by Tim Povtak

Filed under: Cavaliers, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks

It’s just not cool to say that a single regular-season game has much meaning, not in an 82-game schedule with the playoffs looming.

But this one did.

Much like the Magic beating the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in the week, the Mavericks whipping the Los Angeles Lakers decisively Wednesday night was more than a little significant, proving that it’s far too early to plan for that much-anticipated NBA Finals of LeBron vs. Kobe.

Don’t even bet on it now.

Just when you thought everything had fallen into place, that the Lakers would walk into the Finals to defend their title, the Mavs reminded everyone why they made that trade at the All-Star break.

This is their time. Without saying too much, they believe the Lakers are beatable now in a best-of-seven series.

“It’s going to be a very interesting series (with the Lakers),” newly acquired center Brendan Haywood told FanHouse last week. “I can’t wait.”

Haywood, Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson were added in a brilliant trade from Washington, giving them just the right pieces to counter the supposedly-unbeatable Lakers.