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in its regular-season finale. That dropped the Trail Blazers into the No. 6 seed and allowed the Mavericks to avoid the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. The Blazers were swept in the first round last year and have lost seven straight playoff games - all to the Lakers - four short of the NBA record. Scottie Pippen's effectiveness is a major question mark for Portland heading into the series. He returned to the starting lineup for the first time in 18 games against the Clippers after undergoing surgery on his left knee on March 18 and scored only three points on 1-of-9 shooting. The Blazers won 22 of 27 games before the All-Star break to close within striking distance of Sacramento in the Pacific Division before slipping down the stretch. The Mavericks hope to get a boost from a healthy Michael Finley, who missed 14 games down the stretch with a hamstring injury. Finley returned for the final two regular-season games, but scored only nine points. The teams split four meetings during the regular season, with each winning once on the opponent's court. They have met in the playoffs since 1990, when the Blazers swept the Mavericks in the first round. After Saturday's game, the teams have three days off before the Mavericks host Game Two on Wednesday. </div> As you know im goin for my Mavs. I know Dirk is gonna score at least 30.
