Dallas ? Dallas’ Michael Finley and Portland’s Scottie Pippen returned from injuries just in time for the playoffs. The one who returns to form first could determine which team will advance.

Dallas went 7-6 while Finley recovered from a strained hamstring, ending a season-long stay atop the NBA and dropping to the third seed.

Portland went from an early-season funk to a 38-16 roll after Pippen took over at point guard. Then a knee injury knocked him out and the Blazers went 8-9. They missed a shot at the fourth seed, which would have given them home-court advantage in the first round, and dropped all the way to sixth.

Finley and Pippen played the final two games and neither was very sharp. Rest, practice and the incentive of the playoffs should bring out whatever they can muster when the series opens tonight.

In today’s other games, it’s Milwaukee at New Jersey, Boston at Indiana, Phoenix at San Antonio and Utah at Sacramento.

Finley and Pippen gave opposite status reports Friday.

Finley was optimistic, saying there’s no pain and that he’s so happy to be back that he feels “like a rookie again.”

“Hopefully my intensity and my desire to get back on the court and perform carries over to my teammates throughout the playoffs,” he said.

Pippen sounded pessimistic, fearing that he might even be an obstacle.

“I’m real cautious right now that I don’t hurt my team,” he said. “I have to make sure I’m a positive for us.”

Their roles are as different as their attitudes. Yet, as their absences proved, each is pivotal.

As the team’s longest-tenured player, Finley is the emotional leader, a big brother-type who calls together on-court huddles. In this series, he’ll be the one who reminds teammates not to lose their cool when Portland starts bumping and bruising and warns them not to whine to the referees about it.

“We have playoff experience, so I don’t have to really give the Knute Rockne speech in the locker room,” Finley said. “It’s just a matter of me reminding them here and there the importance of each and every game, each and every possession. If we can focus on things like that, then we’ll be OK.”

Finley is so respected that when Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash went to the All-Star game and he didn’t, both wrote “Fin 4” on their shoes. Mavs owner Mark Cuban had “Where’s Fin?” posted on a billboard near the Atlanta airport so everyone flying in for the game was reminded of his absence.