Go Mavs! After Najera missed his first free throw in the first quarter, the Mavs combined for 49 straight free throws to help catapult them to an upset victory, 113-110. The Mavericks were down by as much as 18 at one point in the game. Dirk Nowitzki was monster on the court for Dallas, proving in every facet of his game to be Tim Duncan's equal. I'm not so much a NBA basketball fan as I am a Dallas Mavericks fan, and it's nice to see them hang in there and pull this one out. Around the office yesterday, we all agreed that we wouldn't be surprised to see the Mavs drop Game 1, having just come off their second seven-game series in the playoffs. The Spurs had an extra day of rest after knocking off the defending champ Lakers in six games. Finally, it seems the ineptitude and need for sharper contact lenses that pervades the NHL has crept in to the NBA as well. The officiating for this game was inconsistent at several points throughout, and overbearing at others. Both sides suffered and benefited from this behavior, so many would say it was a wash. The fact is that consistency amongst those officiating is greatly needed in professional sports, and this begins at the top of the leagues' front offices (are you listening, Gary Bettman?). Officials are going to miss things that happen on the hardwoord and ice; that's a fact of life, and one most fans can live with. What we don't like is the inconsistency of what constitutes a foul/penalty from team to team, game to game, series to series.