Warriors closing in on biggest playoff upset in history

	With three victories so far, Stephen Jackson and the Warriors are one win away from becoming the third No. 8 seed to win a first-round series. Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
	MAILBAG Marty Burns will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

A month ago the Mavs were chasing 70 wins. Now they might be on the verge of making history of a far different sort.

As in, the biggest upset victim in NBA playoff history.

Trailing Golden State 3-1, Dallas needs three straight wins to avoid becoming the third No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed (and the first in a seven-game series). If the Mavs don't turn it around, starting Tuesday night in Game 5 at Dallas, they will join the 1994 Sonics and the '99 Heat in NBA infamy. Those two teams lost in a five-game series, more conducive to upsets.

Many NBA fans still remember the '94 Nuggets, who defeated the Sonics in that first-round upset. The image of Denver center Dikembe Mutombo lying on his back holding the ball over his head has been a staple of league highlight films over the years. The Warriors would love nothing more than to replace that Denver squad as the NBA's ultimate upset kings.

"I know they shocked the world when Mutombo got that last rebound and fell on the floor," Warriors forward Matt Barnes told reporters. "We do talk about that around here. We're trying to make our own part of history here."

A Warriors triumph over the Mavs would be considered the biggest upset because Dallas has had such an incredible regular season. The '94 Sonics had Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, but finished 63-19, four games behind Dallas' 67-15 record. The '99 Heat were 33-17 in a lockout-shortened season -- they lost to the Knicks in the first round -- but three teams in the West had better records.

This year's Mavs finished tied for the sixth-best record of all time (in terms of winning percentage) and were just one of nine teams in NBA history to win 67 games. All but one of those nine went on to win the title. The lone exception was the '72-73 Celtics, who lost to the eventual champion Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.

So how has mighty Dallas found itself in such a predicament?

Blame it on Baron Davis. And Don Nelson. And, maybe, a little bit of the Mavs' own tight collars.

Golden State has proved to be the ultimate nightmare matchup for Dallas. The Warriors, for one, are not a typical No. 8 seed. Disrupted by injuries and a midseason blockbuster trade, they didn't really hit their stride until late in the season.

When they won nine of their final 10 games to make the playoff field, it was clear they were a team nobody wanted to face. They had a red-hot superstar in Davis, who was healthy and motivated after a season shortened by injury, and an athletic supporting cast in Jason Richardson, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Monta Ellis, Mickael Pietrus, Andris Biedrins and Barnes. They also played that small-ball, wide-open style that makes matchups difficult.

Perhaps most important of all, the Warriors had Nelson as their coach. As one of the NBA's most successful coaches and innovators -- as well as the man who had helped build the Mavs during his days there as GM/coach -- he was perhaps the perfect foil for Dallas coach Avery Johnson. With his knowledge of Dirk Nowitzki and the strengths and weaknesses of other key Mavs players, Nelson has known where to apply pressure.

Meanwhile, Dallas doesn't look at all like itself. The Mavs seem totally shocked by the Warriors' athleticism. Davis, in particular, is driving past them with the same confidence and ease that Dwyane Wade did a year ago in the Finals. It's almost as if the Mavs are having flashbacks the way they're standing around with glazed looks in their eyes.

No player represents Dallas' futility in this series better than Nowitzki. The 7-foot MVP candidate has been a non-factor through the first four games, failing to find a way through Golden State's swarming defense and allowing Davis to steal the spotlight. Nowitzki, like his team, is in danger of having a terrific season be remembered for colossal failure.