http://www.nba.com/spurs/timeout/20secondto.html

Rivalry Games Are Fun
by Bill Schoening | Dec. 9, 2008

Spurs veteran small forward Bruce Bowen smiles when he talks about the rivalry the Spurs have with the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.

"It's like going back to the days of high school when you had that cross town rivalry," says Bowen. "I think it's great for the game, and its good for the state of Texas that we can get the fans going and get out on the floor and display our talents."

There's no question things get amped up a little bit more than usual when the Mavs and Spurs play. Fans of the Mavs are not particularly fond of the SIlver and Black. It may have something to do with the Spurs post-season success. It's somewhat ironic when you consider the Spurs were once the Dallas Chaparrals back in the organization's infancy.

The Spurs games at Houston always feature lots of fans who make the drive down I-10 to cheer for the Spurs, and that adds to the atmosphere at the Toyota Center. The Houston matchup may have more history (going back to the days of Rudy T and the Iceman) , but the battles with the Mavericks in recent years, such as the '03 Western Conference finals, will always be near the top of significant moments in Spurs history.