This time of year is all about the NHL and NBA playoffs. Dallas' hockey team will fight for its hockey life Monday night in Vancouver, and I'm starting to think the Mavs' existence in the basketball postseason might not last more than a round.

Yep, No. 8 Golden State spanked Dallas 97-85 at the AAC in Big D Sunday night.

With the way the Warriors played, particularly Baron Davis, Dallas' playoff run might only last four games. G-State and Don Nelson are so in the heads of Mark Cuban, Avery Johnson and Dirk that it's embarrassing.

Point 1: Dallas starts a lineup other than the one that won them 67 games this season in order to play "small ball" with the Warriors.

Point 2: The Mavs get a run going both times Dirk sits, and Avery insists on bringing the big German dud back. Look, Dirk might be the MVP of the league, but Dwyane Wade was 100 percent right in saying the big German disappears when his team needs him most. I'm just saying that sometimes, it's OK to let Dirk have a rest. Heck, the entire team rested for basically the last month of the season; why not give Dirk some bench minutes while his team is hot?

Point 3: Mark Cuban starts whining about calls and gets his crazy Chucky look going, and his team emulates him. The Mavs would be better off if Cuban would watch the game from a box.

Point 4: Karma. Dallas could have been facing the Clippers in the first round. But, they pissed around and didn't even try against the Warriors in a 111-82 loss.

Point 5: Golden State only shot like 42 percent from the field tonight. The Warriors are in Dallas' collective heads.

Point 6: Porn star Jessie James was at the game rooting on the Warriors. Nothin' like a little motivation for, uh, possibly the entire team?

Look, Dallas must decide it's going to impose its will. Play like it did for the vast majority of the season. To decide the team is going to adjust its style to match Golden State's is a serious admission of weakness, not strategy.

For those who say it's only one game, I've got news for you. Golden State can win this series. Hell, they can sweep it. In fact, if Dallas approaches the rest of the series like they did Game 1, it will be a sweep or a five-game win for Nellie and the boys from the Bay Area.

My hope is that Dallas gets its proverbial crap together. They can. Whether they will or not is yet to be seen.