Mavs @ Spurs - Western Showdown mas Grande!

[epicSocialism4tw]

Congrats to the Nugs last night. The infamous Kmart decided to out-Rasheed the Pistons and did a pretty good job of it. Here's the preview of arguably the most important regular season game of the year to this point. Mavs @ Spurs. Should be a classic:

Espn.com

Dallas (45-11) at San Antonio (44-12) 9:30 pm EST
Gameday Matchup
W-L PF PA HOME ROAD STK L10
DAL 45-11 100.3 93.1 26-4 19-7 W6 9-1
SA 44-12 95 88 24-3 20-9 W4 8-2

2005-06 Season
Series tied 1-1
Nov 5, 2005 @DAL 103, SA 84
Dec 1, 2005 SA 92, @DAL 90
Mar 2, 2006 DAL @ SA 9:30 PM ET
Apr 7, 2006 DAL @ SA 8:00 PM ET



Last 5 Games
DALLAS (ET)
Feb 27 PHI Win 104-92
Feb 25 TOR Win 115-113
Feb 23 MEM Win 97-87
Feb 21 LAC Win 93-91
Feb 15 WAS Win 103-97

SAN ANTONIO (ET)
Feb 27 NY Win 121-93
Feb 25 GS Win 92-75
Feb 24 @MEM Win 83-80
Feb 21 SEA Win 103-78
Feb 15 @PHI Loss 103-100


POS DALLAS (PPG) SAN ANTONIO (PPG)
PG J. Terry 16.7 T. Parker 19.3
SG M. Daniels 10.3 M. Ginobili 15.1
SF J. Howard 16.0 B. Bowen 7.9
PF D. Nowitzki 25.4 T. Duncan 19.1
C D. Diop 2.3 R. Nesterovic

DALLAS SAN ANTONIO
Points D. Nowitzki 25.4 T. Parker 19.3
Rebounds D. Nowitzki 8.5 T. Duncan 11.7
Assists J. Terry 4.0 T. Parker 5.9
Steals J. Terry 1.3 M. Ginobili 1.7
Blocks D. Diop 1.8 T. Duncan 2.1


Today's Line
FAVORITE OPEN CUR UNDERDOG O/U
DALLAS 2 5 SAN ANTONIO 183
ATS Dallas San Antonio
Record: 41-15-0 (.732) 38-17-1 (.691)
As Favorite: 36-15-0 (.706) 36-16-1 (.692)
As Underdog: 5-0-0 (1.000) 2-1-0 (.667)
At Home: 29-1-0 (.967) 25-2-0 (.926)
On Road: 12-14-0 (.462) 13-15-1 (.464)
Dallas (45-11) at San Antonio (44-12) 9:30 pm EST

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) - The top two teams in the Western Conference meet Thursday for the first time in more than three months when the San Antonio Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks.

Although they have won 19 of their last 20 contests, the Mavericks only hold a one-game lead over the Spurs in the Southwest Division and the conference race. San Antonio has played nearly as well as Dallas, taking 17 of 20.

The runner-up team in the division likely will be seeded fourth in the conference playoffs, which could mean the squads could meet in the second round instead of the conference final.

San Antonio has a 14-game edge over Denver in the conference standings. But if the season ended today, the Nuggets would automatically get the third seed in the West as the Northwest Division champion.

The Spurs have won the last three home encounters against the Mavericks and are 24-3 on their home court. The teams have spilt their first two meetings, with San Antonio taking a 92-90 triumph December 1.

MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki is the league's ninth-leading scorer (25.4) and has three consecutive 30-point outings. He had 32 with 13 rebounds and Jason Terry added 24 to lead Dallas in Monday's 102-94 victory over Philadelphia.

Former Dallas forward Michael Finley made all eight shots and scored 22 points and Tony Parker added 20 for the Spurs, who shot 62.5 percent from the floor in Monday's 121-93 win over the New York Knicks.

[epicSocialism4tw]

meet the mavs:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/index?&lpos=globalnav&lid=gn_NBA_NBA#

[ludo21]

Suns are going to sneak in and make it to the finals!!

Cant wait for the playoffs!! Amare back in late march, wooooo

[epicSocialism4tw]

Hollinger: Mavs are the NBA's new tough guys -- on offense

Ask anyone why the Dallas Mavericks (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=dal) have the best record in the Western Conference, and the first guess will be defense.
Guess again. Under Avery Johnson (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=168), the Mavs indeed have become a much better defensive team compared to the Don Nelson era … but that improvement actually happened a year ago. The Mavs finished 2004-05 ranked ninth in the league in Defensive Efficiency (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/stats/rpi), my measure of a team's points allowed per 100 opponent possessions, and that standing hasn't budged in 2005-06. In fact, the Mavs are defending worse this year than they did in the 31 games Johnson was on the sideline (as either head coach or "acting" head coach) in 2004-05.

http://espn.go.com/media/pg2/2006/0220/photo/060220_avery1_195.jpg
AP
Avery Johnson has the Mavs clicking on all cylinders.


Yet the Mavs as a whole are playing much better basketball than they did a year ago. They were hardly chopped liver last season, winning 58 games, but this year they're on pace to win 66. That eight-game difference is perhaps a slight exaggeration because it partly reflects Dallas' performance in close games this year, but even in terms of Expected Wins (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/stats/rpi), the Mavs are 4.3 games better this season.
<OFFER></OFFER>
Since we can't cite defensive improvement as the cause, that leaves us with only one culprit: the offense. For all the talk of how the Mavs have shaped up defensively, the fact is their offense is an incredible force. In fact, the Mavs rank No. 1 in Offensive Efficiency (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats?sort=offeff&league=nba), having recently surpassed the Pistons.
Where it gets real interesting is when we start examining how they're No. 1. Most of you will recall that the Mavericks employed a certain shaggy-haired Canadian point guard two years ago and then watched him sign as a free agent with the Suns. Without Steve Nash (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3103), Dallas initially slipped -- it had led the league in Offensive Efficiency in Nash's final two seasons before finishing fifth last year. Meanwhile, Nash took his frenetic style to Phoenix and helped the Suns finish first in Offensive Efficiency while playing the league's fastest pace.
Here's where the story twists, because in Nash's absence, Dallas has practically become the anti-Suns. While Phoenix still plays the league's fastest pace, the Mavs now play among the league's slowest -- they rank 24th in the league in Pace Factor (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats?sort=pac&league=nba), way down from last year, when they were ninth.
Incidentally, this is also why some erroneously assume the Mavs have taken another step forward defensively -- the Mavs average more than four possessions a game fewer than last season, so the resultant decline in their opponents' scoring average from 96.8 to 93.1 is superficially quite impressive.
The slower pace is not the only change. While the Suns are a one-and-done club, sporting what is easily the worst Offensive Rebound Rate (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats?sort=orr&league=nba) in basketball, the Mavs rank third in the NBA in this category. This is where getting "true centers" such as Erick Dampier (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3117) and DeSagana Diop (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3518) has really helped them. With the Mavs' slowing things down to let the big fellas get upcourt, they can crash the glass and use their size to get an abundance of second shots. Dampier, though disappointing in many other ways, has the league's best Offensive Rebound Rate (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics?sort=orr&qual=true&pos=all), while Diop ranks ninth. (http://www.orangemane.com/BB/)
Perhaps the most amazing part is what the Mavs are doing as passers. Or rather, not doing. For all the talk we hear about the importance of point guards, and particularly of Nash in Phoenix, the Mavs are providing a glaring exception to the rule. Dallas has the league's best offense even though it ranks 27th in the NBA in (http://www.orangemane.com/BB/)Assist Rate (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics?sort=orr&qual=true&pos=all). (Phoenix, as you might have guessed, is first.)
And if you just go by the percentage of made baskets that are assisted, Dallas is dead last, according to 82Games.com -- barely half of the Mavs' baskets have come thanks to a pass (50.3 percent; the league average is 57.3 percent and Phoenix is third at 64.7 percent).

http://espn-att.starwave.com/media/nba/2006/0302/photo/g_nowitzki_195.jpg
Tim Heitman/Getty Images
Dirk is one of the toughest one-on-one matchups in the league.


In other words, the Mavs have risen to the top by playing more of that supposedly outdated, selfish, one-on-one, isolation basketball than anybody else.
They certainly have the personnel for it. Dallas has two shoot-first point guards in Jason Terry (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3333) and Devin Harris (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3822), guys who come off a screen looking to fire away or get to the basket rather than drop it off to the screener. Their wing players are guys such as Jerry Stackhouse (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3005), Josh Howard (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3732) and Marquis Daniels (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3764) -- just OK on the catch-and-shoot, but blazing fast when they take their man off the dribble. Dirk Nowitzki (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3252) is a great catch-and-shoot guy, but also can terrorize shorter forwards on post-ups or by just shooting over them. And Dampier and Diop, of course, have clearly been told not to expect the ball unless it hits the rim first.
All those one-on-one drives have another effect as well: The Mavs shoot a ton of foul shots. While Nash's Suns are dead last in the league in free throws per field-goal attempt, the Mavs rank fifth. They're good at them, too, hitting 76.5 percent. Meanwhile, the 3-pointer has been relegated to secondary status in the Dallas attack. Only about one shot in six by Dallas is from downtown, well below the league average, and individually only Terry, Nowitzki, and Keith Van Horn (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3169) take the shot with any frequency.
Perhaps no individual Mav personifies this shift in modus operandi better than Nowitzki, who had a whopping 74 percent of his baskets assisted by a teammate in 2003-04, but only 53 percent a year later when Nash left (he's at 54 percent this year). Obviously, Nowitzki had to find a very different way to get his shots, and the 7-footer has done it by shooting fewer 3-pointers and posting up at the elbow more often for turnarounds against overmatched power forwards.
So maybe we need to throw out that wimpy, Western basketball stereotype that has been associated with the Mavs. Forget the defense part -- look at this offense. It has smashmouth, East Coast basketball written all over it. Instead of a frantic pace with 3-pointers raining from all over the place, Dallas has slowed the pace, pounded the glass, and beaten opponents with one-on-one play in the half court. And the Mavs are doing it so well that they're the best offensive team in basketball.
Thus, when San Antonio faces Dallas tonight, the Spurs will be looking at a very different Mavericks team than what we've become accustomed to. Yes, the defense is there, but the real story of these Mavericks is an offensive overhaul that's been more successful than anyone could have imagined.

[Rulon Velvet Jones]

Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. - Aaron Levenstein

Duncan is hurting more than we're being led to believe.

Going to miss Devin Harris for tonight, but it's all good.

Mavs Drumline is the balls.

Amare back in late March? Good luck with all that. I'll believe it when I see it.

[TheManeMan]

whats the spread llama??

ludo dont mind rulon...he's been hating on the Manchild for awhile now!

[epicSocialism4tw]

Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. - Aaron Levenstein

Duncan is hurting more than we're being led to believe.

Going to miss Devin Harris for tonight, but it's all good.

Mavs Drumline is the balls.

Amare back in late March? Good luck with all that. I'll believe it when I see it.

That drumline is awful. Every one of those guys sounds like they have never seen a metronome before. Who plays that kind of shrill gobbledeygook anyhow?

[epicSocialism4tw]

whats the spread llama??

ludo dont mind rulon...he's been hating on the Manchild for awhile now!

I think that its Dallas by 5. I cant believe I just typed that. How the heck is Dallas favored in SA by that margin? Sounds odd.

[Rulon Velvet Jones]

I thought I saw SA by 5.

HOW DARE you rip the drumline?!!!? :)

[ro_50]

I hope my Spurs play well tonight against a great team.

Avery Johnson has done wonders for them and I'm proud of him.

[epicSocialism4tw]

I thought I saw SA by 5.

HOW DARE you rip the drumline?!!!? :)

Those quads sound as clean as trashcan lids and the guys look like a bunch of mini-randy galloways on PCP. :)

[TheManeMan]

well if the Spurs are favored...imma unload on the Dallas moneyline...

[ludo21]

Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. - Aaron Levenstein

Duncan is hurting more than we're being led to believe.

Going to miss Devin Harris for tonight, but it's all good.

Mavs Drumline is the balls.

Amare back in late March? Good luck with all that. I'll believe it when I see it.


He is already back in practice playing 5 v 5. I would wait till April, but if he is ready to go, what would be the sense of waiting on him to come back?

MM, Amare is a beast. And Marion has been AMAZING since the break.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=pho

44 points 15 boards
31 points 24 boards
30 points 18 boards
29 points 18 boards

WOW!

[epicSocialism4tw]

well if the Spurs are favored...imma unload on the Dallas moneyline...

I just looked at the ESPN.com preview page and it says that Dallas opened at 2 as the favorite and is now up to 5.

[Rulon Velvet Jones]

Spurs -5

Dallas (+190)
SA (-230)

Per bodog.com

[FADERPROOF]

I would change "mas grande" to the english translation, but I dont want a certain whiner to PM me in order to cry about it.

[TheManeMan]

Wow...Dallas as the underdog sounds way too good to be true...dropin' a hundred pays out 290...

[epicSocialism4tw]

He is already back in practice playing 5 v 5. I would wait till April, but if he is ready to go, what would be the sense of waiting on him to come back?

MM, Amare is a beast. And Marion has been AMAZING since the break.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=pho

44 points 15 boards
31 points 24 boards
30 points 18 boards
29 points 18 boards

WOW!


I'll tell you why: he had microfracture surgery on a degenerating knee to salvage his career.

Here are a few players that have had microfracture surgeries: Chris Webber, Allen Houston, Penny Hardaway, Jason Kidd, Terrell Davis, Eddie Najera, etc.

Its safe to say that not one of those players ever returned to anywhere near their pre surgery form. Not only that, but Stoudemire depends on his knees for explosiveness. If he misses that explosiveness, his game completely changes. Even if Stoudemire comes back this season, I wouldnt expect anywhere near the same production he had before the surgery.

[epicSocialism4tw]

I would change "mas grande" to the english translation, but I dont want a certain whiner to PM me in order to cry about it.


You are truly a petty boy.

[FADERPROOF]

You are truly a petty boy.

Actually most people don;t have a problem with me, just the few that can't take jokes and like to blow the smallest things out of proportion are the ones that don;t like me too much.

[ro_50]

Wow...Dallas as the underdog sounds way too good to be true...dropin' a hundred pays out 290...

They are playing in San Antonio, where the Spurs are nearly unbeatable at home but that doesnt mean the Mavs wont win, they have a great chance to.

Thats why the Spurs are the favorites going into the game.

The Mavs and Spurs are even right now to me.

I dont think there is any one clear cut best team yet, its three right now - the Mavs, Spurs and Pistons.

[epicSocialism4tw]

Actually most people don;t have a problem with me, just the few that can't take jokes and like to blow the smallest things out of proportion are the ones that don;t like me too much.

You can count me in the latter, but I would say that it's because you put words into my mouth that didnt come out of it. The thread was titled "football" instead of soccer intentionally. Just like you to sensor something you dont agree with and to try to snuff out other people's ideas. Good job moderating. You are a communist. Congrats.

[TheManeMan]

Thanks for clearing that up for me ro...but, I know all that info...aside from all that...how many times Dallas has been an underdog how many times this year?

[Rulon Velvet Jones]

Underdogs this year?

I think in the 1st PHX game, maybe against the Pistons the 1st time out (Dallas won by 37) and likely the 1st SA game in Dallas.

Forgetting some others, I'd say maybe 4-5 times.

[TheManeMan]

haha...thanks for answering rulon...but, it was a rhetorical question...either way...Money is to be had on the Mavs tonight!

[epicSocialism4tw]

haha...thanks for answering rulon...but, it was a rhetorical question...either way...Money is to be had on the Mavs tonight!

Im not sure about that...It'll be a tough one.

[TheManeMan]

The bet is in...Moneyline Dallas...100 for 290...I'm a gamblin' man llama...lets hope your boys pull it out... ;)

[ludo21]

The bet is in...Moneyline Dallas...100 for 290...I'm a gamblin' man llama...lets hope your boys pull it out... ;)


if i bet, it would be on the Spurs. Sorry you will be losing ur money bro. ;)

[yavoon]

****ing hate the nba, practically just gives star players fouls.

lebron choking, trying to do everything, bailed out by a foul, then proceeds to choke the free throws away. JUST LET HIM CHOKE, no need to bail him out.

again ppl just GET HANDED FOULS. god.

[epicSocialism4tw]

****ing hate the nba, practically just gives star players fouls.

lebron choking, trying to do everything, bailed out by a foul, then proceeds to choke the free throws away. JUST LET HIM CHOKE, no need to bail him out.

again ppl just GET HANDED FOULS. god.

Yep.

[epicSocialism4tw]

Go Mavs!

[epicSocialism4tw]

LeBron and his Cavs are choking at monumental levels right now. I feel bad for the guy. He has so much pressure on him and he's still just a kid.

[ludo21]

ROFL!

Cleveland choked the game away AGAIN!

"King" James, haha, right......

edit: but he is doing it all by himself!


wooowoowowowowo Cleveland ahead!!

[epicSocialism4tw]

ROFL!

Cleveland choked the game away AGAIN!

"King" James, haha, right......

edit: but he is doing it all by himself!


wooowoowowowowo Cleveland ahead!!

That was a big shot by Murray. LeBron folded like a house of cards in the clutch. You could see on his face that he didnt want that shot.

[ZachKC]

Go Mavs.

[ludo21]

man i just cant wach a full NBA game anymore. I gotta flip the channel.

[epicSocialism4tw]

So far, Dallas looks like the better team. Even if they lose this one, no one can say that they arent on SA's level. They obviously are. SA has looked afraid for the first half.

[WABronco]

Dallas beat SA's ass in the first...

[epicSocialism4tw]

These two teams are feeling each other out playoff-style. Regular season games like this are rare.

[ro_50]

Dallas beat SA's ass in the first...

Yet, the Spurs are only down by two at the half.

[ro_50]

So far, Dallas looks like the better team. Even if they lose this one, no one can say that they arent on SA's level. They obviously are. SA has looked afraid for the first half.

Who ever said they werent on the Spurs level, maybe it was some in the media.

But I think they are on the Spurs level.

And BTW, The Spurs do not play afraid. The Mavs defense was good in the first half and forced them into Turnovers.

Its laughable to me when people question the Spurs toughness or if they are afraid.

THEY ARE NOT.

[WaffleBoy]

Who ever said they werent on the Spurs level, maybe it was some in the media.

But I think they are on the Spurs level.

And BTW, The Spurs do not play afraid. The Mavs defense was good in the first half and forced them into Turnovers.

Its laughable to me when people question the Spurs toughness or if they are afraid.

THEY ARE NOT.

Well, as long as Duncan is at 75 percent and they have the current flat-footed frontline, the Mavs have a shot. However, I still believe the Spurs will beat them when it matters.

The Boy Wonder :super:

[epicSocialism4tw]

Well, as long as Duncan is at 75 percent and they have the current flat-footed frontline, the Mavs have a shot. However, I still believe the Spurs will beat them when it matters.

The Boy Wonder :super:

was that a Barkley paraphrase?

[WaffleBoy]

was that a Barkley paraphrase?

nope, just observation.

The Boy Wonder :super:

[TheManeMan]

I'm just sitting here wishing I took the - 5 instead...:hitself:

C'mon Mavs...

[ludo21]

if i bet, it would be on the Spurs. Sorry you will be losing ur money bro. ;)


hate to say i told ya so MM, but , I told ya so... :rofl:

Still time left for me to eat my words tho.

[TheManeMan]

Oh well, I bet with my poker earnings...

[Finger Roll]

The Mavs are nothing but a regular season team. They'll get trounced in the playoffs again by either the Spurs or the Suns if stoudimare is healthy

[epicSocialism4tw]

The Mavs are nothing but a regular season team. They'll get trounced in the playoffs again by either the Spurs or the Suns if stoudimare is healthy

And you can tell that from a regular season road game at the end of a 6-0 run? Dallas played with the Spurs all night. It was a playoff type game, and the Spurs needed this one as much as Dallas did.

[Finger Roll]

how many times have the Mavs won 55-62 games in the regular season and looked pathetic in the post season? Just about every year. Their the Atlanta Braves of Basketball.

[yavoon]

how many times have the Mavs won 55-62 games in the regular season and looked pathetic in the post season? Just about every year. Their the Atlanta Braves of Basketball.

none.

[ro_50]

And you can tell that from a regular season road game at the end of a 6-0 run? Dallas played with the Spurs all night. It was a playoff type game, and the Spurs needed this one as much as Dallas did.

I'm sorry, the Spurs didnt need this one as much as the Mavs did.

You cant be serious on that.

The Spurs have been there and done it. They know what it takes to win the ring. THEY ARE THE DEFENDING CHAMPS.

The Mavs needed this more than the Spurs did because they are trying to get to where the Spurs and Pistons are.

But this Mavs team is damn good and have a great chance to make it to the Finals this year.

This is their best team to make it to the Finals.

[Finger Roll]

none.

True aleast the braves one a championship the Mavs won none. You're correct.

[yavoon]

True aleast the braves one a championship the Mavs won none. You're correct.

none was actually the answer to ur question, sorry to confuse u.

[Finger Roll]

I'm sorry, the Spurs didnt need this one as much as the Mavs did.

You cant be serious on that.

The Spurs have been there and done it. They know what it takes to win the ring. THEY ARE THE DEFENDING CHAMPS.

The Mavs needed this more than the Spurs did because they are trying to get to where the Spurs and Pistons are.

But this Mavs team is damn good and have a great chance to make it to the Finals this year.

This is their best team to make it to the Finals.


I'll eat my shoe if the Mavs make it to the Finals. As much as I hate The Spurs I'd be shocked if anybody in the West beats them in the playoffs. Although I think Detroit will beat them in the Finals this year. That's the problem with the NBA everything is so predictable

[epicSocialism4tw]

how many times have the Mavs won 55-62 games in the regular season and looked pathetic in the post season? Just about every year. Their the Atlanta Braves of Basketball.


The Mavs have never looked pathetic in the post season. They have always lost to teams with better records that had home court in the series. The reason that they have gotten a bad rap is because they always are the underdog that looks like they can beat the favorite.

The Mavericks have finished with 60 wins once. That season they lost to the Spurs in the western conference finals 4-2 after Dirk went down with a knee injury in game 3. At that point, Dallas was tied 1-1 after taking a game from SA in SA. In the games of that series, Dirk had averaged 30.5 pts and 12.5 rebounds in that series until game 3 when he got injured. Ahh, but that's nothing, right? Dirk averaged 25.3 points and 11.5 boards in the playoffs that season. Dirk had obviously taken his game to the next level against the future champion Spurs before his injury.

The Mavericks finished with 58 wins once and were eliminated in the second round by Phoenix in a competitive series where the teams took turns winning games. Phoenix won the series on a last second shot by Nash in Dallas to squash a game 7. Nash was a freak in that series. It's undoubtedly the best he has ever played in his NBA career. Dallas was the lower-seeded away team in the series.

The Mavericks finished with 52 wins in 03-04 in the discombobulated Walker/Jamison season. They were lucky to get that many wins. That season was a disaster. Nellie wanted Walker to distribute the ball instead of Nash (looking back, can you believe that crap?) and Walker completely flubbed up the whole show. Nellie's fascination with the point forward took the ball out of Dirk, Nash, Finley, Jamison, Josh Howard, and Marquis Daniels' hands. What a joke. Dallas lost an away series to Sac in the first round in an away series that season.

In 01-02, Dallas pounded Garnett and his Wolves in the first round 3-0. Dirk dominated Garnett in the series, averaging 33.5 points and 15.7 rebounds to Garnett's 24.0 points and 18.7 rebounds. In the second round, Dallas was beaten in an away series by a superior Sacramento team that went on to challenge the Lakers in the conference finals.

In 00-01, Dirk and Dallas let the league know that they were going to be around for awhile. Dallas finished with 52 wins and the 5 seed. They went into Utah on an away series and lost two, won the next two, and beat the heavily favored Malone/Stockton Jazz in Utah in game 5 to win the series. Dirk was in his third season at this point and was a spry 21 year old. Dirk averaged 23.8 points and 7.6 rebounds against Utah. Dallas lost to the championship-favored #1 seed Spurs in the next round 4-1.


To sum it up, the modern Mavs have never lost in a playoff series where it had home court advantage and Dirk has played extremely well in the post season against big name teams and players. He has outperformed both Duncan and Garnett in the playoffs in the past. In his third year, he gave Malone fits and ended up beating a heavily favored Malone/Stockton team. There are plenty of media-led myths that surround Dallas, and its a shame that people buy into them so readily.

There are three things that Dallas hasnt done: beat the Spurs to win the SW division during Duncan's tenure, beat the Spurs to get into the finals, and win the league championship. There are scores of teams that havent been able to do that including Phoenix, Sacramento, and Dallas in the West.

[epicSocialism4tw]

I'm sorry, the Spurs didnt need this one as much as the Mavs did.

Sure the Spurs did. They were trailing Dallas by a game in the standings and were playing at home. The pressure was on them.


The Spurs have been there and done it. They know what it takes to win the ring. THEY ARE THE DEFENDING CHAMPS.

Nobody said that they werent. That's part of the reason why they needed the game. Dallas was ahead of them in the standings.

The Mavs needed this more than the Spurs did because they are trying to get to where the Spurs and Pistons are.

The Mavs are trying to win the southwest. That's why they needed the game. It was a road game for Dallas.

But this Mavs team is damn good and have a great chance to make it to the Finals this year.

This is their best team to make it to the Finals.

Its their best chance since 02-03 for sure. Dirk was dominating the series with SA before he went down in game 3 of the western finals that season. They had a really good shot before he went down. The series was tied 1-1 with Dallas winning the opener in SA.

[ro_50]

He has outperformed both Duncan and Garnett in the playoffs in the past.



What you said in your post was all true except that LINE.

How can you say he's outperformed TD in the playoffs in the past.

Are you talking about head to head or just overall?

TD is a three-time NBA Finals MVP. Dirk hasn't gotten past the WCF yet.

Sure in 2003 they had a good chance but that game 3 where Dirk got injured, the Mavs blew a big lead and the Spurs were up when he went down.

The Spurs would have won that year regardless if Dirk was there or not. It would have gone to 7 but Spurs would have won in my book.

[epicSocialism4tw]

How can you say he's outperformed TD in the playoffs in the past.

Are you talking about head to head or just overall?

Head-to-head in his time in the WCF pre-injury. In game one, Dirk had 38 and 15. Duncan had 40 and 15 in the same game, but Dirk's play determined the outcome. Other than that, Duncan beat him head-to-head in their first meeting in Dirk's third season.

Sure in 2003 they had a good chance but that game 3 where Dirk got injured, the Mavs blew a big lead and the Spurs were up when he went down.

That series was not decided when Dirk went down. The Spurs went on to win, but Dallas took them to 6 without Dirk. Its reasonable to say that Dirk would have had a positive effect on the Mavs' chances if he had played for the remaining games.