After Game 1, I questioned the Mavs' mental toughness. It seemed that they had a little "choke" in them after not being able to put the Spurs away in a very winnable game. Last night, in a Game 4 that the Mavs should have lost, the Spurs were the ones doing the choking, and the Mavs took full advantage down the stretch. Sure, there were some scary moments, including Devin Harris' consecutive turnovers in overtime. At the time, my friend, Luke, commented, "We just fumble our momentum time after time after time." But they didn't fumble as bad as the Spurs. With the Spurs down 123-118 in overtime, Tony Parker was at the free-throw line with half a minute left in the game. Two makes by the Spurs' star, and all the Spurs would have needed was a defensive stop to put them in position to tie the game. Amidst the storm of boos, Michael Finley had to have been licking his chops as he prepared for a crowd-silencing three-pointer that would send the game to double overtime. Maybe it was the giant Eva Longoria poster being waved by Mavs' fans in the background, but Parker was distracted by something as he clanged both free-throw attempts off the iron. And then the Spurs gave up, as they didn't even try extend the game by forcing the Mavs' to the free-throw line in the final seconds. After the game, TNT analyst Kenny Smith commented that the Spurs have to be thinking, "We can win Game 6 in Dallas." I've got news for you Kenny: After choking away a winnable game, the Spurs' minds need to be on Game 5, and only Game 5. If they're even thinking about Game 6 in Dallas, then there's going to be an ugly blowout in San Antonio, with the Mavs celebrating afterwards on the Riverwalk. After all, wasn't Game 4 touted as a must-win game for the Spurs? With their backs against the wall and everything to play for, the Spurs caught the Mavs at their lackadaisical worst in the first quarter. Yet, the Mavs held strong, preventing the Spurs from escaping Dallas with a win. The Spurs have had problems bouncing back from short rest periods all year, so they're going to have major problems harnessing the same energy for Game 5, especially knowing that it wasn't enough to beat the Mavs last night. And the Mavs, who played a subpar defensive game, will be in high gear as they try to clinch the series with a dominating (dare I say, "championship caliber") performance. Notes: - Devin Harris might be the quickest player in the NBA. When he took an outlet pass from Dirk after the Spurs missed their first shot in overtime, he drove up the court so quickly that the TNT camera couldn't keep up with him. By the time the camera was focused at the other end, Harris had already scored to put the Mavs up by 4. Later in the period, with the Mavs clinging to a 119-116 lead, Harris' quick-driving moves were too much for Duncan in the low post, as he converted a phenomenal layup around the 7-footer. - My friend and co-worker, Jeff, came into my office this morning, and asked, "Where was Dirk in the 4th quarter and OT?" Jeff's right that Dirk's sore ankle kept him from being the driving force that he was in the 4th quarter of Game 3. But his presence and ability to knock down jumpshots forced the Spurs to continue double-teaming him, which opened up lanes for Devin Harris and Marquis Daniels early in the fourth quarter. The Spurs have to account for Dirk, and that makes the whole team better. - Josh Howard saved the game for the Mavs late in the fourth quarter. With the Mavs down 107-108, Dirk missed a jump shot, and it bounced towards Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan. As both players reached for the ball, Howard's long arms disrupted their rebound attempt, and the ball popped out to Harris, who dished to Jason Terry for the clutch go-ahead jumpshot. - Gregg Popovich criticized Mavs' fans for booing Finley. Popovich is correct that Finley was a class act during his 8.5 years with the Mavs' organization. But when the Mavs let him go, he signed with their chief rival. I don't blame Finley for seeking a championship, but his choice of teams was no accident. Finley would love to spite his former team by helping the Spurs beat the Mavs in this series. And the Mavs' fans have every right to boo him for that choice. It would be completely different if Finley had chosen an Eastern Conference team that the Mavs met in the NBA Finals. I'm not blaming Finley -- I'm just saying that he's reaping what he sowed.