PREVIEW NBA Western finals

A look at the matchups in the NBA's Western Conference finals:
San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks
Records: San Antonio, 60-22 in the regular season, 8-4 in the playoffs. Dallas, 60-22 in the regular season, 8-5 in the playoffs.
Season Series: Tied 2-2, with Dallas defeating San Antonio on the final night of the regular season in a game that was meaningless to the Spurs but important to the Mavs because it gave them home-court advantage for the second round of the playoffs.
Storyline: The Texas Showdown, with an international twist. The Mavericks have players from Germany (Dirk Nowitzki), Canada (Steve Nash), Mexico (Eduardo Najera) and France (Tariq Abdul-Wahad), while the Spurs have an Argentine (Manu Ginobili) and a Frenchman (Tony Parker).
Key Matchup I: Tim Duncan vs. Nowitzki. The MVP of the NBA vs. the MVP of last summer's World Championships. Nowitzki is not a good enough defender to stop Duncan one-on-one, so the Mavericks will likely use an assortment of zones and gimmick coverages. Nowitzki's outside game will draw Duncan away from the basket.
Key Matchup II: Parker vs. Nash. Pure speed vs. pure guile, a matchup of two point guards whose styles are somewhat unique yet somewhat similar, too. The 21-year-old Parker is San Antonio's second-leading scorer in the postseason, though he has been prone to mental mistakes in the closing moments of close games. Nash is the more creative player and a better shooter.
X-Factor: The coaching matchup between Gregg Popovich and Don Nelson. Popovich was once an assistant under Nelson, who is not afraid to try any strategy that might confuse an opponent. Nellie's book of tricks will get a workout as the Mavs try to contain Duncan.
Little-Known Fact: Long ago, the Spurs came into existence in the ABA as the Dallas Chapparals. The franchise moved to the Alamo City in 1973.
-- Associated Press