Inside Mavs-Nuggets feud | Truth&Rumors | FanNation
Moments before the opening tip of the opening game of their opening-round NBA playoff series against New Orleans,
Nuggets guard J.R. Smith made a point to run down from his bench to the opposing one to give a hug to
Hornets coach Byron Scott, a frequent antagonist during his days with the club. Rest assured there will be no such niceties with
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on Sunday before the start of the Western Conference semifinals. "Naw. I'm not a big fan of his and I think everybody knows that," Smith said after Denver's 107-86 series-clinching win Wednesday. "He's just another thing we have to get by on the way to the championship." Cuban often sits courtside during his team's games, a spot that often turned out to be something akin to center ring when it came to Smith. The duo engaged in a running battle throughout the regular season, culminating in an incident during a Jan. 13 game at the Pepsi Center, when Cuban confronted Smith at halftime over an elbow the player allegedly threw at Dallas' Antoine Wright. After the game, Cuban demanded that Smith be suspended; he wasn't. Instead, the NBA fined Cuban $25,000 for his role in the altercation. Later, the owner placed an entry on his blog challenging Smith to a steel-cage, wrestling-like duel.
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Good luck guys. My money's on you.