Game 6: Golden State 111, Dallas 86 (GS wins 4-2)

It made us all sick last night. We will continue to be sick today. And, I am not sure when that feeling of illness will pass. This sucks.

It is May 4th, and I guess it is Cowboys’ season.

Notes:

• Dirk. How? How is this even possible? I have never seen such a shrink-to-the-occasion as we saw last night. To see Baron Davis dominate him for 2 straight weeks was shocking on many levels, and the final chapter surely did not improve anything as Baron played on 1 leg, Dirk played with 0 heart. Please, please, please, please don’t let him win the MVP next week. Please, please, please spare us that embarrassment!

• The worst thing about Golden State bouncing the Mavs is that I am pretty sure Golden State isn’t that good. I am reasonably sure their next opponent will make quick work of them, and who knows what they will do next year. It was just the perfect storm, I guess. It was the coach, the players, the crowd, everything. It isn’t supposed to go this way. They were playing out of their minds, and the Mavs were to weak to stop it. Consider: Baron Davis in the regular season shot 30% from 3, and Stephen Jackson shot 32%. In this series, Baron was 46% and Jackson 48%. They never missed a big shot. They went and grabbed the series by the neck. And the Mavs packed their bags.

• The only guy with the fire in his eyes when adversity hits on this team is free agent-to-be Jerry Stackhouse. What can you possibly do with this team in the summer? Everyone is tied down with a very wealthy deal. I would never say you are married to this roster because Mark Cuban has proven every contract is tradable, but do you blow up a team that went to the NBA Finals and then won 67 games? I know this morning we all want to blow it up, but let’s give it a moment to let the emotions calm tad.

• Don Nelson must be having the time of his life.

• Mark Cuban must not be having the time of his life.

• Perhaps we all knew it was a very bad sign when the Mavs were staying in the game because of the 3 point shot. Nothing concerns me more than seeing the boys hit 3’s early in the game. This goes back years. When they hit the outside shot early, it is “fool’s gold”. They then think they don’t have to pay the price to get to the rim. And, as one 3 falls after another, I fear the worst. And so it happened.

• Baron Davis might be able to get a free beverage in Oakland right now. That is the most amazing performance by one guy against the Mavs in a playoff series since...last series when D-Wade did it.

• An emailer this morning pointed out something worth considering. The late 1960’s Dallas Cowboys tried and tried year after year. They fell short every year. But, they stayed the course and eventually won the title in Super Bowl VI. Along the way, I am sure many said they would never win with these guys, but it did eventually happen. Panic is never the proper reaction to day’s like this.

• Nice deep bench, Mavs. At least Austin Croshere plays now. It looks like
he is willing to commit a hard foul. Wasn’t that Kevin Willis era wonderful?

• How are we going to roll through another regular season after that?

Game 5: Mavericks 118, Warriors 112 (GS 3-2)

Reggie Miller and Dick Stockton (So) both made the point again and again that only a blowout victory would do. I am pretty sure that blowout wins are worth no more than 1-point wins. It is the first team to 4. It doesn’t matter how you get to 4. You just have to get there first to win the series. The Mavericks certainly did not blow out Golden State last night, but somehow they summoned up the energy to stay alive with a furious rally in the final 3 minutes. There will be a game Thursday. Here are the notes from Game 5:

• History will show that Dirk was much better last night. I am not sure he was until that last rally. In the 2nd half he got back to not shooting and not imposing his will on the game. But then, just when you thought it couldn’t be saved, he hit those back to back 3’s with a sweet defensive block in between. With 3 minutes to play, Dirk was on the verge of cementing his legacy in the wrong direction. But, when he had to, he grabbed the game by the neck and rescued the team like he should be able to do. He climbed right out of the grave. Is this the start of something amazing? Not sure anymore.

• Let the record show that we now have a healthy respect for the Golden State Warriors. They have many talented players who can make shots. They are not mentally weak, they are not intimidated by the moment. In a weird way, you kind of admire the struggle they are putting the Mavericks through (provided the Mavs live through this). To go on the road and survive a 21 point deficit, and to nail 16 3’s is just a sign that they are ready to win. Baron Davis leads them, but he is joined by some really nice players. They are not like the last decade of Golden State jokes.

• If you had Austin Croshere in the pool for “guy who may have saved the season” you are a winner. Did anyone see that coming? Wow! What a cold blooded performance – he just grabbed the ball and shot it like he plays all of the time. 3 for 4 from behind the line, and they needed every one of them.

• Matt Barnes can play. It pains me to admit it, but he is not some bit player. He is a solid contributor who happens to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

• You may not know who Sarunas Jasikevicius is. Well, he is a bench player for the Warriors who I remember as a starter on some pretty decent Maryland teams in the mid 90’s. Not sure where he has been for the last 10 years, but now he sits and watches the game. Anyway, on Dirk’s last 3 in front of the Warriors bench, Jasikevicius waves at Dirk and acts like he may come off the bench to block the shot. One of the equipment guys sees Sarunas and grabs him back to the bench at which point he seems to take a swing at the poor equipment guy. The Sportscenter clip doesn’t show the whole sequence, but if you still have the game on tape, take a quick look – it is good fun. Just a little story I wanted to tell you…Sounds good.

• Devin Harris has been a minor disappointment for his first 3 seasons. Let’s be honest. He is a top 5 pick, which is a spot reserved for stars. He was drafted moments before Steve Nash signed in Phoenix, and ever since we have hoped that he would step up and become a weapon at the point – for 3 years now. But, just when you think he is a spare part, Harris plays like he did last night and like he did in Game 2 in San Antonio last year. I keep thinking he is on the verge of a real breakout season like Josh had last season, and maybe it is right around the corner. But he deserves big credit for keeping the Mavericks in the game in the 4th Quarter.

• Wasn’t last night one of those games where you are happy, but you are also as worried as ever? That game was 100% mixed emotions. You feel good, but you know there is a ways to go. Thursday is the game of the year. And if they win, so is Saturday.

• So let me get this straight…you run a double team at Baron Davis, and he gives up the ball? Sounds good to me. I am looking forward to seeing more of that.

• Here is another piece of strategy. When Golden State is in transition, they all run to various points on the 3-point line and get ready to knock down the open shot. Perhaps, just perhaps, we should consider defending them.

• That guy who was wearing his sunglasses behind the Mavericks bench last night should have been ejected purely on principle.

• Stephen Jackson can play, but he is a dope.

• I’d like to give an assist for this win to the great Al Pacino.

• Down 9, 3 minutes to go. Anyone want to claim that they still believed?

Game 4: Warriors 103, Mavericks 99 (GS: 3-1)

I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team or we’re gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, 'til we’re finished.

We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And, we can stay here -- get the s--- kicked out of us -- or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell one inch at a time. - Al Pacino, Any Given Sunday

The Mavericks are hanging on to a cliff. Below them, if they fall, is a chasm known as “the biggest embarrassment in DFW sports history”…Also, below them, might be “the biggest embarrassment in NBA history”. They are not sure they can hold on much longer. The arms are tired, and the fingers ache, and they are starting to realize it might be easier just to let go and end it.

The Following are the notes of Game 4’s loss – What might go down as the most disappointing loss since Game 6 of the 2007 NBA Finals:

• You knew they were going to respond. You knew the Mavericks were going to bring as much rain as they had. What is so concerning about being down 3-1 to Golden State right now is that they threw a punch last night that they thought was pretty hard. Trouble is, Baron Davis took the punch, smiled, and punched back even harder. Doubt is creeping in to the Mavericks head. As hard as it is to believe, a team that lost 40 games this season has the Mavericks terrified. How they allowed this team into their head makes you wonder what we saw all season long. Remember when we thought this team was on a mission? They were not going to be satisfied or sleep until they had avenged last season’s debacle. Now, they look as powerless and as hopeless as we have ever seen them. I cannot explain this any better than I can explain nuclear fusion.

• There is no excusing Dirk Nowitzki any longer. He is playing lousy basketball and you know what is going to happen, right? He is going to be announced as the MVP this week and that is only going to compound the embarrassment of it all. He doesn’t want the ball. He doesn’t know what to do with it. He wanders the court and doesn’t impact the game for several minutes at a time. He is lost. And as much a defender of Dirk as I had been, he is giving back every shred of credibility he earned last spring in about 1 week of M.I.A. playoff basketball.

• We will never match D-Wade ’06 in the category of “guy who would not be stopped by Dallas in a 7 game series”. But, McGrady ’05 was the reigning single player performance before that, in my opinion. But, Baron Davis is making a name for himself. Davis is making everything. He is willing his team to victory. He is clearly the MVP of this series.

• With 7:21 to go in the game, Jerry Stackhouse scored to put the Mavericks up 88-81. I then count 11 missed shots, 4 turnovers, and 1 basket - The rebound 2 footer from Dirk. Finally, inside the final minute trailing 94-90, the Mavericks hit 3 3’s, but since they also surrender 9 points in the final minute, they cannot make up the lost ground. 1-12 from the Field with 4 turnovers. I suspect that any reader could grab 4 co-workers and go 1-12 in that situation.

• Josh Howard was amazing last night. Until halftime. After the intermission, he scored on 2 free throws.

• Don Nelson is abusing Avery Johnson. Avery looks like he has no more answers than I do.

• Seriously, I am not trying to take anything away from Golden State, but are you kidding me? They are up 3. There is 30 seconds to play. And they decide to get Matt Barnes a 3? And he drains it? That makes no sense on any level. When you have Jackson, Davis, and Richardson on the floor, why would you ever consider the biggest possession of the game going to Barnes? And he made it!

• Greg Buckner and Devean George are proving to be worthless in this series. So much for those big offseason additions that were going to provide that little extra.

• I am not sure what he has in his bag, but Mickael Pietrus appears to have an impressive vertical jump. Although it is a given that most players in the NBA can leap, I would put him at the top of the chart.

• I admit I got this series wrong. Way wrong. But to the 5 people that keep emailing me and want a formal apology, wasn’t about 99% of the rest of the free world picking the Mavericks? Was it really crazy to pick the Mavs to beat an 8th seed? I admit I got it wrong, but with the evidence the same next time, I would do it again.

• Let me say this: It isn’t over yet. Yes, Johnny Cash may be clearing his throat, but let’s not act like teams never come back from 3-1. Phoenix did it last year. It happens. But can it happen with this team playing like it is playing? I wouldn’t bet my house on it – but let’s wait a few days before the funeral.

• I’m so scared, baby.

Game 3: Golden State 109, Mavs 91 (GS 2-1)

I have never been at a complete and utter loss of words for the Avery Johnson-led Dallas Mavericks. Sure, they have lost before, but there has never been an unmitigated moment where they just got their butts shot off. Until Friday.

What would we call that? How can you face such a key game at a key moment and not show up? How can you still act like Golden State isn’t a threat to you? That is just sad.

After getting pounded for 48 minutes on Friday night, the Mavericks can welcome doubt to the locker-room. Between now and Sunday night, we are going to see what our boys are made of. Let’s hope it isn’t what most of America saw last night. Never has a #1 seed lost a best of seven series in the first round. Never has a 67 win team lost in the first round. This team would be forever immortalized as the biggest choke job in NBA history. Not the legacy we had in mind.

The following are a few of the notes that popped in my head for Game 3:

• I believe I was on record saying that Jason Richardson would get 30 a few times in the series. You want to talk about a player who could not miss last night, there he was. The Michigan State leaper is a special talent, and he was mostly anonymous in Dallas. But last night, he wanted the ball anywhere on the court, and add him to the list of players the Mavs appear to have no answer for.

• Also on that list, Baron Davis. Look, he wants to drive. He wants to drive to his left. He wants to drive to his left 80% of the time. Now if I can figure it out, do you think the Mavs may? They are doing a good job making him look like the most unstoppable force in NBA history. Sadly, he is only Baron Davis most of the time.

• Jason Terry is needed. Could someone direct the “Jet” to the airport?

• That building was really, really awesome last night. It must be nice to have no expectations for your team. Then you can enjoy the wins as they come. Compare them to the Mavericks ’07 crowd, which was booing midway through Game 1 on Sunday. I am guessing the Mavericks crowd believes they deserve to see wins. The Golden State fans are just happy to have a game to watch late in April. I am not
saying which side is proper, just an observation about how wins change fans.

• If the Mavericks have any pride, they would use the confetti party after Game 3 as all the motivation in the world. That should insult them, if they hadn’t already mentally checked out.

• Isn’t it now clear that the Mavericks athleticism is limited to Josh Howard, Diop, and perhaps Devin Harris. Harris is a great athlete, but I guess everyone at his spot is in the league. For instance, is Monta Ellis not just as athletic? But elsewhere on the floor, it is Josh Howard against the jumping jacks of the Warriors. Good luck, Josh. Against the Spurs, this isn’t a big issue. But the Warriors have really put together a team that would excel at track and field, too.

• Dirk was ok. He still looks largely uncomfortable, but at least he looked like he wanted the ball. Still a far cry from looking like the Most Valuable Player in the NBA, And that will need to change Sunday.

• I think Don Nelson is smirking again. Who can blame him?

• How would you like to be Mark Cuban this morning? Don’t you have to worry about the poor blood vessels inside his body? What stress he puts on them!

• I seriously contemplated turning that garbage off last night. If you know me, that says quite a bit. Those 12 guys are going to have to decide how bad they want this. Even the most loyal fans are now doubting them. If they want to get out of this hole, they will need to look inside themselves to find whatever is there. There is no easy way out of this mess….And how much energy are they burning in the first round if they do survive?

Game 2: Dallas 112, Golden State 99 (1-1)

That was a bit more like it. Not quite the top shelf performance we were all pulling for, but in the end, they forced the issue and grabbed the game. The following our the notes from the Game 2 Dallas Win.

• If you didn’t know better, you would think Josh Howard was the NBA MVP candidate. While Dirk seemed to float through most of the game last night, Josh was making plays up and down the court and basically pushing the Mavs to victory. Josh has developed so much. If you recall in 2005, Josh played very well for a game or two, then would disappear for a few, and so on. He played horrible on the road, and did not show up in the 4th quarter. Here we are just two years later, and Josh has been the Mavericks best player in both of the first two playoff games. He has come so far, and has not yet reached him potential.

• Ah, Nellie Ball: Settle for bad shots. Lose composure. Feel persecuted by the refs. Give up the rim.

• Seriously, there are people defending Baron Davis on his ejection? Go back and look at the final minute of the 3rd quarter. He already had a technical, so he knew they wouldn’t eject him, right? So, he fouls Josh Howard and yells right in the face of a ref who looks the other way. He fouls Jerry Stackhouse, and screams when called for the foul. He then stands and claps at the ref for no fewer than 10 seconds. He was warned, and his coach told him to knock it off, too. And people thought the ref got carried away? There is a dude who lost his head.

• I feel for Devin Harris. He is the team’s new Raef LaFrentz. If he is involved in a play, and it is even close to physical contact, the ref looks at the two players involved – sees Devin, and assumes the foul was committed by him. He gets no calls. Not saying he doesn’t have issues with fouls, but the guard is still
treated like a rookie.

• As a P-1 said to me, “So Al Harrington is the guy that the Mavericks were worried about Dampier guarding?”. Harrington went 1-8 for 5 points.

• Last game, I mentioned my fears about Jason Terry. To his credit, he was awesome last night. If Terry, Stackhouse, and Howard are that aggressive to the rim, there is very little an opponent can do – when they think the key to beating the Mavs is to run at Dirk. Punish them.

• By the way, I know it is early, but I think you must keep Jerry Stackhouse this summer.

• Is Stephen Jackson really this good? Or, is Dirk also not playing well on defense? Either way, he is really a dominate force in this series. Call him the ’07 Round 1 Boris Diaw.

• The votes are pouring in for “player we are most likely to group with Jon Barry and Tim Thomas as players we hardly knew before the series but after the series hate forever”. It looks like Matt Barnes may run away with this thing.

• I know the refs were cracking down on things, right? Since when is yelling “Bull S---“ at the top of your lungs allowed? It seems like NBA players realize that will not be disciplined, and let it fly without discrimination.

• This series will not be easy. Golden State is building a very intriguing product full of long, athletic players who all need to be taken seriously. They will not get very far this year, but this is a very interesting team heading forward.

• I did think the refs were pretty poor last night. For instance, that illegal inbounds pass called on Golden State after a Mavericks basket was a joke. Not even close to being illegal.

• The Warriors had 9 assists last night. For the game.

• I really like Diop. I can’t quite put my finger on why. I just like him.

• Finally, as opposed to breaking down another subpar effort from Dick Stockton, I thought I would let P1 Justin:

Just for fun, I'm keeping a running log of Dick Stockton's mistakes. Clock is game clock.

1st Quarter

11:33 - Out of bounds. Says Dallas ball. Actually GS ball.

(That didn't take long)

8:58 - "Warriors looking to take the lead." They already lead 8-7.

7:58 - "You want to be focused going into this game, but the match-ups don't work." Huh?
Bonus from Reggie Miller saying Monta Ellis was a "doe in the headlights" in game 1.

7:41 - "Al Harrington hit in the face by Dampier." It was Harris, who was the only Maverick on that end of the floor.

6:31 - "The Warriors coming back with 2 baskets, trailing by 4." It was the Mavs.

6:05 - "And the foul will be on Diop." It was on Harris. (I'm not sure Dick knows who Devin Harris is.)

4:15 - "Foul on Diop and that will be his second." It's his first.

That's all I can do. Listening intently to Dick & Reggie is making me crazy.

Go Mavwicks.

P1 Justin

Game 1: Golden State 97, Mavs 85 (1-0)

Those of you who enjoy commentary on the Rangers, Liverpool, Cro Cop, Youtube, and other regulars on Bob’s Blog may not enjoy the transition that the playoffs bring, but prepare for the morning after notes column to continue through the Stars and Mavs playoff runs. We do it every year, and it seems to be well received. So, without further ado….



Nelson: Belly Up, Mavs

So much for the honeymoon. So much for the assumptions that this would be an easy ride. Don Nelson rolled in here with his sandbags and stole the pot in Game 1 using textbook Nellie Ball, but also a cast of very interesting, exciting players. The Mavericks had little to say after that thrashing, and already they find themselves needing a win on Wednesday – just a few days into their playoff march. Random observations from Game 1 follow:

• Baron Davis was off the charts last night. I have always liked his game but there have been times where his attitude and his fat have kept him from getting “all world” consideration. Well, I would suggest that Nelson has obviously moved him past those two problems as he is clearly more slender, and played as a warrior last night. Clearly, he isn’t going to hit every shot he takes every game – like he did in the second half last night. But, he is a very tough match-up and when a guy gets 10 rebounds early in the 2nd quarter, you know his head is right for the playoffs. Honestly, I had far greater fears about Jason Richardson, partly because all you hear is that Baron’s knee isn’t right, but it looks good to me, and now I think all game plans must revolve around what to do with Baron.

• The Mavericks on offense were a confused and clueless bunch from the opening tip on. Why do they look like they have never seen Dirk double-teamed before? Why did it turn quickly chaotic? They looked out of rhythm and confused. They looked reluctant to pound the ball when they had a match-up in their favor. And of course, the shooting was miserable. I am not as worried about guarding Golden State. I think the real issue with the Mavericks is on offense. If Jason Terry shoots 6-14, Dirk shoots 4-16, and Stackhouse 0-6, then this is going to be a short playoff campaign.

• Josh Howard was so good last night. His game has developed to such a level that it is now not a shock to say he was your best player. I thought his hands on defense were lightning quick, and he attacks on offense like nobody else. Things weren’t good last night, but Howard was clearly not the issue.

• Many, many emails about the refusal of the Mavericks to maintain their normal lineup. Avery is getting ripped for changing his game because of Nellie Ball. But remember, that is the beauty of small ball. If you don’t adapt, you have a match-up issue at pretty much every spot. Let’s say the Mavericks started with the normal 5 of Dampier, Dirk, Howard, Devin, and Terry:

Dampier guards Harrington (he can’t),
Dirk guards Jackson (he can’t for long),
Howard guards Richardson,
Terry tries to guard Baron Davis because Baron would pound Devin physically,
And Devin chases Ellis around.

I really think the only advantage is what you do on offense, but since Dampier doesn’t do anything on offense besides pound the glass and set screens (Diop, too), then you have quicker defenders swarming Dirk even worse. So in this case, I think Avery had to adapt to that lineup. This series may be all about Devin Harris taking the ball to the hoop like he did last night, but he needs to convert more bunnies. And, we have to hope his shoulder is not too damaged from the collision.

• Why is Mark Cuban looking so mad entertaining television?

• This is one of those times when you wish Dirk wasn’t so bad at posting up the smaller players. If he would just be determined to do this, many of these offensive issues would go away. But, this reminds me of Houston ’05 and Phoenix ’05 and ’06. Dirk is going to be guarded by smaller and quicker, and it is up to him to figure it out. What that means to us is that he will continue to launch shots from 18-23 feet. It works most the time. But, since we all enjoy our Larry Bird comparisons, I am reasonably sure Larry would have his dude down on the block.

• Yes, I do wonder if Jason Terry can be as good as he was last spring. His play all season has me wondering if we should expect last spring’s clutch performances. I have my worries.

• So who guards Baron Davis? And what game does Jason Richardson go for 35? And why does Stephen Jackson annoy me – because he reminds me of the ’03 Spurs series?

• Dick Stockton is amazingly consistent. He seems lost during his own broadcast whether it is football or basketball. One time he had Baron Davis with the foul when Baron wasn’t even in the picture. His observations are pretty much inane, and his call of the game has errors everywhere. If you weren’t sure, I think Dick Stockton has been bad for years, now. Of course, he was awesome 15 years ago.

• Did you think this was going to be easy? Did you forget the ice cream headaches, the knee jerk reactions, and the day after games pondering whether the Mavs were done? Look, bro, this isn’t for the faint of heart. Dig in and realize this thing isn’t decided in Game 1 of Round 1. Your boys did not when 67 games by getting lucky. They didn’t get to Game 6 of the NBA Finals by getting lucky. They got there because they are really good, and they know how to win a chess game. But, they get 7 games to win 4. So, knee jerking after 1 is jumping the gun. Let’s see what Wednesday brings.