Dallas Mavericks

Down two games to none against Dallas, Miami hitched its hopes and dreams to the soaring Dwyane Wade, who carried the Heat to four straight victories and the team's first NBA championship

Miami Twice? After its wipeout of Dallas, is the Heat poised for a repeat? Will Pat be back? And how will small ball affect the Big Fella?

The mad-as-hell Mavs, the superstar heat of Dwyane Wade and a fascinating coaching duel between masters old and new drove the best postseason in a decade toward climax

No owner is more wired into his players and fans than Mark Cuban, the ref-berating, serial blogging face of the Mavs who stands on the brink of (gulp!) ruling the NBA

The best pure shooter for a big man since Larry Bird, Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki may no longer be the most overlooked superstar in the NBA by the time the championship series is over