Lockout-Shortened NBA Season Starts Tall With Heat and Mavs in Dallas

Joe LaTengo gets ready for what should be an epic clash between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks.

On Christmas Day in the morning, children of all ages around the world will squeal with delight as they unwrap their presents. Pro basketball fans should have a similar reaction when the curtain is raised on the NBA season which, just a few short weeks ago, many thought might not happen at all.

Five games are on the schedule for December 25th, and none is more significant than the matchup of the teams in last season’s Finals: the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks.

As with last season, no player will feel the need to succeed more than LeBron James. LBJ wore the goat horns in the Finals for the Heat, evaporating at critical times and allowing the Mavs to capture their first NBA title. Now it’s up to the five-time All Star and two-time MVP to shake off those memories and build towards the championships he expected after shocking the roundball world by signing with Miami.

The Heat’s 2010 season got off to a stumbling start as they lost 88-80 to the Boston Celtics on Opening Night, while the Mavericks dismantled the Charlotte Bobcats 101-86 the next day. That was then and this is now, but the pressure is still on the Heat to not fold like a bad bluff and live up to the hype.

Sports Interaction’s Al Dannity has already declared the Larry O’Brien Trophy will take its talents to South Beach next June. Meanwhile, the early NBA betting line favours the Heat to start their season as winners. It’s hard to disagree: they still have the Big Three of LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The team added Shane Battier for his defense and inked Eddy Curry to be a big body in the paint, but Curry is dealing with a lingering hip flexor injury.

For the Mavs, the slope became a little more slippery this week when sharpshooter and playoff hero Peja Stojakovic decided to retire. All-world power forward Dirk Nowitzki still leads the team, though, and recently acquired Lamar Odom fills the three-spot vacated by Peja. However, they also have well-travelled Vince Carter and two elder Jasons, Kidd and Terry, in their backcourt.

Tipoff for the Heat/Mavericks is scheduled for 2:30 p.m./11:30 a.m. (all times Eastern/Pacific) and will be shown on ABC in the U.S. and TSN in Canada. The season actually begins a couple of hours earlier at Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks host the Boston Celtics (noon/9 a.m.; TNT, TSN). Later on, the Chicago Bulls travel to Los Angeles to meet the Lakers (5 p.m./2 p.m. ABC, TSN2); the Orlando Magic clash with the Thunder in Oklahoma City (8 p.m./5 p.m.; ESPN, TSN2) and Opening Day wraps up with the L.A. Clippers at the Golden State Warriors (10:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.; ESPN, TSN2).

Hoop it up!