The Mavericks might not have won 67 games to be dominated and humiliated by a number eight seed, but the Warriors certainly didn?t wait 13 seasons on the outside of the playoffs to roll over in four or five games.

Golden State has taken control of the series with their 3-1 lead and are simply playing as if they believe their team is superior.  It is difficult to believe that they are not the better team and if they really are, then it starts with the fact that Baron Davis is playing like a top-five player in the league while Dirk Nowitzki has been nearly completely neutralized. Nowitzki looks like nothing more than a 7-foot pure shooter who rebounds.  He hasn't been a playmaker at all and hasn't been able to post because of Golden State's zone defense schemes.  

Davis? body does not allow him to play at this level throughout an 82-game season, but he has been able to penetrate and get to the bucket at will throughout the series.  He has controlled the entire tempo of the series and there is little doubt that he will make nearly every big shot he takes.  He has elevated his game in this postseason more dramatically than anyone since Chauncey Billups in the 2004 playoffs.

Great players and great teams raise their game to a higher level in the postseason, but Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks appear as if they are in the same gear as they played during the regular season.  Though impressive, the 67 wins are a mere mirage of professionalism and consistency, but ultimately the Mavs are a team with an ordinary collection of talent.

There is no way that the Warriors could sustain this level of play throughout an 82-game season, but is there any doubt they are much better than your typical 42-win team?  Much the same as we have seen from MLB Wildcards in recent seasons, the Warriors had to scramble and claw merely to make the playoffs and because they were already clicking on all cylinders, they didn?t have to restart their season like Mavericks.  

Don Nelson?s system feeds off the transition game triggered off of missed shots by the opponent and he has the personnel to do it better than he ever did when he was with Dallas.

Defensively, Golden State has made nearly every Maverick possession uncomfortable, primarily by defending the passing lanes so well and by applying tight on-ball pressure, especially to Nowitzki.  Similar to the defense Tracy McGrady played versus Nowtizki in the first round of the 2005 playoffs, Stephen Jackson has been athletic enough and long enough to neutralize him and make him an afterthought during much of the game.

What makes the Warriors? Game 4 win so promising is that they managed to win despite being outplayed in many ways.  Dallas was up seven with less than seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors were resilient and took advantage of key defensive stops and steals.  

The Warriors not only have become everyone?s favorite underdog, they also play the game in the most exciting fashion possible.  They have played the Mavericks as the aggressor and the favorite from the onset. Because two of the three remaining games are in Dallas, Golden State could still lose the series, but that would be a choke job and Baron, Jackson and Jason Richardson are decidedly not chokers.