you know, i think people need to have some sympathy in this regard. if your vendetta with cuban is too much for that, at least consider the mavs as a team. i mean, ****, the kings were in the same position only a few years ago. we had the home court advantage and the lakers reeling, only to have referee and free throw shooting ills thwart our championship hopes. last time i checked, the mavs lost game 5 because of poor clutch free throw shooting and several suspect whistles. we were all bitching when it happened to the kings in '02, as was rick adelman, as were the maloofs. hell, we even had ralph nader saying the kings was robbed. i'm one to sympathize with the mavs plight. though i, of course, am no cuban-hater, so i guess i can see past his apparently grotesque existence.