First it was the Miami Heat.  Now, it’s the Dallas Mavericks.  With the Mavs beating the Phoenix Suns 102-93 in Game Six of the Western Conference championship series, the organization will be making its first appearance in the NBA Finals.  There’s no telling who will win the NBA crown, but one thing is definite - there will be a first-time NBA Champion this season.

The Suns started off as hot as a team could in the first quarter, taking a 29-14 lead heading into the second quarter.  They were straight-up blazing.  It looked like it was going to be a blowout and at halftime, leading 51-39, the Suns had to be feeling pretty good about themselves.

But then came the third quarter and the emphasis on defense that Mavs head coach, Avery Johnson, preached to his team all season.  The Suns were put on lock and only scored 15 points in the third.  And worst of all, they looked deflated on the court.  What was once a lead by as much as 18 points was now only a four point lead (66-62) going into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, things got very ugly for the Suns as they allowed the Mavs to score 40 points on them.  Yikes!  The Suns didn’t even put up a strong string of points, which they’ve been doing all playoffs to make the game close.  With Dirk Nowitzki dominating again, Jerry Stackhouse hitting open shots, and Jason Terry penetrating seemingly at will, there was no denying the Mavs their first trip to the Finals.

So, while the Suns will be setting in the West, the Mavs hope to rise to the occassion and hope they can once again avoid getting burned, this time from the Miami Heat.  The two first-time NBA Finals participants begin to make team history on Thursday, June 8th in Dallas, as Game One tips off at 9pm EST.