But don't be fooled. This matchup with San Antonio is what the Mavericks wanted.

Misplaced confidence? It could be. We'll find out over the next 10 days to two weeks.

An old saying comes to mind: Be careful what you wish for.

Los Angeles and Denver are the teams the Mavericks needed to avoid in the first round. The Lakers are far and away the best team in the Western Conference. The Nuggets are too young and athletic on the perimeter for the Mavericks' taste.

The Spurs and Houston Rockets are more their speed.

It wasn't long ago that the rivalry between the Mavericks and Spurs was the league's best. The stakes were high when these teams met, the tension turned up even more by Avery Johnson, the Spurs point guard and Gregg Popovich prot?g? who went on to coach the Mavericks.

The series staged by these teams three years ago was a classic. When the Mavericks walked off the floor at the AT&T Center with an overtime victory in Game 7, it validated their status.

The Mavericks and Lakers are the only teams in the past 10 years to eliminate the Spurs from the playoffs with Tim Duncan on the court.

"Getting past them was a stepping stone," Jason Terry said. "It did give us confidence knowing we could take down a powerhouse, because that's what they are."

The Mavericks and Spurs are two old friends who bicker and get on each other's nerves, but at the end of the day they are bonded by respect and a shared experience. Both teams take comfort in knowing what to expect.

San Antonio knows Dirk Nowitzki and Terry will each go off a game or two and Josh Howard can make life miserable. Spurs fans know Mark Cuban will make some obnoxious comments about the River Walk and South Texas to get under their skin.

The Mavericks know there is little they can do to slow Tony Parker and that Duncan will win a game or two by himself. Mavericks fans know it's only a matter of time until they curse Bruce Bowen's name.

For those of you who believe Manu Ginobili's absence makes the Spurs an easy mark, please. Name the last time, with or without Ginobili, the Spurs bowed out in the first round with Duncan on the floor.

You can't because it's never happened.

"You're talking about a team that knows how to win," Jason Kidd said. "They've won championships.

"We've got our hands full."

Full, yes. But not overloaded. The Mavericks' confidence doesn't rest solely on a missing Manu.

The Mavericks average of 101.8 points against San Antonio during the regular season was more than 8 1/2 points above what the Spurs allowed the rest of the league. The Spurs can sometimes slow Nowitzki or Howard, but they have trouble handling both.

A constant criticism of the Mavericks is their jump-shooting nature. Well, guess what? The Mavericks scored more points in the paint this season than San Antonio.

When Parker doesn't get to the rim and Duncan isn't hitting his bank shot, the Spurs are launching jumpers. San Antonio is still committed on the defensive end, but isn't as effective as past years because of age and a lack of speed.

This is the matchup the Mavericks wanted.

We'll soon learn if that confidence is justified.

3. San Antonio vs. 6. Dallas

Day Date Location (TV) Time

Sat. April 18 San Antonio ESPN-x 7:00

Mon. April 20 San Antonio TNT-x 8:30

Thu. April 23 Dallas NBATV-x 7:30

Sat. April 25 Dallas TNT-x 3:00

Tue. April 28 San Antonio TBD TBD*

Fri. May 1 Dallas TBD TBD*

Sun. May 3 San Antonio TBD TBD*

x-also on Ch. 21; *-if necessary