NBA Playoffs: In Another Texas Showdown, It's Tim Duncan vs. Dirk Nowitzki

History repeats itself. I guess this quotation is really true. After the last day of games for the regular season, the match-ups for the upcoming NBA Playoffs have been revealed. To which match-up are you most interested?

Some match-ups for this year's post season seem to be new and unfamiliar. Some are the same as last year's. If there's one match-up this year that fits the quotation, it would be Dirk Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks and Tim Duncan's San Antonio Spurs.

These two teams seem very familiar with one another as they already faced each other just last year, and the last one, in 2006. The Mavs won easily, getting that series 4-1, with the Spurs having problems with injuries specifically Ginobili's and Duncan's. Parker carried the team alone, but that isn't enough as they fell to the Mavericks.

This year, these two teams renew their rivalry as their players are all healthy and ready to face each other again. With Manu Ginobili back in the Spurs' lineup, the Spurs have been great from last month, beating the league's elite teams. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are consistently great since the February trade, seeding second in the Western Conference rankings most of the season.

The Mavs almost swept the season series with the Spurs this year, 3-1. The last time they met was yesterday, in which the Mavs won 96-89 at home. Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points in 33 minutes but shot 8-20, while Caron Butler led the team with 20 points. The Spurs, on the other hand rested their two stars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili the whole night. Rookie DeJuan Blair led the team with double-double, scoring 27 points and grabbing 23 rebounds, while Parker scored 16. 

George Hill sprained his ankle again during the first quarter and did not return to the game.

The Mavericks clinched the second spot after beating San Antonio, while the Spurs sit at seventh seed. 

The Spurs and the Mavs will clash at their first game on Sunday, April 18, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Expect a great playoff classic as these two teams clash and renew their rivalry once again. History really repeats itself. 

It's another Texas showdown. Another rivalry game. It's a battle between the two of the greatest power forwards in the league. Duncan vs Nowitzki. Who's your bet? 

This is it. It's the time. Where amazing happens. The 2010 NBA Playoffs.