FORT WORTH, Texas — Sometimes, if you're living right, life becomes endless entertainment.

Not so sure on the living right theory, but there was a knock on the front door late Wednesday night, and when I answered, entertainment barged right in.

Hello, you Denver Nuggets.

This, my friends, is going to be a jock kingdom hoot and holler, with great hate also involved.

Game 1, Mavericks-Nuggets, is Sunday afternoon. By sundown, it's a guarantee you will absolutely hate the Denvers, although for those paying attention in the four regular-season meetings, disdain for the Thug-Nugs already should be well established.

I love this team. No, not the Mavs. The Nuggets suddenly have become what I always wanted the Mavs to be:

One very good cop (Chauncey Billups, as a result of the best trade in the NBA all season), surrounded by a talented cast of adult delinquents, and coached by Strother Martin in "Cool Hand Luke" — the great, maybe a tad insane, chain-gang boss, George Karl.

Thug it up. The Nuggets always did, and did nothing. Then Billups arrived. Is Obama paying attention here? If Chauncey could tame that bunch, why not Kabul for his next diplomatic assignment?

I'm not saying you can't win with nice guys, but one, maybe two, maybe Chauncey, should be max. The Mavericks have trended too nice over the years, and paid for it.

Well, now we see. What's best — my thug-it-up theory or Mark Cuban's mouse approach.

By the way, Mark. Stay the hell outta the way this time. The first elbow thrown in the series by J.R. Smith (over-and-under, the second quarter Sunday), remain in your seat. It looks bad for Texas when you're on the floor like a Little League mother, yelping at the mean boys on the other team. Besides, J.R. could take you out in a second. My money would be on Antoine Wright taking out J.R. in a second.

Coming right up, best-of-seven, excellent entertainment and down-and-dirty fun. Techs and flagrants galore.

Don't want to bore you with numbers, and won't, but the matchups in this series are tasty. So are the intangibles.

It's obvious the Mavericks are feeling real giddy about themselves after beating the Spurs in a first-round five. But compared to San Antone, this is a matchup one-eighty. In honor of Saturday's Kentucky Derby, and strictly in style of play comparison, it's like the Nuggets are high-dollar thoroughbreds and the Spurs were five thou claimers. (If you don't know the difference, buy a "Daily Racing Form".)

Speaking, however, of feeling real giddy, the Denver rodents just disposed of New Orleans, as of late Wednesday night, in an easy five games. The Nuggets advanced past the first round for the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall, or maybe 1994.

Intangibles: Even.

And now for the matchups:

—Jason Kidd vs. Chauncey Billups

Chauncey wasn't going to beat LeBron in the voting, but he still might be the true MVP for this season. His leadership has been immense, and so has his clutch production.

But ...

In four regular-season games, he averaged 14.5 points against the Mavs, on a poor 33 percent shooting.

Kidd won't be facing Frenchy. This is more his speed level. Kidd, however, was mostly dormant against Denver, and his turnovers were high.

There was praise from some for Kidd's lack of turnovers (three) vs. the Spurs. But that's not a pressure-on-the-ball team. This is. Big time.

—Josh Howard vs. Carmelo Anthony.

This is maybe the key to the series. Anthony played more into a team concept (see Billups), but he still killed the Mavs in the regular season with a 31.3 average, on 50 percent shooting. He also got to the line regularly.

Then again, Howard, because of his MIA time, played one full game against Anthony. Josh got his head right against the Spurs, and was the series MVP. Can it continue?

—Dirk Nowitzki vs. Kenyon Martin.

From the regular season, we know Dirk either burned Martin, a Dallas product, or Martin tamed him. Kenyon's red lips tattoo on the neck bugs me — but that's just me. This guy, however, is a defender, rebounder and energy guy.

Can Dirk take him? This is a series where Dirk needs to be a star, ala Game 5 vs. the Spurs.

—Erick Dampier vs. Nene.

Coming off a productive series against Tim Duncan, Damp will have to be even tougher. Nene has schooled him a bit, averaging 17 and 7 in three regular-season games. Ryan Hollins? Maybe a Mavs tag-team is needed here.

—The bench.

The matchup to watch is Jason Terry against J.R., but the kicker might be The Birdman, Chris Anderson, he of the neon tattoos.

Unlike the Spurs, Denver does have a good bench, with Birdman as a very active big.

Smith is dangerous and goofy, although it's usually the extreme of a lot or nothing with him.

Terry has not played well against the Nuggets, averaging less than 40 percent shooting and is coming off a docile Spurs series.

The fly-by-night prediction:

The Nuggets won all four regular-season games, three in bang-bang finishes. Will the Mavs steal a game in Denver? Don't think so.

Denver in an entertaining seven. Thug it up.

Got to admit, the Nuggets have become my favorite NBA team.