C&R: SPURS VS. MAVS EDITION
Now That's Good Stuff!
Posted by By Brad Friedman on May 18, 2006 12:09 p.m. ET
"Never has a game or a series
been up for grabs in the final seconds like this one," writes Liz Robbins in Thursday's
New York Times.
"He (Manu Ginobili) made one of two free throws that proved to be the
final score of the game. Craziness ensued for the final two minutes."
-- [
New York Times]
The San Antonio Spurs barely lived to play another game Wednesday night, achieving a season-saving 98-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Ironically, they did it with defense after being burned for 113.3 points per game in Dallas' three wins.
-- [NBA.com]
The Mavericks' best chance to close the series in last night's
thriller came on Dirk Nowitzki's foul line jumper in the waning moments
but the attempt was smothered by Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, causing a
jump ball with 6.3 seconds left.
"Bruce Bowen scored zero points. He took zero shots. He attempted zero
free throws," writes Buck Harvey in today's San Antonio Express News.
"No wonder he reached up at the end to put his hand on Dirk Nowitzki's jumper."
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
Manu Ginobili came up with a couple of scrappy plays of his own down the stretch as well.
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
Dallas never got a clean look after Bowen's stuff. Jason Terry's
fallaway jumper missed the rim entirely and Nowitzki could not follow
up as the horn sounded.
After the contest, Terry placed the blame for the loss on himself.
"With 2.4 seconds left, I should have been able to get to the basket," Terry said in the Dallas Morning News. "It's my fault."
-- [Dallas Morning News]
DUNCAN CONTINUES HIS HUGE SERIES
Tim Duncan tied an NBA playoff record
by hitting his first 12 field goals, and was unstoppable in the first
half, going for 28 points. For the contest, he tallied 36 points on
13-of-19 shooting and 12 rebounds.
-- [Dallas Morning News]
Maybe Duncan was playing with a chip on his shoulder after failing to make First Team All-NBA yesterday for the first time in his career.
-- [NBA.com]
Though Nowitzki did earn a spot on the squad, one Dallas beat writer thinks he's got to play more like Duncan in the postseason for the Mavs to grab a Game 6 win.
-- [Dallas Morning News]
A different Dallas scribe isn't nearly as concerned: "Don't panic. Don't worry. Don't sweat it. This series ends Friday in Dallas."
-- [Dallas Morning News]
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
Four different starting lineups in four games. Zero fourth quarter second chance points. Four fouls in 2:54. The San Antonio Express-News attempts to reveal the hidden keys to last night's Spurs victory.
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
A GIFT
They say "it's the thought that counts" but I have a feeling Tony Parker wouldn't have felt very good about his 24th birthday present if it wasn't a win. The cake and the song were nice though. Parker did his part in achieving the victory, posting 27 points.
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
Return of the Jedi?
Posted by By Brad Friedman on May 17, 2006 11:35 p.m. ET
Just look at Jedi Knight
Obi-Wan Ginobili. The Force is with him. Can Manu and the Spurs use The Force to turn this series around?
-- [
BenOrtiz.com]
I'd say it's possible, given one doesn't need to go too far back in
NBA history to find a team that has successfully rallied back from a
3-1 series deficit. The Suns did it in the First Round against the Lakers this season, and on Tuesday, Phoenix forward Boris Diaw gave fellow French countryman Tony Parker a call.
-- [NBA.com]
"He said you feel like everything is not going your way, like it's not your year," Parker said in the San Antonio Express News. "But they came back. It's a good example to follow."
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
Peter Vecsey asks in Wednesday's New York Post, "What
makes me believe the Spurs have any chance to overcome those odds?
Because the past has nothing to do with what went on Monday night,
what'll happen on the court tonight, and what's going on in the resilient minds of a championship squad secure in its superiority and whose wagons are circled in adversity."
-- [New York Post]
"Amazingly," Spurs forward Robert Horry told the Washington
Post, "when we came in today, nobody was down. Usually, when you come
in guys are complaining or moaning about what's going on. Everybody was cheerful. Everybody is looking forward to getting back out on the court and getting a win."
-- [Washington Post]
Former Spurs executive Bob Bass tells the San Antonio Express-News he believes the squad has a heck of a shot at coming back and winning the series.
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
San Antonio fans weigh in with their thoughts as well.
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
A warning to those Spurs fans: the Fort Worth Star-Telegram lists the Spurs' playoff history with coach Gregg Popovich and star Tim Duncan when facing elimination, and it ain't pretty.
-- [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
This and That
Mavs guard Jason Terry says sticking to the system will be the key in his playoffs diary.
-- [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
Dirk Nowitzki sings to himself at the line before big free throws, and you'd never guess whose music he's singing.
-- [Dallas Morning News]
Terry Plays Hero As the Mavs Take 3-1 Lead
Posted by By Brad Friedman on May 16, 2006 12:04 p.m. ET
Kevin Sherrington in Tuesday's Dallas Morning News writes,
"Take a close look, commissioner: You just watched the Mavs grow up
before your very eyes. Only eight teams have come back from a 3-1
series deficit, and the Spurs don't have any experience in the matter.
"This one's over."
-- [Dallas Morning News, Reg req'd]
Jason Terry's rainbow jumper late in overtime capped one of the
best playoff games in recent memory and put the exclamation point on
the Mavericks' thrilling 123-118 overtime Game 4 victory over the Spurs, whose title defense suddenly is in major trouble.
-- [NBA.com]
In this series, and perhaps even over his entire Dallas tenure, Terry
has been the forgotten man in the Big D. From the time he arrived two
years ago after four seasons in a starring role with the Hawks, Terry
was overlooked, getting relegated to the bench on opening night of the
2004-05 season in favor of a rookie point guard named Devin Harris.
On Monday night, the story of the Mavericks' critical Game 4
win wasn't Harris, whose strong series has gained him a newfound
respect in the league. Nor was it Dirk Nowitzki, who's strong season
has gained him a newfound respect as well.
It was Terry, whose stat-line of 32 points and five assists only tell half the story of his efforts, as Spurs beat writer Mike Finger highlights.
-- [San Antonio Express News]
"Over the final 12:06,
Terry scored 14 points. Three times in the fourth quarter, Terry hit
jumpers either to pull the Mavericks within a point, tie the score or
give them the lead. His last shot of regulation, which put the
Mavericks ahead 109-108 with 23 seconds left, came when he calmly threw
in a shot from near the top of the key after receiving a pass from
Harris.
"'(Terry) is one of the best clutch players I've ever played with," Dirk Nowitzki said. "He doesn't care how much time is on the clock.'"
|
A Back-and-Forth Affair
On the Spurs side, there were critical shots hit and missed, from
Michael Finley's big three-pointer, to Tony Parkers' missed free throws
to Tim Duncan's failed hook shot. For the contest, Duncan, Parker and
Manu Ginobili
totaled 90 points and 19 rebounds in their best game of the season.
-- [
Forth Worth Star-Telegram]
"It's a heavyweight fight," Mavs coach Avery Johnson said in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "A slugfest. Boy, each team was throwing punches. Fortunately, we had a little more in the tank."
-- [Forth Worth Star-Telegram]
Time Running Out For Spurs?
As Dallas columnists essentially say the series is over, like
here and
here, Liz Robbins'
New York Times article "In Race Against Time, Spurs Lose a Step" examines if age is a factor in the series --
11 of the 13 players on the Spurs' playoff roster were born in the 1970's.
-- [
Dallas Morning News, New York Times Reg req'd]
Spurs guard Brent
Barry "acknowledged that the question of age was relevant. 'It will
have to play itself out,' he said. 'Hopefully, that experience will
help us. I thought it did in the last game. We kept battling back. We
found ways to keep ourselves in the ballgame. That's what not only good
teams do, but veteran teams.'"
|
The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung
Call
me crazy but I think those who believe this series is "over" are being
preemptive. It wouldn't at all surprise me if the experience helped the
Spurs, and they forced a Game 7, and won it. San Antonio is too good of
a team from a mental standpoint not to have a fighting chance. Just
this season we saw the Suns storm back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the
Lakers.
No Pain, No Gain: Dirk to Play Tonight in Game 4
Posted by By Brad Friedman on May 15, 2006 11:15 a.m. ET
What
will it take for Dirk Nowitzki to sit out Game 4 after rolling his
ankle in a Game 3 Mavericks win that gave Dallas a 2-1 series edge?
"If I lose a leg," Nowitzki told reporters after not practicing Sunday.
-- [New York Times, Reg req'd]
The Mavericks star forward will play Monday night when Dallas hosts San Antonio in a critical contest for both sides.
"It's pretty stiff," Nowitzki said about the ankle. "I rolled it
pretty good, and I got up every two hours to ice it. It's got a little
swelling, and it's nothing I haven't seen before."
-- [Dallas Morning News, Reg req'd]
"He knows what's at stake," teammate Jerry Stackhouse added. "No way I see him not being out there."
2-1 Can Become 2-2 in a Heartbeat
The momentum of this series is certainly in favor of the Mavericks,
winners of two straight and having the homecourt advantage in tonight's
game. But Dallas fans shouldn't begin celebrating just yet. San Antonio
has won three NBA titles since 1999. They're a savvy team with enough
playoff experience to know not to panic.
As the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen writes, "having suffered such a crushing defeat (Saturday in Game 3), the Spurs did not seem to feel all that crushed."
-- [Houston Chronicle]
Manu Ginobili tells Johnny Ludden in Monday's the team isn't lost like 'everybody thinks.'
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
Michael Finley said it's important to remain "mentally consistent"
even when the press is anticipating a victory parade one moment and
then writing your obituary the next. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says
that's just the reality of the playoffs.
-- [Dallas Morning News, Reg req'd]
Happy Mother's Day!
Also according to Ludden's article, after a late-game goof Saturday by
Jerry Stackhouse which gave the Spurs a shot at winning the contest,
Stackhouse couldn't even draw sympathy from his own mother. -- [
San Antonio Express-News]
Jason Terry Diary
Mavs point guard
Jason Terry posted a diary entry Monday for the Forth Worth Star-Telegram. Here's an excerpt:
-- [
Star-Telegram]
"I think we're all
playing with confidence now, because we're playing our tempo and our
style. And when we're doing that and getting stops on the defensive
end, we're a tough team to beat. It's the playoffs, and the champs are
just not going to go away. If you get up 10 or 12 , the lead is not
safe. You have to continue to do what got you the lead, and I thought
we went away from that [during portions of Game 3]. We didn't run as
much, so our job coming into Game 4 is to keep that pace up for 48
minutes."
|
A Little Assistance
I have to admit, I was shocked at the
boxscore Saturday night: Dallas won
andscored 104 points with only 12 assists, with Terry contributing four
and Devin Harris, the other starting guard, putting up a donut.
-- [
NBA.com]
Kevin Sherrington of the The Dallas Morning News
touches on this in today's column, writing "the amazing aspect of the
Mavs' highly effective offense is that they don't have a true point
guard and they're not good passers, either."
-- [Dallas Morning News, Reg req'd]
Tony vs. Devin
According to the
New York Times,
"Harris had scored 20 points in the Mavericks' first five playoff games
combined, averaging 13.8 minutes. In the past two games, he averaged 22
points and 35 minutes, shooting 53.8 percent from the field and
outplaying his Spurs counterpart, Tony Parker."
-- [
New York Times]
Robert Horry told the paper Harris is "getting to the rack. His speed
is great, his change of direction is really good. I'm starting to think
with Tony's leg the way it is, he's a little faster than Tony."
The San Antonio Express-News' Ludden agrees, and tells us that
Popovich claims without Tim Duncan -- averaging 31.3 points and 11.3
rebounds while shooting 61.4 percent this series – playing like "MVP
Timmy," San Antonio would "be in a lot of trouble."
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
Duncan posted a number of career-lows during the regular season, so it's nice to see him getting back to his old self.
His Own Man
Popovich doesn't want the media to call Mavs coach and former Spurs point guard Avery Johnson a Popovich protégé anymore.
"He's been in the league 90 years," the Spurs coach said.
-- [Star-Telegram]
The Video Links
•
NBA TV previews Monday's action
•
TNT previews Game 4
Expect Changes, But a Team Is What It Is
Posted by By Brad Friedman on May 12, 2006 11:32 a.m. ET
The Playoffs are about adjustments. It's a chess match in which teams
are constantly adapting to the strategy of the opponent in the previous
contest.
In Game 2, Dallas did just that by swapping Adrian Griffin with
Devin Harris in the lineup to add more scoring, and it worked, to the
tune of a 28-point increase.
Rest assured, Gregg Popovich and his team are hard at work figuring out a way to counter that in Game 3. But as the Star Telegram's Art Garcia writes, there's only so many identities a team can take on:
"How many game-deciding, momentum-turning changes can either
team really make? What hasn't one side -- or one coach -- not seen from
the other?"
-- [DFW Star-Telegram]
As Mavs coach Avery Johnson said in the paper: "It still gets
down to basic basketball. Pick-and-rolls, post-ups, isolations,
transition defense, rebounding."
The San Antonio's Express-News' Mike Finger believes the Mavericks' Game 2 strategy wasn't any sort of new change but rather Dallas reverting back to its old ways:
"Tuesday's romp was evidence that they haven't completely abandoned their fast-paced roots."
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
Violence on Television
Perhaps the most interesting perspective on the series came
from a television columnist:-- [
San Antonio Express-News]
"Boy, I thought I'd
grown somewhat immune to violence on TV, but I can't get a recent
telecast out of my head because of all the battering and bloodletting.
I'm talking about the most recent Spurs-Mavericks contest, which had
tempers flaring, bodies colliding and Manu Ginobili's mouth bleeding.
Switching back and forth Tuesday between that and this week's
"Sopranos" repeat, I'd say HBO's mobster series was almost tame next to
the game. Even the usually smiling Eva Longoria looked concerned." |
Manu Mania, The Other Kind
A couple of good articles on the challenges the banged-up Manu Ginobili
faces appeared in the papers today: Check out stories from Dwaine Price
of the
Forth-Worth Star-Telegram and Johnny Ludden of the
San Antonio Express-News on the subject.
"I'm not carrying that energy or that confidence that I had last year," Ginobili said in the Dallas Forth-Worth Star-Telegram. "I've been very irregular this season."
Popovich explained why last year's playoff star has had trouble getting
on track: "He plays so frenetically and so dynamically that it's been
tough for him to get into a flow for a very long time, just because of
bumps and bruises. He's not that strong of a kid. He's not that big. So
when he gets an injury, it takes him a while to get back and to play
with it."
-- [DFW Star-Telegram]
Nick's Disappearing Nights
According to the
San Antonio-Express News,
one of the reasons current Spurs backup point guard Nick Van Exel was
signed last summer was because of the Spurs' memories of his clutch
performances against them while Van Exel was a Maverick in the 2003
Western Conference Finals. The once-feared scorer averaged 19.5 points
per game during the Mavs' 20 postseason contests.
This year, Van Exel's shooting 17.4 percent in the playoffs. Even so, Van Exel isn't being particularly hard on himself.
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
Spurs' Parker, Ginobili Benefit From Three-Day Layoff
Posted by By Brad Friedman on May 11, 2006 11:08 a.m. ET
In Thursday's San Antonio Express-News, Spurs beat writer Johnny Ludden's article
"At last, a lengthy
lengthy break" dicusses
the beneficial timing of Game 3 for San Antonio.
-- [
San Antonio Express-News]
The Spurs engaged in a hard-fought six game series with Sacramento
in the First Round, and didn't arrive back in San Antonio until the day
before Game 1 of the conference semifinals tipped off. Though the club
shook off their fatigue to manage a two-point home win over Dallas in
Game 1, the hectic schedule took it's toll in Game 2.
Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker combined for just 28 points, and Parker, in particular, seemed pretty timid and banged up thanks to his slew of aches and pains. The three off days couldn't come at a better time for both players.
-- [Rebel Ballin']
Ludden writes, "Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker shuffled between
the massage table and the whirlpool Wednesday afternoon, each doing
well enough to remember what hurts where."
"For more than a week — even with Parker's bruises having bruises and
Ginobili needing a bandage to cover a gash above his chin — Popovich
has declared his two guards 'fine.' But while the everybody-plays-hurt,
no-excuses mantra is noble, there is a difference between feeling
'fine' and 'good,' and as fine as Ginobili and Parker may be, they most certainly aren't good."
-- [San Antonio Express-News]
Perhaps that's why the Spurs have shot 26.9 percent from three-point
range in the series, well below the 38.5 percent they converted during
the regular season. In fact, outside of Tim Duncan,
Spurs' players are struggling to put the ball in the hole from
anywhere. Duncan's shooting 58.8 percent through two games, compared to
the rest of the team's mark of 38.8 percent.
-- [DFW Star-Telegram]
SI.com's Chris Ballard looks at what's missing
by pointing out Spurs centers Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed have
totaled one point in 23 minutes in this series. The franchise attempted
to get more help for Duncan last offseason by signing free agent
Fabricio Oberto, considered one of the top players in Europe, but the
31-year-old NBA rookie managed to muster just 1.7 points and 2.1
rebounds per game this year and can't crack the rotation.
-- [SI.com]
San Antonio owns the draft rights to talented Lithuanian big man Robertas Javtokas, prompting one fan to ponder whether he'll be in a Spurs uniform next season:
-- [Real GM]
"Are you guys bringing
him over next season? I'm surprised you got him too. He's far better
than rasho or nazr imo and the guy can jump through the building.
You're team will be unbeatable with duncan and javtokas as bigs. imo.
He's an amazing defender and can get you 10-12 per(mostly dunks). What
an evil lineup." |
Evil? Sounds pretty good. But for now, they'll have to go with what
they got, and what they have is a roster that won 63 games and has
bounced back from adversity all year. Internet blog 20 Second Timeout believes the Spurs will do just that, again:
-- [20 Second Timeout]
"San Antonio narrowly
won the first game versus Dallas and got waxed in game two. Dallas
clearly is in the better position at the moment since the Mavs play the
next two games at home. The funny thing about the playoffs, though, is
that momentum changes from one game to the next. The Spurs are a
veteran laden team that is defending a title and they are more than
capable of winning a game (or two) in Dallas. I still expect San
Antonio to win this series."
|
Dallas Proves Worthy of Respect in Game 2
Posted by By Brad Friedman on May 10, 2006 12:04 p.m. ET
Take a look at the
expert's selections for this series on ESPN.com.
-- [
ESPN.com]
It didn't matter that the regular season series was split 2-2,
or that just three wins seperated these two teams in the Southwest
Division standings. It didn't matter that Dallas swept Memphis in the
First Round while the Spurs were getting a run for their money from No.
8 seed Sacramento.
Four out of five journalists picked San Antonio to win it, and
of the Spurs believers, only John Hollinger believed the series would
last seven games. Where's the respect?
Last night, Dallas proved that, perhaps, they aren't getting enough. After losing Game 1 on the road by just two points, the Mavericks blew out the Spurs in San Antonio, 113-91. Suddenly, a series victory seems more than attainable.
-- [NBA.com]
Avery Johnson changed the tide when he
tweaked his Game 2 starting lineup, replacing defensive swingman Adrian
Griffin with speedy up-tempo point guard Devin Harris. And what do you
know? Dallas scored 28 more points this time out -- the combined total
of the Spurs' starting backcourt in the contest.
Harris Proves To Be The Difference-Maker
With two point guards, Harris and Jason Terry in the starting lineup, Mavericks to played
their game on offense rather than letting the Spurs get them into another grind-it-out affair.
The Dallas Morning News writes "no one on the (coaching) staff raised
an eyebrow when (Avery) Johnson said Devin Harris would start."
"We had some pretty good statistical evidence from Mark [Cuban's]
people to back up the decision," assistant Del Harris told the paper.
"We felt like we at least needed a 95-point game to win. They're
difficult to beat in an 80-point game. We can push the ball better with Devin because he gives us two guards who can really get out and run."
-- [Dallas Morning News]
Dallas scored six fast break points in a decisive second quarter in which they went on a 15-3 run in less than five minutes to turn the game into a blowout. By intermission, the Mavs held a 20-point lead.
-- [Dallas Morning News]
For the game, Harris contributed 20 points and didn't commit a turnover for the contest.
"Simply put, Harris' speed and quickness broke down Pop's defense,"
wrote the Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Even his half-court
defense. And if anything can worry the Spurs, it's definitely that."
-- [DFW Star-Telegram]
The other hero of the contest
was Josh Howard, who according to the paper, "epitomized Dallas'
take-it-to-the-rim approach and led the team with 27 points. The Mavericks are now 20-0 when he scores 20 points."
-- [DFW Star-Telegram]
Howard tallied 27 points and nine rebounds for the game, and may be the heart and soul of this team. Dallas struggled during the regular season with an 8-6 record in his absence.
-- [Dallas Morning News]
OK, But What Was Up With the Spurs?
Yes, Dallas played great defense, but the Spurs' inability to hang with Dallas was partly their own fault. San Antonio "let things get out of hand
by not making a basket the last 6:59 of the (second) period, missing
its final nine shots," wrote the Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
-- [DFW Star Telegram]
Manu Ginobili was 1-of-5 in the first half, and finished with 13 for
the game. Quite obviously, the fact that the Mavs used two point guards
at once didn't create the defensive mismatch one might expect at the
two-guard slot, given how Ginobili performed.
"Is he hurt? Or just suffering from a Ron Artest hangover? For the second straight game, Ginobili didn't create any of his usual South of the Border disorder," reported SI.com.
-- [SI.com]
One theme San Antonio coaches and players continually brought up in their post-game comments was Dallas' aggressiveness.
Internet blog TrueHoop hits the nail on the head in its reaction to the game:
"How do you get a playoff blowout win in San Antonio? With attitude.
Watch the highlights of the Mavericks -Spurs last night. Just about
every Dallas player has a vicious scowl on their faces at all times. I don't know what's in their Gatorade bottles, but it's strong stuff. These guys are amped up."
-- [TrueHoop.com]
For the Spurs to bounce back, Tim Duncan, who had 28 points and nine
rebounds, is going to need more help from his teammates. Not only was
Ginobili not a big factor, but as the Maverick blog Rebel Ballin' points out Tony Parker "seemed pretty timid and banged up thanks to his slew of aches and pains."
-- [Rebel Ballin']
Lucky for Parker, Game 3 isn't until Saturday, offering him time to
rest. If Parker and Ginobili can't step up their game, then getting
past the Mavericks in this series will be far more difficult than the
experts originally predicted.
May 5 -- 
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