Texas NBA Fans Unite

The Rockets may be long out of the NBA's postseason picture, but tonight the Finals head back to the Lone Star with our state's basketball honor on the line.

It seems like ages ago that the Dallas Mavericks were last home, where for two games they spanked the Miami Heat, neutralized their stars Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, and headed to South Beach totally in command of the series. Since then, they've let one game slip away, spent another getting soundly thrashed, and are now coming off of Sunday's demoralizing overtime loss. Not to mention bear witness to Dwyane Wade's emergence as the league's best player. But with gritty vet Jerry Stackhouse back from a fishy one-game suspension and the Mavs brimming with attitude after two controversial late calls, we at Houstonist are confident they'll yet redeem themselves. Dirk Nowitzki didn't have an MVP caliber season for nothing, least of all to go out like a feckless punk on his home floor. That's hardly the German way.

Keep a special eye on Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who has taken his shtick to new heights over this past few weeks. His often heated blog has earned him hundreds of thousands in league fines, and gives you the rare chance to see what emotions really go into the experience of playing for a championship. That and his plan to stamp out all corporate corruption.

If the Mavs go down tonight, this will have been a head-scratching choke job. But if you find yourself watching the NBA next Thursday, rest assured that you're knee-deep in a classic.