It doesn’t matter how you get to FOUR
Just get there before the other team
And you win the series. - A Wise Man
We are witnessing basketball at its highest form. Whoever calls 74-72 games “playoff basketball” can keep it. I prefer this. Both teams trying to kill eachother. Both teams with the inability to even slow down their opponents' offense. And both teams exausted when the game ends.
It is almost too good to be true: The Mavericks have taken the Spurs best efforts and have still figured out how to win both times in Games 3 and 4. Now, it is time to end them. That can happen Wednesday night in San Antonio, and I strongly suggest you finish them now. Give the defending world champions a chance to taste victory on Wednesday, and you will find that this series is far from over.
It is not the first team to three.
Bob’s Blog Exclusive Game 4 Notes:
• The beauty of this run is that it is all about the team. We constantly hear how it is a star’s league, and your star has to beat their star. The Mavericks in this series are demonstrating how depth determines this series. Game 2, it is Harris and Howard. Game 3 it is Harris and Terry. Game 4 it is Terry and Stackhouse. Two different players join the battle each game and help Dirk with the heavy lifting that he is probably not capable of doing himself. But, credit to the personnel people in this organization. The bottom line is that the Spurs top 3 may be better than the Mavs top 3. But what about 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9? No question. The Mavericks are killing them.
• Speaking of that, what a different night for the former Mavericks. While Michael Finley stood tall and made several huge shots, Nick Van Exel demonstrated he cannot even be on the court without being exposed and looking painfully old. He entered the game in the late 3rd Quarter, and quickly allowed Devin blow by him for the basket and the foul and then the next trip, Marquis did the same thing. 2 possessions, 2 three point plays because Nick cannot guard anyone anymore.
• I realize that we will wonder why Dirk did not get more clutch hoops at the end (as he watched Jason Terry do it) but we cannot forget the incredible shots he was hitting early to keep the Mavericks around. This has been a pretty solid series for the big German against huge adversity.
• I love the idea that the Mavericks lineup is really a bunch of DB’s. Terry, Daniels, Howard, Harris, and Stackhouse could likely make a pretty solid nickel. Very solid comparison.
• Here is an email I received moments after the game:
Congratulate Mark Cuban for all his incessant whining about the referees. He finally got all the calls he wanted, especially down the stretch. The referees obviously blew two calls down the stretch:
1. The blocking foul on Duncan with the Spurs up by 5 103-98. Duncan was clearly outside the inner circle and clearly had position before Nowitzki got to the area. As a result, the Spurs got a technical, Nowitzki made 2 free throws, and Spurs up by two instead of 5 with the ball.
2. The invisible foul by Bowen on Nowitki when Nowitzki was backing Bowen down at the end of the 4th quarter. Where was the foul? A tap on the wrist? Are the players supposed to decide the game?
You can say that the Spurs got some calls like Parker's shot that didn't hit the rim and they gave the ball back to the Spurs. But all the critical calls went to the Mavs. Congrats Cuban, you have molded the officials so that they can win some games for the Mavs.
Cesar Termulo
Poor guys. I feel for the Spurs fans. They just can’t buy a call. Or complete an inbounds pass.
• Ginobili was amazing. That sequence where he hit back-to-back 3’s was sick. I was very impressed with his games in Dallas. Of course, fouling out did not help matters for the Champs.
• Jason Terry loves the big shot. He did it last year in the playoffs and he did it last night. Jason Terry does not miss when it counts, it seems. The ability to hit a big shot is not something that every star player can hit. In fact, many big shot makers are not superstars. But Jason Terry is someone who calms the fans when he has the rock in clutch time.
• Here is another email from Hektor: Two words to describe the Mavericks: NO MERCY Amen, Hektor.
• Charles Barkley is a big, fat idiot.
• Let’s not forget the play of Jerry Stackhouse. His basketball IQ may be inconsistent, but he can beat anyone off the dribble. He is borderline unstoppable when he wants to score. Money.
• Do you think Tony Parker was tired of hearing about Devin Harris? Geez. What a clinic from Parker in that 1st Quarter. See, that is the odd thing about this whole series. The best players on each team have been really good. It isn’t like the Spurs have played like crap. They could have won both games in Dallas. But, history doesn’t show who “could have” won. Scoreboard.
• Booing Michael Finley is idiotic. There. I said it. I am not saying love him, but to treat him as public enemy #1 around here is stupid.
• Let me get this straight: It is the refs fault? Whatever.
• If the Mavericks are able to win anything that shines a lot this summer, it will be a miracle that you can win with someone like Diop playing big minutes at center. Let me explain: I love the guy. I really do. And his blocked shots are wonderful. But, I cannot express how clueless he appears at times. He has no judgment with foul trouble as he hacks even if he has 5 fouls and Dampier is already fouled out. Also, what is more humorous than Diop ending up with the ball in a scoring position? It borders on painful.
• I really enjoy seeing the Spurs fans unhappy. I think that has been stated time and time again here. But, most of the players are not guys I like to see fail. Except Bruce Bowen. I think I enjoy watching him fail.
• Something tells me that whoever wins this series will be pretty tired. And keep in mind, the winner will still require 8 more wins to win the NBA Title.
• Beat SA, Beat SA, Beat SA, Beat SA
What is the combined age for last night's refs, 180?. How can they see past their cataracts to make a call?
ReplyDeleteVan Exel is now "Nick the Thick". The dude looks like he's gained 30 pounds since he left Dallas (and it's all around his neck).
ReplyDeleteI dont mind SA fans whining about the refs b/c for the first time in the new era of the Mavs, THEY (SA) are the conplainers and WE (MAVS) are on the just-shut-up-and-play-ers.
ReplyDeleteHaha - Mavs fans pounded the message boards on mysa.com last night after the win.
ReplyDeleteWhat I love about this Mavs team is their swagger. They haven't panicked in this year's playoffs. Last year Dirk had yelled at everyone on his team in pressure situations. This year they expect to come out ahead in the close games and win. They did this in the close game against Memphis, and so far they are 2-1 in games that went down to the last few seconds of the game against the Spurs. Go Mavs Go!
ReplyDeleteDisco
There were so many bad calls in that game: the Finley tech, Bowen's flop causing the Dirk offensive foul(which was evened out by the equally ridiculous Bowen foul call at the end of the 4th), Josh Howard's 3rd foul, the Damp foul on Duncan in the 2nd where he literally wasn't moving and standing straight up, the list goes on and on. Dick Bavetta may be the worst ref in the history of professional sport.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I counted Duncan whining at the refs at least 10 times last night. I think Duncan's convinced he's never fouled anyone in his life.
Last night, like almost all games... The fouls all even themselvels out. Calls and non-calls were missed on both ends of the floor here and there. It all evens itself out. The second biggest improvement on this Mavs team (after the improved defense) that has been instilled in this team I believe from their coach, is to see someone get called for a foul, maybe shake their head once or twice, but take it and move on.
ReplyDelete"Also, what is more humorous than Diop ending up with the ball in a scoring position? It borders on painful."
ReplyDelete- What's more humorous? Dampier ending up with the ball in a scoring position, that's what. F'ing spare. Okay, his line wasn't THAT bad: 8 pts, 9 boards. I still don't like him. For this series I accept him for what he is: 6 fouls against Duncan - that's it.
- did anyone else notice (in 2nd half for sure) that Duncan and Pop were fighting NOT to whine about the foul calls? Maybe it's just me, or maybe it was the nitrous...
- Go Mavver
Please someone shut Norm up. This guy always sounds bitter whenever the Mavs or Cowboys win.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I could care less what everyone thinks of this series. The Mavs have been victims of the Crawfords for years. Does anyone remember the Joey Crawford game a few years ago when he practically gave the Spurs the game by throwing out Nellie and Del Harris in the 1st quarter along with a number of other technicals to Mavs players? I don't remember any other "objective" fans or Barkley coming to the Mavs defense after the game. If I remember correctly, I think barkley said the Mavs should play thru it and stop crying. Eff him.
if the playoffs have done anything this year, it's that they have shown that the national media "experts" only read the headlines and watch highlights. no one in the country has caught on to the fact that the mavericks can play a little bit of defense these days.
ReplyDeleteyou think the Sporting News Radio guys actually watch all the mavs games before they go spouting off HSO's about how they can't play defense?
- SNR beats me in houston
...the point loses some effect after last night's game, but fact remains.
After watching so much Mavericks playoff basketball, I have a few questions...
ReplyDeleteDoes Guerin stay? Or does he get bought out? How about Arnott? And if you only keep ONE of them, doesn't it HAVE to be Arnott?
And what if Turco melts down in the playoffs again next year? Does he get shipped off?
And how much is the regular season really going to matter in 2006-07? To quote my favorite drop: "It's gonna be a beating, let's face it."
Go Mavericks. But hurry hockey. I lose life force with every free throw.
This may be a top 5 er' Mav game that I have ever seen.
ReplyDelete--Terry is hardcore clutch
--What do you think of the Nash trade now
--I am still nervous until we end the series
This is the culmination of the work that Cuban has done in the last 3-4 years. This team has jelled and every part is a positive working piece of a very good team. This team has championship potential for many years to come.
We shall see if we have enough in the tank to play the Conference Finals, and possibly the NBA Finals.
I think if you can, you look for a younger free agent center to replace Arnott, although I dont know if one is available. I think Guerin is a quality guy to have, but not as a top 6 forward who has to score. More as a character guy.
ReplyDeleteOn Marty, if you can get any value for him in a trade I say do it. He has shown nothing when it really counts. The Stars couldn't have done any worse with Hedberg in net.
What this team really needs is better depth on defence. Guys who can clear the crease, but can skate, like Jason Smith in Edmonton. I thought that might be Mitchell but I don't think too much of him after the playoffs, although he did come in late and had to learn a new system, so that might be it. Boucher was average at best, Robidas is too small and took a lot of holding penalties behind the net. Daley is green and didn't get to play much after the game 2 panic by the coaches, and Klem looks done to me. Zubov is the only real 1st pair guy on the roster.
Please let the rest of the hockey playoff series go 7 games! I can't stand a long summer with only baseball and arena football! Go Oilers!
hockey sucks!
ReplyDeletenortherns suck too.
ReplyDeleteMavs fan, when it comes to whining, pot meet kettle.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about the Spares Nation that is so freaking WHINEY?
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping the Mavs can take Game 5 at The Pampers Center, so then San Antonio fans can join Buffalo fans for a gigantic crybaby festival.
Sports Sturm,
ReplyDeleteHow did you not hear the Dirk comments? Oh, yeah. Soccer.
Booing Finley, I thought, was a bit. Maybe it's just between the booing fans and Dirk.
You should mix in the Hardline or Grandpa Urine once in a while.
Just keeping it reala.
At 2:25 PM, Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMavs fan, when it comes to whining, pot meet kettle.
Hey "Anonymous" - shove that kettle up your a$$ :)
Efffff Crybaby Duncan, Frog Parker, and Obi Gump Ginobilli
wiener
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else catch Gregg and Duncan's intimate moment? It happened some time after Duncan got hit in the face...
ReplyDeleteHere's a picture.
http://fbombandy.textamerica.com/?r=4821521
Cap't Fubar wrote: Hey "Anonymous" - shove that kettle up your a$$ :)
ReplyDeleteVeeerrry mature Cap't. Is that a smiley face?