[Cactus Jack]

Barring injury, I think each team blows the other out at least once & also takes a fairly close game. What happens in the two or three others will decide it.


Would rather have Luka and Kyrie than Tatum and Brown.

Would rather have Horford and Porzingis than Washington and Lively (or any of Dallas' next two... Jones, Gafford, whoever).

Kind of a pu-pu platter from there.


Boston is deeper and more experienced with Holliday, White, and company. I like Pritchard for what his role is. Hauser probably needs to play well. They'll have home court and more rest. They've had a much easier road, and you get the feeling that they might have played down to their competition and have their best ahead of them-- they were much more consistent in the regular season.

Dallas is younger and has really played well in the playoffs. They'll need big contributions on the glass and defensively from whoever ends up being #3 & 4. Their #5 & 6 will at least have to play well enough that they aren't targets. They'll need consistent scoring from at least one or two of those if they're going to win more than a couple of games.


Boston is better, but I don't know that I ever feel comfortable trusting Brown and Tatum to carry you as your top two scorers in a seven game series when the other team has scorers as elite as Luka is and Kyrie has been lately. If it's even with four minutes left, Dallas has the closers.

At the same time, the Mavs don't give me '23 Denver vibes where guys like Gordon and Porter are athletic as hell and fly around making plays everywhere but still give you fits because they hit shots on you. Because of that, I don't know that they're within striking distance (or better) in four games.

Would love to see the Mavericks win, but think Boston in 6 is the safest play.