DALLAS - Owner Mark Cuban took exception when told that Saturday's Game 4 loss to Portland was a continuation of the "emotional baggage'' the Dallas Mavericks have been carrying around since they lost to Miami in the 2006 NBA Finals.
The Mavs led the Heat, 2-0, in the '06 Finals before losing that series in six games. In '07, the Mavs won a franchise-record 67 games, but became the first No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose a best-of-seven series to a No. 8 seed when they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games in the opening round of the playoffs.
In '08, Dallas lost to New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs. In '09, Denver eliminated the Mavs in the second round.
And last year the No. 7-seed San Antonio Spurs ousted the No. 2-seeded Mavs in the first round.
Cuban engaged in an animated discussion with reporters before Game 5 about the state of the Mavs, who have never won an NBA title.
"Every game is a unique game, every series is a unique series,'' Cuban said. "Stuff about emotional baggage, I just don't see it and don't get it and don't understand it.
"We're just going to have to have group therapy, I guess. You know my feeling on that -- the same 25 people talking to the same 25 people talking about the same 25 things.''
The Mavs have won at least 50 games in one year for 11 consecutive seasons. But they've yet to win the series that matters most to Mavs' fans.
"Maybe we should blow it up, then we can go back to the 90's when everybody gets excited when you turn it around and start winning again,'' Cuban said. "That's not my DNA.''
--Dwain Price
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