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Despite the fact that Dallas and L.A. have been two of league's best teams over the past 10-12 years, they've yet to play each other in the playoffs during this span.

In fact, the last time these two teams played one another in the postseason was in 1988, when the Lakers outlasted the Mavericks in a seven-game affair in the Western Conference Finals.

There are plenty of great characters in this novel.

Kobe Bryant. Dirk Nowitzki. Phil Jackson. Mark Cuban. Andrew Bynum. Tyson Chandler.

I see this series going at least six games, if not seven, with it being a dogfight throughout.

Make no mistake: the Lakers are the favorites, but the Mavericks have a fighting chance, one that I believe will come to fruition when the Mavericks take the series in six games.