San Antonio Spurs: The Black and White, April 17th

Apr 10, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward

(21) reacts to being called for a technical foul during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The San Antonio Spurs will play the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs.

And, boy, is this going to be a good one.

Tim Duncan vs Dirk Nowitzki.

Gregg Popovich vs Jim Carrey Rick Carlisle.

Two Texas rivals going at it, just like in the years before the turn of the decade when both teams ruled the league.

Now, only one still remains a championship threat.

Paul Garcia of Project Spurs previews the first-round matchup against the Mavericks. San Antonio finished the season with a spectacular 62-20 overall record, a 32-9 home record, went 28-14 in the Western Conference and 24-5 since the All-Star break; a telling sign that not only has Popovich’s team been hot as of recent (obviously), but also their home court advantage will significantly help, as seen by their home record.

Spurs.com released the game schedule for the first-round series:

– All Times Central *If necessary

Brian Gosset of The Smoking Cuban, FanSided‘s own Dallas Mavericks web page, recaps the Mavs last game of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies: a loss that forced them to play the Spurs, rather than the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Will the Spurs sweep the Mavericks?

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Especially in the Western Conference, these 2014  NBA  Playoffs are going to be as exciting as ever. A first-round matchup against the Dallas Mavericks brings a deep rivalry that we surely know the Spurs haven’t forgotten.

Let’s get this done in five games.