Sunday, April 29, 2007

The first must-win of the playoffs

Note: if you’re looking for my testimonial about how I’ve taken my heart back from the Mavericks, it’s the next post down

10:34 PM ET: Don’t trust them! They’ll only break your heart! (Mavs up 21–12)

10:35 PM ET: Reggie Miller just said that Dirk is showing up tonight, in contrast to past games. Perhaps. But in game three he made his first 3 shots scored Dallas’ first 8 points, all in the first three-and-a-half minutes of thee game. After that, he shot 4 of 13. We’ll see how this goes.

10:40 PM ET: I can’t believe we drew Dick Stockton as the announcer again. Reggie Miller makes it a little better.

10:49 PT ET: (Dallas up 30–21) Anyone else notice that Dallas had early leads in both their losses so far, but not in their one win?

11:02 PM ET: I wonder if Dirk is falling down needlessly over and over again, or if the refs just aren’t calling anything.

11:08 PM ET: Bad form, Avery: you can’t go after the refs about an illegal move by Golden State when you’re on the road. It just feeds the crowd.

11:13 PM ET: With the camera panning the cheering crowd, Dick Stockton just said: “Barnes and Terry separated…but here they are––time out on the floor!” I have no idea what that means.

11:15 PM ET: Why does he get to do that? Terry starts to lose control of the ball, and Matt Barnes barrels into him, diving for the ball––no call.

11:23 PM ET: I just heard this exchange:
  • Stockton: “This is the first game where the Warriors aren’t playing their style.”
  • Miller: “And they’re only down three.”
  • Stockton: “And the Mavericks deserve the credit.”

52 comments:

micah said...

Josh Howard is the man right now!

Anonymous said...

Scott, I'm really disappointed with you for giving up already. If you really have withdrawn from caring, then please disband the blog and don't comment on the team. The great thing about your blog was that you cared so much about the Mavs. Since that's not the case now, why bother? In fact, why are you even watching the game now? Why not use the extra time working on your papers?

micah said...

Ryan, good to see you back!

Un-freaking-believable on that half court shot. Let's go second half!

scoots said...

Ouch. Well, the short answer is, I’m curious about how the game (and the series) will turn out.

I do think I’m being too cynical in the main post for this game, so I should probably stop. I’ll keep reading and responding to comments, though.

micah said...

Now I'm getting mad. Did the half court shot make them believe that this is a lost cause? Can they at least try to guard the 3 point line?

Anonymous said...

Ok, fair enough. But if your if the blog from now on is written just out of your curiosity about how the Mavs will do the rest of the season, I don't know if I'll be that interested in reading it anymore. Regardless on how the Mavs do, does your detachment go into next season?

micah said...

Yeah baby! Let's quit talking about the blog and talk about the game. Keep the pressure up, Mavs!

BTW - The zone looks like it is pretty effective

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, I can't watch the game because I don't have cable and my friend, whom I usually watch the game with at his house, wasn't up for it tonight. I have to watch the internet update, which makes it hard to get a feel for how the Mavs are playing. I'll have to take your word for it, Micah.

Anonymous said...

From what I can tell, we've had a lot of turnovers. Is it ugly passes or just great defense by the Warriors?

micah said...

That stinks, Ryan! It has been a game of mini-runs. Golden State is having one now.

scoots said...

It’s a mix of things. A lot of it is just defensive pressure that the Warriors are putting on Dallas, forcing them into bad passes and 24-second clock violations.

scoots said...

Dirk looks whipped.

scoots said...

Also, the Warriors are reaching in and slapping at the ball a lot; it’s hard to tell whether it’s clean, but it’s working.

micah said...

It looks like you get rewarded for going out of control to the basket.

scoots said...

Stackhouse just got three really favorable calls in a row.

Anonymous said...

How do they always find a way to tie it up at the end of the period? For momentum purposes, it would be nice to make the last shot to take the lead or tie it up ourselves going into the new period.

scoots said...

Yeah, Baron Davis stole a deep inbounds pass and drove it in for a dunk.

micah said...

I get so nervous everytime Stack drives the ball. He is getting lucky tonight.

scoots said...

Back to Ryan’s earlier question: my checking out emotionally from this series is mostly a matter of self-preservation. I’m actually getting angry just watching the game, and, like I said, I can’t afford to go through another pair of crushing losses this week.

A lot of what’s making me angry this series is the physicality of the game. I have a lot of sympathy for Dirk in these games, because if Dirk were shoving Stephen Jackson the same way Jackson constantly shoves Dirk, they’d call a foul on him every time down. My gut says the refs lack respect for Dirk, and they ref him as if he were 300 pounds instead of 245. Or else Dirk’s just gutless.

The whole thing gives me flashbacks to pickup games in college, where I would get shoved around by a player who was just bigger than me, and there was nothing I could do about it. Basketball is rough, of course, but it feels like what the Warriors are getting away with is disproportionate. Again, it might just be that the Mavericks are playing weakly, but the result is the same. As a guy who’s usually the smallest one on the court when I play, watching a series like this just dredges up resentment. It’s a feeling of helplessness, and nothing makes me angrier.

Anonymous said...

32-foot three pointer by Stackhouse, according to the internet. Wow.

scoots said...

Yeah, shot clock was running down, and he banked it in. Turnabout is fair play, after Davis’s shot at the end of the first half.

scoots said...

Diop is rebounding strong.

scoots said...

The Mavericks have airballed at least 3 shots this game, most with the shot clock running out.

Anonymous said...

Close game. 5-point lead with 5:31 to go. I really hope we can pull this out. Dirk needs to hit his shots though. We seem to be getting a lot of rebounds; is it because we are hustling?

micah said...

Diop has been very good on the boards. If we win, he gets the game ball.

scoots said...

Yeah, I think so. I’ll try to give you steady updates as the game winds down.

scoots said...

That was a crazy 3 in the corner by Richardson, with three guys running at him.

scoots said...

Warriors are tipping passes like crazy.

micah said...

What a block by Stackhouse...maybe he will get the game ball!

scoots said...

*Great* block by Stackhouse. Richardson made a nice baseline cut and was about to get a huge dunk, and Stackhouse completely stuffed him *right* at the rim.

JKnott said...

I think Dallas is doing too much of that survival mode stuff. Don't rush it, of course, but it's better to score than to use up the whole clock, even if you are ahead and the team that likes to play a slower tempo!

scoots said...

Huge offensive board by Dirk for a layup (Stack had missed a 3 from the corner.

scoots said...

Another offensive board, but he missed the 10-footer this time.

Jackson’s 3 was from the corner, in transition.

scoots said...

Diop just got a big offensive rebound too, and he got fouled (fortunately, they weren't in the penalty--he's a horrible free throw shooter).

Anonymous said...

Why are we shooting so many threes!?!

JKnott said...

This is IT! We have to prove our heart NOW!!!

scoots said...

Howard just got stuck at the baseline, and he took a bad shot that resulted in a Baron Davis fast-break layup around Dirk.

scoots said...

I guess that’s what we’re getting open. Probably just drawn into it by playing Golden State, though.

scoots said...

Yeah, you've got that right.

scoots said...

Stackhouse just airballed an open 3-pointer. Then Warriors got a dunk on a nice pass.

scoots said...

Warriors just tipped the ball into the backcourt; Terry ran it down, but he got smothered and had to call a time out. Dallas only has one left.

scoots said...

Warriors just stole the ball from Terry off the dribble, almost got a layup. Shooting free throws.

scoots said...

Stackhouse traveled on a wild drive through the lane. Then Davis hit an open jumper, then Dirk airballed a 3. Terry got a 2, though.

scoots said...

Barnes was completely wide open on that 3.

scoots said...

Dallas is out of timeouts.

scoots said...

Dirk airballed another three--or barely drew rim, but he had a guy in face. Out of bounds to Dallas, then the found Dirk for a contested 3 from the top of the key.

scoots said...

Dirk hit another one!

scoots said...

Davis has one ft left, could put the Warriors up 3.

scoots said...

Bad inbounds pass. Didn't have much of a choice, because they had to throw the ball the full length of the court with 3 seconds left and no timeouts.

Anonymous said...

Mavs in 7?

JKnott said...

Avery did it again. He told them to slow it down when they were winning, and they lost. Got out of rhythm, when a DECENT last few minutes would have won it. Instead they play a DISMAL last few and barely lose. When will he learn that doesn't work?

micah said...

That sucked! They just beat us.....again.