Always the horses, seldom the jockey...
Daily Commentary on the Dallas Sports Scene - By Bob Sturm - Sportsradio 1310, The Ticket - The Athletic Dallas - The Athletic - Bob Sturm
Sunday, June 18, 2006
I don't want to talk about it.
You know what happened. Instead of complaining about stuff, I will write some less bitter material in the morning. Or, I might give up sports. Not sure.
Go bloggless. I can't handle sports tomorrow. I've got a headache and my knees hurt. I really think we're looking at 7 games, though. Mavs fans. Let's take a break and come back Tuesday. I'll talk to you then, I'm out.
It's hard to beat a team that has three refs willing to bail out their golden boy everytime he's breathed on. It's time for home court advantage to mean something for us.
Because we know that no team is capable of ever beating the Mavericks straight up, it's always the refs that screw the Mavericks out of everything. If the refs had been fair, this playoff run would have been over already and the Mavs would have gone 16-0 of course.
I don't even want to bring up officiating. Still, could've won. Can anyone answer me to why was Avery wasting Devin Harris's fouls on Shaq when it wasn't a shooting situation in OT? Josh..what were you thinking? Man, are we a stupid basketball team sometimes. Crap.
Now we gotta listen to the national Dwayne Wade d-suck. That's maybe what bugs me the most. 11-28 from the field and he's all friggin world. Hey Laura where's the consolation parade route start?
I guess they don't want it, huh? 'Cause they're certainly not playing like they deserve it. And yes, Fuck overtime Josh Howard. And how about you lead this team for a change, superstar Dirk?
I refuse to complain about officials. This is going 7 games. Mavs will be up 2 points with 3 seconds left in game 7 and Wade will steal, turn, shoot...and my satellite will crap out. I will curse out loud...a vile curse that my son will repeat at Vacation Bible School the next day. He will be labeled a "troubled child" and will end up joining an all-male off broadway production of "Mama-Mia". My wife will divorce me and I will be found dead, at the age of 45, in a van parked under I-30 in Fort Worth..wearing nothing but a rhinestone encrusted speedo. Cause of death...not enough rain.
So, is Howard's untimely timeout the most infamous moment in Mavs history? This team has had its share of crappy moments, but perhaps none have had a bigger impact. Of course, we would have to assume that the Mavs would have made a shot if they advanced the ball to half court. Do we need to examine Howard's head? Even if he were asking Avery if he did wanted out timeout (which didn't seem to be the case given his gloomy look on the bench and the fact that he wasn't the one who was arguing), he still missed two HUGE free throws, and he's blown countless fast breaks with his inability to make a quick decision. I love the guy, but I get tired of his poor decision making. Perhaps it's just a result of his youth, but it's frustrating for a guy that is so talented.
Dirk's regression continues. He's gone from being the man who steps up when the Mavs need him, back to the guy that can be thrown off of his game if you rough him up. Granted, that fade away in over time was huge, but so was the free throw he missed at the end of the 4th.
I hate blaming the refs for anything, but there were several phantom calls on Dwyane Wade tonight. I just hope the refs are going to fellate the Mavs the way they did the Heat in game 5.
Please. If you clowns want to blame Josh Howard (or the refs or the nightlife or the home fans) for this loss, you've got better things to worry about. Bob, don't you be guilty of this either (see Daniels, Phoenix Game 1).
The entire team was lucky to be in this the whole time. Every time I saw someone drive into the lane and then pass out behind the arc after just a raised eyebrow from Shaq, I just want to scream, "Hey take your schlong out from between your legs while you are passing it back out!" This is ridiculous.
I think I'll just give myself an exploding high-five to end it all.
While I'll do (and have already done) lots of bitching about the refs, I place a lot of blame on J Terry's last second miss at the end of regulation. LEAN IN AND SELL THE FOUL for pete's sake.
But you can honestly tell me that the refs handed Miami games 3 and 5.
Ditto to Curtis. And previous anonymous, no one says that stars don't get preferential treatment.
1. Dirk 2. Overtime Josh Howard 3. City of Dallas, Parade Division 4. Refs 5. The French (why not?) 6. David Stern and his whole anti-basketball, superstar touting, market-driven, PA announcer screaming, overhyped league. 7. The Mavs, for not being the better team.
I was the "We all knee-jerk too much" guy a few days ago, but is it time to knee-jerk now? I know that the Heat have only done what they were supposed to do, win their games at home, and if the Mavs do what they are supposed to do, we're partying in downtown on Thursday night. But this loss hurts. As a 20+ year fan of this team, my mind hurts but my entire chest is killing me. By the way, anyone know how much TiVo remotes cost, I'll have to buy a new one soon after Howard called that timeout.
Anyone else watch the post-game on ESPN like a car wreck? I couldn't turn it off, it makes me sick.
Howard had a great game, but if they can't win this series, he will go down in history along with Derek Harper. Honestly, would we ever remember him if the Mavs had won the NBA Finals the next year with him at the helm? No way... To get both Howard and Stack off the hook, along with under-acheiving Dirk, this team will have to ride Jason Terry of all people and win this series.
By the way, anyone out there want to question giving Jet a big deal? Without him, we may be watching the Heat celebrate tonight.
I'm going to bed. Let's try to pull this thing out on Tuesday night and send it to a classic game 7... Go Mavs!
I've only lived here four years. Fortunately I can still get away from this team. I'm not going to let them turn me into a goddamn Red Sox fan. The winning isn't good enough to make up for that kind of losing.
NBA Refing has been a joke for years. Ever since the game changed from the 80s type ball into the 90s ball. It's like the NFL and holding.
Miami is getting the calls. Blame their aggressiveness and Cuban's fat mouth. I guess the Heat are more likeable. Maybe the refs read the blog here. You aren't helping yourselves.
If we had upset the baskeball gods when laura miller opened her pie hole, where are they every time the announcers and the signs come out saying wade is the next MJ and MJwho? Jordan was the quintessential basketball player with umpteen rings and every record you can think of and the media make wade seem like he would crush Jordan if they played against 1 another. Give me a break. The conspiracy theory about the league being out to get the MAVS is alive and well people!!! Jus look at the FT diff between the teams and tell me wade and shaq never get called for fouls. wade pushin off and shaq throwin elbows around like theyre on sale is rediculous.and so is the NBA. Nuff said.
Those among NBA followers who suggest the league is fixed have a case after tonight.
Who doubts the Mavs will get the calls on Tuesday and force game 7?
I am so tired of the d-suck we're hearing about Dwyane "My name is misspelled because my mom is an illiterate whore" Wade. The guy is a poor defender who reaches and grabs his way around the court. He's a good offensive player who relies on getting EVERY fucking bump called. What the hell?
I'm so mad I can hardly see.
Lay off Josh Howard's timeout. With only 1.9 it was probably meaningless. But the phantom foul on Dirk at 1.9 - get mad at that one. Shit.
OK, get mad at Josh for the 2 missed free throws. Shit.
Dirk has struggled, but he did come up huge in OT.
Dirk, Where are you? Josh, Nice disappearing act. Adrian, No official in the history of the game will give you a charge call on that play, dont fall down and give him an uncontested look. Dirk, If you read this, meet us in Dallas. Marquis, Grow a sack, its time to man up. Stack, Its time to take you first title Jet, Thanks for being the Mavs heartbeat. Devin, Make a damn lay-up Avery, What you are doing is not working, find something. Dirk, You are an unstoppable force, when you don't take yourself out of the game.
What is it Mavs, Do you want to take it and break their hearts, or are you ready to get rolled and hear about your lack of heart?
I guess you know you listen to Bob and Dan too much when in the last five seconds of OT I only had Norm's "Damnit" drop and Bob's "Retard" drop on a repeating loop in my head...
All I want to see on Tuesday is Dirk taking it to the basket, EVERY TIME DOWN THE COURT. When the Heat bring the triple-team, he can start dishing.
I am so freaking tired of him backing down so that the announcers can d-suck Udonis "My mom is an illiterate whore so my name is a fucking mess" Haslem.
Bob, we need you man... I need you to either calm me down or fire me up because as I read through these comments I agree with 95% of what everyone is saying and I am really buying into the conspiracy theory...
A great segment idea... Are we all just a bunch of homers? Or is there really something to what's being said here?
I trust you Bob... If you say we're being a bunch of homers, I'll shut up, stop wanting to kick the chair and admit defeat. If we're getting beat, we're getting beat. That happens in sports... and if that's what we're watching (a fairly judged sport) I can handle that...
The Mavs overcame so much in this game- the loss of Stackhouse, another subpar game from Dirk (though the Heat deserve much credit here), and an incredible free throw disparity. But after all this they shoot themselves in the foot with missed free throws, questionable coaching decisions, and a most unfortunate timeout. Wow, this one really stings.
It all comes back to No. 41. Dirk- as great as JET was tonight, the Mavericks will not win the series unless you figure this out in Game 6. You can't let Haslem or Posey take you off your game; it's unacceptable. They are role players on their team, you're the star of yours. Play like it, show us what we've seen from you in the past, and the Mavericks have a legitimate chance to win the next two games. If not, we'll all have a LONG summer to ponder what might've (and probably should've) been.
Let's forget the bogus/inconsistent Stackhouse suspension. Forget the first 4 quarters of the game. Forget the first 3 quarters where the Heat took FOUR times as many free throws as the Mavs (36-9). Forget the 3rd quarter where the Heat got to the line 18 times to 0 for the Mavs. Forget that Wade took as many free throws as the entire Mavs team. Forget that the Heat, as a team, took twice as many free throws as the Mavs (49-25).
Just look at the final play. The game was completely stolen from the Mavs here.
1) On the inbounds, it should have clearly been an over-and-back violation on the Heat. You're allowed to catch the ball in the backcourt. But you must establish your position in the backcourt first. Wade did not. Wade jumped from the frontcourt (both feet completely in the frontcourt) into the backcourt and caught the ball in the MIDDLE of his freakin' jump. That's as easy to call as it gets. As Cuban said, that should be clear, at least to most high school referees. So the Mavs would have gotten the ball there with 9 or so seconds left. Heat would have had to foul. Mavs would have had a 2 or 3 point lead most likely.
2) As three Mavs defenders swarm on Wade on the perimeter, Wade shoves Jason Terry, a straight-arm basically, an obvious offensive foul. But ok, sometimes they don't call contact like that, even if it's obvious, they want the players to decide games.
3) But if that's the case how do you explain the foul on Wade with 1.9 seconds to go? Mavs defended it as perfectly as you can. They had 3-4 defenders on him, he fought his way through them all off-balance, threw up a weak shot off the backboard, Mavs get the rebound. They call a foul on Dirk. Replays showed the only contact from Dirk on Wade was his right hand resting on his back. There wasn't a shove, there wasn't any contact on the arms/hand/wrists, it was a no-call all the way.
4) With 1.9 seconds left, Mavs still have a chance even if Wade makes both. Only way to take away that chance is to take away the Mavs' final TO. Avery signals several times for a TO after the second free throw. Referees know Avery doesn't want a TO now. He's not an idiot. Even if you give the refs the break on this one and put it solely on Josh for signaling for a TO there, the fix was already in with the 3 previous blown calls.
Unbelievable.
NBA should be ashamed of themselves. The Mavs know they outplayed the Heat in that game. They had it flat-out stolen by the refs, no arguing it on this one. They had their chances to win, sure, they missed a shot here and a free throw or two there, but they so clearly outplayed the Heat in the first 4 quarters and then had it ripped away from them on that final play in OT. How can they possibly defend those first 3 calls they missed (the 1st one primarily since that one isn't subjective in the slightest)? There's no possible way it can be justified.
Let me just say I am a huge fan of basketball I would like Dallas to win. But that german on the mavs is way overated. Missing clutch FT, put an average defender on him and he disappears. Regardless if the refs screwed things up, the Mavs need a player to play with fire like DWade. That 50 point game isnt enough to say dirk is all that great Dirk is the Mavs, and the Mavs got no heart.
NOTE TO CUBAN: If there is a conspiracy its your own damn fault quit being so cocky and take a seat in the owners box sometimes.
the fact is, whether or not they got jobbed by the refs, the Mavs have to move on and get ready to tie the series and force a game seven. it will be a bad sign if we hear the players, and more importantly Avery, still complaining about the refs. i think Avery has already given it too much attention. he needs to let Cuban bang that drum and get back to getting his team prepared.
we got screwed, plain and simple. but it's time to "put it behind ya buddy!"
JonG summed it up better than I could. Oh and 'Eric in Keller', Vince Young never disappeared like Dirk has the last 3 games. Even when VY was miserable he was at least a factor; Dirk had the quietest 20 point night I think I've ever seen. I can deal with a superstar trying to take over a game and failing a lot better than him becoming wallpaper. A note to Dirk: you've now used up all the credits you earned in the Spurs series. Time to re-earn some respect with your play or you go back to being another soft European player.
Mavs are either one loss from the biggest non-Yankees choke job in history or 2 wins from one of the most dramatic series wins in years. It's their choice which one it is.
I'm awake and I'm not feeling any better. I live in Houston and it was pretty stormy all night but I usually sleep right through it. I barely slept last night. Why do I care? It's just sports...
Thankfully my wife gets me and didn't make me sleep on the couch, then I wouldn't have gotten any sleep.
So Bob, are you going to talk us down from the ledge? I don't believe in conspiracy theories so I don't buy that. But I do believe you can be incompetant and there were two very incompetant parties last night. The refs (DWade's foul, the back court violation, etc.) and the Mavs defense. How can you give up that many free throws and how can you, for the 2nd time in this series, not close out a game??????
Dirk, we as Mavs fans BEG YOU, please show up. It's all hands on deck time and we need you, this team needs you, this city needs you. Step up and be the next Dallas Mega-Super star.
JET, thanks for being the team for now.
Stack, show 'em how pissed you are and put together the best game in an NBA finals from the bench ever.
Devin, I know you're young, but take the bull by the horns and show that you're going to be a star.
Diop and Dampier, play like you did in the 1st two games.
Cuban was standing against a wall, shaking his head while gathering his thoughts before speaking to reporters when assistant coach Larry Riley alerted him to the missed backcourt violation.
"You can't be established in the frontcourt, then jump into the backcourt," Cuban said after watching a replay. "My understanding from the rule book is, if you are going to catch the ball in the backcourt, you have to be in the backcourt to catch it. You can't be established into the backcourt after you catch it or that's a backcourt violation."
The Mavericks came into the game already furious over the decision to suspend Stackhouse because of hard foul in Game 4.
This latest incident, and possible league action against Cuban, makes things even more interesting as the Heat take a 3-2 series lead to Dallas for Game 6 on Tuesday night.
"This is going to leave a bitter taste in everyone's mouth," Howard said. "We're going to come out and play hard in Game 6 and Game 7."
wow - I wandered into Spurs Central - where your team never gets beat (they only get screwed), 'nobody respects us' and the league doesn't want us to win. (although in this case it's a Cuban-Stern thing instead of the small market/boring thing.)
WHY is everyone upset??? The Mavs will win in 7 --
Game 3: Miami plays the PERFECT GAME, Wade scores 40+, Shaq is awesome, they hit 3 after 3, Dallas gives up (leading bt 13 with 6min to go), crowd behind them, GERIATRIC PAYTON MAKES THE GO AHEAD SHOT, Dirk MISSES the tying FT.... and ***MIAMI ONLY WINS BY 2.
Game 4: Dallas waves the white flag. Shoots 22 three pointers, makes 3? Dirk has a "nightmare night". More 30+point Wade explosion, Starters pulled early in 4th quarter, J-Ho a NO SHOW, Stack's hard foul... ***MIAMI wins big, yet DALLAS STILL WAS ONLY DOWN BY 10 LATE IN THE 3RD***
Game 5: Dallas plays WITHOUT 13ppg Stack, Wade shoots as many FTS as Dallas, Dallas gets NO FTA in the 3RD, Damp & Dirk "almost" were the heroes, Wade scores 40 but half of that is at the foul line, Avery gets a technical, bonehead timeout, DIRK misses ANOTHER FT, J-HO misses TWO STRAIGHT FTs, an Overtime game at an Away crowd..... and ****MIAMI ONLY WINS BY 1 IN OT*****
Why the freakouts?
Dallas played as terrible as possible, and yet 2 made fts in 2 games and we'd be the nba champs yet?
I know knee jerk reactions are ruling, and I know it's natural to be afraid of being down 2-3 (TNT's Kenny Smith's houston team came back and won facingn that in '94), but c'mon, i mean, all the freaking stars and planets had to align perfectly and Miami BARELY survived! Is there ANYONE HERE that ACTUALLY THINKS Miami can win a game in Dallas??? ANYONE????
Life sucks. My wife is mad at me for breaking the DirecTV DVR remote and kicking a bag of dog food so hard that it exploded all over the kitchen. A Mavs championship was my only hope of enjoying the sports drought before football season. Now we are done. We have no heart. The team is in full panic mode. The refs suck, but we may suck worse. The only highlight in all of this is this blog quote:
"Dwyane "My name is misspelled because my mom is an illiterate whore" Wade"
That is f'ing genius.
I vote we drag Laura Miller from her home and burn her like the evil witch she is. That may please the basketball gods and at least give us a game 6 win.
The Mavs have been the Mavs in both games 3 and 5. They kill themselves at the end. You can't shoot 100% from the free throw line, so you must miss sometime. We just choose to keep our average level at the end of the game. Make free throws, make layups and Duh-wayne (ha!) and refs are not even a consideration. And lets stop shooting the 3 (not you Jet). It's usually a wasted possession. I don't think Avery even lets them practice it anymore. Drive to the hoop, make the layup, get the foul. That's a man's 3.
First off, completely agree with anonymous from 8:34 AM. Game 3 was Perfect Storm, Game 4 was White Flag, and Game 5 was Montreal Screwjob, Miami edition.
We are so much better than these punks that it isn't even funny.
Here's what we really need... Send in Josh Powell or Mbenga to stand under the basket, wait for Wade to appear, and deliver one of those classic Arn Anderson spinebusters. Think Shaq's the intimidator... not after that move.
Side note... the guy who talked about the Damp/Dirk heroics was hoping that the Dirk pass to Damp which made it 93-91 near the end of regulation would be the game winner.
Side note 2... You know what the deal with the free throws might be... and the shooting in general... that god awful shooting backdrop created by the crowd wearing all white. It's gotta be like looking into a monochrome kaleidoscope and trying to find an orange bar.
Go bloggless. I can't handle sports tomorrow. I've got a headache and my knees hurt. I really think we're looking at 7 games, though. Mavs fans. Let's take a break and come back Tuesday. I'll talk to you then, I'm out.
ReplyDeleteHow about making some free throws down the stretch?
ReplyDeleteFUCK JOSH HOWARD
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to beat a team that has three refs willing to bail out their golden boy everytime he's breathed on. It's time for home court advantage to mean something for us.
ReplyDeleteRRV
So glad my hopes were so high after the entire Ticket broadcast staff declared that the series wouldn't be coming back to Dallas.
ReplyDeleteNice prognosticating guys. Good thing you all can tell funny jokes.
Because we know that no team is capable of ever beating the Mavericks straight up, it's always the refs that screw the Mavericks out of everything. If the refs had been fair, this playoff run would have been over already and the Mavs would have gone 16-0 of course.
ReplyDeleteI don't even want to bring up officiating. Still, could've won. Can anyone answer me to why was Avery wasting Devin Harris's fouls on Shaq when it wasn't a shooting situation in OT? Josh..what were you thinking? Man, are we a stupid basketball team sometimes. Crap.
ReplyDeleteAll the elbows thrown, stitches, flagrant fouls in this series, and the game and perhaps Finals ends on a Dirk touch foul.
ReplyDeleteWay to go NBA. I'm done.
Hey "Me" - Fuck you
ReplyDeleteThat was a horrible call at the end. 18-0 FT for the Heat in the 3rd quarter. That combined with AWFUL last second plays by the Mavs = LOSS.
Triple Damn it.
Now we gotta listen to the national Dwayne Wade d-suck. That's maybe what bugs me the most. 11-28 from the field and he's all friggin world. Hey Laura where's the consolation parade route start?
ReplyDeleteI guess they don't want it, huh? 'Cause they're certainly not playing like they deserve it. And yes, Fuck overtime Josh Howard. And how about you lead this team for a change, superstar Dirk?
ReplyDeleteHow many times have you seen a final shot with a foul called? Zero? Oh, wait, I mean one. Who says superstars don't get preferential treatment.....
ReplyDeleteI refuse to complain about officials. This is going 7 games. Mavs will be up 2 points with 3 seconds left in game 7 and Wade will steal, turn, shoot...and my satellite will crap out. I will curse out loud...a vile curse that my son will repeat at Vacation Bible School the next day. He will be labeled a "troubled child" and will end up joining an all-male off broadway production of "Mama-Mia". My wife will divorce me and I will be found dead, at the age of 45, in a van parked under I-30 in Fort Worth..wearing nothing but a rhinestone encrusted speedo. Cause of death...not enough rain.
ReplyDeleteI need more RAIN!!!
"How many times have you seen a final shot with a foul called? Zero? Oh, wait, I mean one. Who says superstars don't get preferential treatment....."
ReplyDeleteActually, two. Dirk against the Spurs this year. Game 7.
So, is Howard's untimely timeout the most infamous moment in Mavs history? This team has had its share of crappy moments, but perhaps none have had a bigger impact. Of course, we would have to assume that the Mavs would have made a shot if they advanced the ball to half court. Do we need to examine Howard's head? Even if he were asking Avery if he did wanted out timeout (which didn't seem to be the case given his gloomy look on the bench and the fact that he wasn't the one who was arguing), he still missed two HUGE free throws, and he's blown countless fast breaks with his inability to make a quick decision. I love the guy, but I get tired of his poor decision making. Perhaps it's just a result of his youth, but it's frustrating for a guy that is so talented.
ReplyDeleteDirk's regression continues. He's gone from being the man who steps up when the Mavs need him, back to the guy that can be thrown off of his game if you rough him up. Granted, that fade away in over time was huge, but so was the free throw he missed at the end of the 4th.
I hate blaming the refs for anything, but there were several phantom calls on Dwyane Wade tonight. I just hope the refs are going to fellate the Mavs the way they did the Heat in game 5.
I got a huge laugh during the pregame show when one of the guys said he thought at the beginning of this series dirk could be better than larry bird
ReplyDeleteSports needs me more than I need sports. The NBA damn sure needs me more than I need it. Hello, summertime.
ReplyDeleteHoward=Webber????
ReplyDeletewe need to get dj mbenga more involved.
ReplyDeleteha.
have faith
Please. If you clowns want to blame Josh Howard (or the refs or the nightlife or the home fans) for this loss, you've got better things to worry about. Bob, don't you be guilty of this either (see Daniels, Phoenix Game 1).
ReplyDeleteThe entire team was lucky to be in this the whole time. Every time I saw someone drive into the lane and then pass out behind the arc after just a raised eyebrow from Shaq, I just want to scream, "Hey take your schlong out from between your legs while you are passing it back out!" This is ridiculous.
I think I'll just give myself an exploding high-five to end it all.
While I'll do (and have already done) lots of bitching about the refs, I place a lot of blame on J Terry's last second miss at the end of regulation. LEAN IN AND SELL THE FOUL for pete's sake.
ReplyDeleteBut you can honestly tell me that the refs handed Miami games 3 and 5.
Ditto to Curtis. And previous anonymous, no one says that stars don't get preferential treatment.
I blame the following people:
ReplyDelete1. Dirk
2. Overtime Josh Howard
3. City of Dallas, Parade Division
4. Refs
5. The French (why not?)
6. David Stern and his whole anti-basketball, superstar touting, market-driven, PA announcer screaming, overhyped league.
7. The Mavs, for not being the better team.
"6. David Stern and his whole anti-basketball, superstar touting, market-driven, PA announcer screaming, overhyped league."
ReplyDeleteYES! WWF Basketball at its worst. The refs turn their heads at the wrong time in both "sports" for the sake of the show.
I was the "We all knee-jerk too much" guy a few days ago, but is it time to knee-jerk now? I know that the Heat have only done what they were supposed to do, win their games at home, and if the Mavs do what they are supposed to do, we're partying in downtown on Thursday night. But this loss hurts. As a 20+ year fan of this team, my mind hurts but my entire chest is killing me. By the way, anyone know how much TiVo remotes cost, I'll have to buy a new one soon after Howard called that timeout.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else watch the post-game on ESPN like a car wreck? I couldn't turn it off, it makes me sick.
Howard had a great game, but if they can't win this series, he will go down in history along with Derek Harper. Honestly, would we ever remember him if the Mavs had won the NBA Finals the next year with him at the helm? No way... To get both Howard and Stack off the hook, along with under-acheiving Dirk, this team will have to ride Jason Terry of all people and win this series.
By the way, anyone out there want to question giving Jet a big deal? Without him, we may be watching the Heat celebrate tonight.
I'm going to bed. Let's try to pull this thing out on Tuesday night and send it to a classic game 7... Go Mavs!
Um kill me.
ReplyDeleteWe have angered the basketball gods.
some one let the mavs know goning to the hole= a win.... If the mavs dont win.. Josh sould be droped from reunion tower..
ReplyDeleteoh nelly is loving this....
lora miller needs to die..
I'm out in the NBA as well.
ReplyDeleteAs long as David Stern is presiding over this farce of a league that's completely ruining a game.
Sure, blame Howard for missing two free throws in the last minute and for his brain cramp at the end. And give Dwayne Wade credit.
Even thought he did not get fouled at the end and he bowled over Griffin on his way to the game tying bucket at the end of regulation.
But we wouldn't want the refs to make a call that might decide the game, do we?
F David Stern
F Stu Jackson
F Joey Crawford
F Bennett Salvatore
and F Joe DeRosa
"Actually, two. Dirk against the Spurs this year. Game 7."
I can find a photo of that legit foul on Manu if you'd like.
I'm glad Dirk kicked a bunch of stuff on his way out.
ReplyDeleteIt was like watching Frankie Muniz try to destroy a hotel room.
I'm sure THAT will get everything back on track.
i hate this game.
I've only lived here four years. Fortunately I can still get away from this team. I'm not going to let them turn me into a goddamn Red Sox fan. The winning isn't good enough to make up for that kind of losing.
ReplyDeleteHow about a double team on wade?
ReplyDeleteHow about a foul call on Shaq for trying to sumo wrestle dirk?
Cuban, shut your fucking mouth.
Wade > Dirk
Riley > Avery
Cuban = Gay
NBA Refing has been a joke for years. Ever since the game changed from the 80s type ball into the 90s ball. It's like the NFL and holding.
ReplyDeleteMiami is getting the calls. Blame their aggressiveness and Cuban's fat mouth. I guess the Heat are more likeable. Maybe the refs read the blog here. You aren't helping yourselves.
If we had upset the baskeball gods when laura miller opened her pie hole, where are they every time the announcers and the signs come out saying wade is the next MJ and MJwho? Jordan was the quintessential basketball player with umpteen rings and every record you can think of and the media make wade seem like he would crush Jordan if they played against 1 another. Give me a break. The conspiracy theory about the league being out to get the MAVS is alive and well people!!! Jus look at the FT diff between the teams and tell me wade and shaq never get called for fouls. wade pushin off and shaq throwin elbows around like theyre on sale is rediculous.and so is the NBA. Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteAnybody notice that Wade's free throw line (21-for-25) was exactly the same as the entire Mavericks team? Because nobody seems to be mentioning it.
ReplyDeleteThose among NBA followers who suggest the league is fixed have a case after tonight.
ReplyDeleteWho doubts the Mavs will get the calls on Tuesday and force game 7?
I am so tired of the d-suck we're hearing about Dwyane "My name is misspelled because my mom is an illiterate whore" Wade. The guy is a poor defender who reaches and grabs his way around the court. He's a good offensive player who relies on getting EVERY fucking bump called. What the hell?
I'm so mad I can hardly see.
Lay off Josh Howard's timeout. With only 1.9 it was probably meaningless. But the phantom foul on Dirk at 1.9 - get mad at that one. Shit.
OK, get mad at Josh for the 2 missed free throws. Shit.
Dirk has struggled, but he did come up huge in OT.
OK, I've got to force myself to bed now...
My life force is drained.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm in doghouse for letting this game get to me too much.
Helllloooo Couch.
Incidentally, I'm salivating over tomorrow's match between Sweden and England.
ReplyDeleteWhat the Metroplex really wants to know is:
Will England throw a match to avoid playing Germany?
i'll repeat what i said earlier...
ReplyDelete"did the heat turn on their 'no fouls' cheat?"
...seriously...stack was already benched. the refs didn't need to penalize the mavs any more for that foul.
Dirk, Where are you?
ReplyDeleteJosh, Nice disappearing act.
Adrian, No official in the history of the game will give you a charge call on that play, dont fall down and give him an uncontested look.
Dirk, If you read this, meet us in Dallas.
Marquis, Grow a sack, its time to man up.
Stack, Its time to take you first title
Jet, Thanks for being the Mavs heartbeat.
Devin, Make a damn lay-up
Avery, What you are doing is not working, find something.
Dirk, You are an unstoppable force, when you don't take yourself out of the game.
What is it Mavs, Do you want to take it and break their hearts, or are you ready to get rolled and hear about your lack of heart?
I guess you know you listen to Bob and Dan too much when in the last five seconds of OT I only had Norm's "Damnit" drop and Bob's "Retard" drop on a repeating loop in my head...
ReplyDeleteAll I want to see on Tuesday is Dirk taking it to the basket, EVERY TIME DOWN THE COURT. When the Heat bring the triple-team, he can start dishing.
ReplyDeleteI am so freaking tired of him backing down so that the announcers can d-suck Udonis "My mom is an illiterate whore so my name is a fucking mess" Haslem.
F the Refs
"And I'm in doghouse for letting this game get to me too much.
ReplyDeleteHelllloooo Couch"
Same here. Can I get back into a time machine to 1993 when I didn't worry about wins and losses with this team?
Bob, we need you man... I need you to either calm me down or fire me up because as I read through these comments I agree with 95% of what everyone is saying and I am really buying into the conspiracy theory...
ReplyDeleteA great segment idea... Are we all just a bunch of homers? Or is there really something to what's being said here?
I trust you Bob... If you say we're being a bunch of homers, I'll shut up, stop wanting to kick the chair and admit defeat. If we're getting beat, we're getting beat. That happens in sports... and if that's what we're watching (a fairly judged sport) I can handle that...
Talk to us Bob... Tell me if I'm crazy...
The Mavs overcame so much in this game- the loss of Stackhouse, another subpar game from Dirk (though the Heat deserve much credit here), and an incredible free throw disparity. But after all this they shoot themselves in the foot with missed free throws, questionable coaching decisions, and a most unfortunate timeout. Wow, this one really stings.
ReplyDeleteIt all comes back to No. 41. Dirk- as great as JET was tonight, the Mavericks will not win the series unless you figure this out in Game 6. You can't let Haslem or Posey take you off your game; it's unacceptable. They are role players on their team, you're the star of yours. Play like it, show us what we've seen from you in the past, and the Mavericks have a legitimate chance to win the next two games. If not, we'll all have a LONG summer to ponder what might've (and probably should've) been.
How about a rousing chant of David Stern sucks reverberating throughout the arena Tuesday night for the national television audience?
ReplyDeleteYou heard it here first....
ReplyDeleteChurch.
Mavs will get killed on Tuesday, and even if they somehow win, they'll lose in Thursday. No point in watching fellas.
Let's forget the bogus/inconsistent Stackhouse suspension. Forget the first 4 quarters of the game. Forget the first 3 quarters where the Heat took FOUR times as many free throws as the Mavs (36-9). Forget the 3rd quarter where the Heat got to the line 18 times to 0 for the Mavs. Forget that Wade took as many free throws as the entire Mavs team. Forget that the Heat, as a team, took twice as many free throws as the Mavs (49-25).
ReplyDeleteJust look at the final play. The game was completely stolen from the Mavs here.
1) On the inbounds, it should have clearly been an over-and-back violation on the Heat. You're allowed to catch the ball in the backcourt. But you must establish your position in the backcourt first. Wade did not. Wade jumped from the frontcourt (both feet completely in the frontcourt) into the backcourt and caught the ball in the MIDDLE of his freakin' jump. That's as easy to call as it gets. As Cuban said, that should be clear, at least to most high school referees. So the Mavs would have gotten the ball there with 9 or so seconds left. Heat would have had to foul. Mavs would have had a 2 or 3 point lead most likely.
2) As three Mavs defenders swarm on Wade on the perimeter, Wade shoves Jason Terry, a straight-arm basically, an obvious offensive foul. But ok, sometimes they don't call contact like that, even if it's obvious, they want the players to decide games.
3) But if that's the case how do you explain the foul on Wade with 1.9 seconds to go? Mavs defended it as perfectly as you can. They had 3-4 defenders on him, he fought his way through them all off-balance, threw up a weak shot off the backboard, Mavs get the rebound. They call a foul on Dirk. Replays showed the only contact from Dirk on Wade was his right hand resting on his back. There wasn't a shove, there wasn't any contact on the arms/hand/wrists, it was a no-call all the way.
4) With 1.9 seconds left, Mavs still have a chance even if Wade makes both. Only way to take away that chance is to take away the Mavs' final TO. Avery signals several times for a TO after the second free throw. Referees know Avery doesn't want a TO now. He's not an idiot. Even if you give the refs the break on this one and put it solely on Josh for signaling for a TO there, the fix was already in with the 3 previous blown calls.
Unbelievable.
NBA should be ashamed of themselves. The Mavs know they outplayed the Heat in that game. They had it flat-out stolen by the refs, no arguing it on this one. They had their chances to win, sure, they missed a shot here and a free throw or two there, but they so clearly outplayed the Heat in the first 4 quarters and then had it ripped away from them on that final play in OT. How can they possibly defend those first 3 calls they missed (the 1st one primarily since that one isn't subjective in the slightest)? There's no possible way it can be justified.
Indifference
ReplyDeleteLet me just say I am a huge fan of basketball I would like Dallas to win. But that german on the mavs is way overated. Missing clutch FT, put an average defender on him and he disappears. Regardless if the refs screwed things up, the Mavs need a player to play with fire like DWade. That 50 point game isnt enough to say dirk is all that great Dirk is the Mavs, and the Mavs got no heart.
NOTE TO CUBAN:
If there is a conspiracy its your own damn fault quit being so cocky and take a seat in the owners box sometimes.
"NOTE TO CUBAN:
ReplyDeleteIf there is a conspiracy its your own damn fault quit being so cocky and take a seat in the owners box sometimes."
When rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it?
"And I'm in doghouse for letting this game get to me too much.
ReplyDeleteHelllloooo Couch"
Yup, me too. I put myself there b/c my fiance is from San Antonio and I don't want to see his smiling face next to me. It physically hurts!
-Maria
I quit life.
ReplyDeletethe fact is, whether or not they got jobbed by the refs, the Mavs have to move on and get ready to tie the series and force a game seven. it will be a bad sign if we hear the players, and more importantly Avery, still complaining about the refs. i think Avery has already given it too much attention. he needs to let Cuban bang that drum and get back to getting his team prepared.
ReplyDeletewe got screwed, plain and simple. but it's time to "put it behind ya buddy!"
Arthur
JonG summed it up better than I could. Oh and 'Eric in Keller', Vince Young never disappeared like Dirk has the last 3 games. Even when VY was miserable he was at least a factor; Dirk had the quietest 20 point night I think I've ever seen. I can deal with a superstar trying to take over a game and failing a lot better than him becoming wallpaper. A note to Dirk: you've now used up all the credits you earned in the Spurs series. Time to re-earn some respect with your play or you go back to being another soft European player.
ReplyDeleteMavs are either one loss from the biggest non-Yankees choke job in history or 2 wins from one of the most dramatic series wins in years. It's their choice which one it is.
-JB
I'm awake and I'm not feeling any better. I live in Houston and it was pretty stormy all night but I usually sleep right through it. I barely slept last night. Why do I care? It's just sports...
ReplyDeleteThankfully my wife gets me and didn't make me sleep on the couch, then I wouldn't have gotten any sleep.
So Bob, are you going to talk us down from the ledge? I don't believe in conspiracy theories so I don't buy that. But I do believe you can be incompetant and there were two very incompetant parties last night. The refs (DWade's foul, the back court violation, etc.) and the Mavs defense. How can you give up that many free throws and how can you, for the 2nd time in this series, not close out a game??????
Dirk, we as Mavs fans BEG YOU, please show up. It's all hands on deck time and we need you, this team needs you, this city needs you. Step up and be the next Dallas Mega-Super star.
JET, thanks for being the team for now.
Stack, show 'em how pissed you are and put together the best game in an NBA finals from the bench ever.
Devin, I know you're young, but take the bull by the horns and show that you're going to be a star.
Diop and Dampier, play like you did in the 1st two games.
AJ, get back to being a genius.
Let's GO MAVS! Let's GO MAVS
in regards to the missed backcourt violation:
ReplyDeletefrom CNNSI.com
Cuban was standing against a wall, shaking his head while gathering his thoughts before speaking to reporters when assistant coach Larry Riley alerted him to the missed backcourt violation.
"You can't be established in the frontcourt, then jump into the backcourt," Cuban said after watching a replay. "My understanding from the rule book is, if you are going to catch the ball in the backcourt, you have to be in the backcourt to catch it. You can't be established into the backcourt after you catch it or that's a backcourt violation."
The Mavericks came into the game already furious over the decision to suspend Stackhouse because of hard foul in Game 4.
This latest incident, and possible league action against Cuban, makes things even more interesting as the Heat take a 3-2 series lead to Dallas for Game 6 on Tuesday night.
"This is going to leave a bitter taste in everyone's mouth," Howard said. "We're going to come out and play hard in Game 6 and Game 7."
Arthur
wow - I wandered into Spurs Central - where your team never gets beat (they only get screwed), 'nobody respects us' and the league doesn't want us to win. (although in this case it's a Cuban-Stern thing instead of the small market/boring thing.)
ReplyDeleteYawn!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI just woke up from Summer Bash. Wow, what a party. Act like your 20 with a 30 year old body and you get what you deserve I guess.
Was there a game last night?
Have the Mavs ever been swept in a playoff series in recent memory?
ReplyDeleteSo why should it (losing 4 straight) start now?>
With all of Dallas behind them and TICKED OFF??
With all the CONTROVERSY?
With thousands of FANS??
Dallas ain't losing Game 6 : win by 15+
Then, with newfound confidence, Dallas wins Game 7 by 6-8 points
WHY is everyone upset??? The Mavs will win in 7 --
ReplyDeleteGame 3: Miami plays the PERFECT GAME, Wade scores 40+, Shaq is awesome, they hit 3 after 3, Dallas gives up (leading bt 13 with 6min to go), crowd behind them, GERIATRIC PAYTON MAKES THE GO AHEAD SHOT, Dirk MISSES the tying FT.... and ***MIAMI ONLY WINS BY 2.
Game 4: Dallas waves the white flag. Shoots 22 three pointers, makes 3? Dirk has a "nightmare night". More 30+point Wade explosion, Starters pulled early in 4th quarter, J-Ho a NO SHOW, Stack's hard foul... ***MIAMI wins big, yet DALLAS STILL WAS ONLY DOWN BY 10 LATE IN THE 3RD***
Game 5: Dallas plays WITHOUT 13ppg Stack, Wade shoots as many FTS as Dallas, Dallas gets NO FTA in the 3RD, Damp & Dirk "almost" were the heroes, Wade scores 40 but half of that is at the foul line, Avery gets a technical, bonehead timeout, DIRK misses ANOTHER FT, J-HO misses TWO STRAIGHT FTs, an Overtime game at an Away crowd..... and ****MIAMI ONLY WINS BY 1 IN OT*****
Why the freakouts?
Dallas played as terrible as possible, and yet 2 made fts in 2 games and we'd be the nba champs yet?
I know knee jerk reactions are ruling, and I know it's natural to be afraid of being down 2-3 (TNT's Kenny Smith's houston team came back and won facingn that in '94), but c'mon, i mean, all the freaking stars and planets had to align perfectly and Miami BARELY survived! Is there ANYONE HERE that ACTUALLY THINKS Miami can win a game in Dallas??? ANYONE????
overlooked stat from game 5: the Heat only had 12 turnovers.
ReplyDeletethat won't stay the same in Dallas. 20+ turnovers in game 5. i guarantee it.
Arthur
After each loss the comments on this blog are carbon copies. This stat, that stat, this trend, that trend.
ReplyDeleteThere are no more excuses. I've read them all on this blog. Wake up, Avery melting down shows me what the mindset of the team is.
Heat in 6
When are they going to release the plans for the Cowboys Super Bowl parade?
Damp & Dirk "almost" were the heroes
ReplyDeleteYou must have loaded up a Tivo replay of Game 2 or something, because we weren't watching the same game.
-JB
Life sucks. My wife is mad at me for breaking the DirecTV DVR remote and kicking a bag of dog food so hard that it exploded all over the kitchen. A Mavs championship was my only hope of enjoying the sports drought before football season. Now we are done. We have no heart. The team is in full panic mode. The refs suck, but we may suck worse. The only highlight in all of this is this blog quote:
ReplyDelete"Dwyane "My name is misspelled because my mom is an illiterate whore" Wade"
That is f'ing genius.
I vote we drag Laura Miller from her home and burn her like the evil witch she is. That may please the basketball gods and at least give us a game 6 win.
The Mavs have been the Mavs in both games 3 and 5. They kill themselves at the end. You can't shoot 100% from the free throw line, so you must miss sometime. We just choose to keep our average level at the end of the game. Make free throws, make layups and Duh-wayne (ha!) and refs are not even a consideration. And lets stop shooting the 3 (not you Jet). It's usually a wasted possession. I don't think Avery even lets them practice it anymore. Drive to the hoop, make the layup, get the foul. That's a man's 3.
ReplyDeleteIt's still the refs and conspiracy and aliens.
Dwyane's dad is also named Dwyane, so Dwyane's Jr's mom is innocent
ReplyDeleteFirst off, completely agree with anonymous from 8:34 AM. Game 3 was Perfect Storm, Game 4 was White Flag, and Game 5 was Montreal Screwjob, Miami edition.
ReplyDeleteWe are so much better than these punks that it isn't even funny.
Here's what we really need... Send in Josh Powell or Mbenga to stand under the basket, wait for Wade to appear, and deliver one of those classic Arn Anderson spinebusters. Think Shaq's the intimidator... not after that move.
Side note... the guy who talked about the Damp/Dirk heroics was hoping that the Dirk pass to Damp which made it 93-91 near the end of regulation would be the game winner.
Side note 2... You know what the deal with the free throws might be... and the shooting in general... that god awful shooting backdrop created by the crowd wearing all white. It's gotta be like looking into a monochrome kaleidoscope and trying to find an orange bar.