TC Report: Want A Career Night? Step Right Up!

by Tony Clayton on April 3, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

Welp.

There you have it folks. Season on the ropes and we were thrown over like The Honky Tonk Man in the 1989 Royal Rumble (Wrestling reference).  Lying on the mat; done….. finished.  Sure, it was Shaq night and naturally, we gave up a triple double to Kobe.  But what was most bothersome, is that we surrendered a career night to Earl freaking Clark.  Earl Clark.  Just for reference, in the previous game vs. Dallas back in February, Clark scored 1 point in 4 minutes of action.

The year is 2010.  During that season the Mavs surrendered 52 points to Andre Miller and four days later let Monta Ellis score 46.  Both career highs.  Shortly after, Dirk had this gem of a quote that still resonates to this day.

“That’s what we do.  We give guys contract extensions”

It’s Round 1 of the 2010 Western Conference Playoffs and the Spurs are up 2-1 on the Mavs in the series.  Mavs were the #2 seed and the Spurs were the #7.  In a pivotal game 4, Mavs surrender a career night of 29 points, 5 3-pointers made and 1 block.  The lucky player that night was George Hill.  Causal Mavs fans have no idea who the guy is.  They still don’t.  But I do.  From this point on, this phenomenon of our Mavs giving up career nights was something that intrigued me.  Of course, the Mavs won the title the next season.  But this doesn’t change the fact that star players, irrelevant players and younger players like to go off at our expense, on a regular basis.  Even if it’s not necessarily the best scoring night of a player’s career, it often seems that players love to play against the Mavericks.  Call it bad defense if you want.  But being the die hard fan that I am, I call it more bad luck.

I tried asking a source close to the Mavericks for assistance while retrieving details on the amount of career nights the Mavs have given up over the past few years.  But apparently he was too busy to help us with this endeavor.  So I looked at this season’s box scores (to date) to find examples.  Take note; all of this was done over my lunch break at my “big boy job”.

Keep in mind that these following examples are based purely on amount of points scored (Except for Earl Clark stats).  It doesn’t take into account the nights where the Mavs surrendered a career high in rebounds/steals/assists for an individual player.

These are also career games as of the night the stats were recorded.  Some of these players may have scored a higher amount of points versus an opponent after they matched up with the Mavs.  I didn’t do the research to determine that.  But I doubt that any of these players had better nights than what’s reflected below.

So let the fun begin.

1.  November 10, 2012.  Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scores 25 points and grabs 12 rebounds as the Bobcats beat the Mavs for the first time, EVER.  Yes, I understand that MKG is a Rookie player so his “career” is virtually non existent.  But that actually makes it worse that we let him score so easily on us.

2.  December 23, 2012. Danny Green scores 25 points, career-high.  He went 7-8 from the 3 point line as the Spurs rout the Mavs 129-91 in Dirks season debut.

3.  December 28, 2012.  Danilo Gallinari of the Nuggets scores a career high 39 points in a 106-85 win over the Mavericks.  Making 7-11 from the 3 point line.

4.  January 18, 2013.  Kevin Durant drops a career high 52 in a slug fest that the Mavs lost 117-114 in overtime.  One of many overtime losses for our Mavs this year.

5.  February 20, 2013.  Maurice Harkless scores a (at the time) career high 20 points as the Mavs beat the Magic in the first game back after all star break.  Harkless has since scored 28 points in a game.  4/2/13 vs. Houston.

6.  March 4, 2013.  The Chandler Parsons game.  Parsons decides to go unconscious and makes 12 of 13 shots from the field and ending the night with 32 points.  Rockets blow out the Mavs 136-103.  Barf.

7.  March 8, 2013.  Khris Middleton, rookie, scores a personal best 14 points as the Mavs almost blow a significant lead at the Palace.

8.  March 20. 2013.  This isn’t a career high but it was one point shy.  Brooke Lopez drops 38 points in a crucial loss to the Nets.  Career high for Lopez is 39 pts versus Detroit in 2011.

9.  April 2, 2013.  Earl Clark scores 17, grabs 12 rebounds, and blocks 5 shots as the Lakers end the Mavs season (pretty much).  Points were not a career high but 5 blocks were.  Clark scored a season high 22 vs. SA in January.

10. To Be Determined. I’m saving this spot for some other player that’s surely to go off with 8 games remaining of the schedule.

Honorable Mention:  Here is a good spot to recognize that ridiculous dagger 3 pointer that Lamarcus Aldridge made in our loss on January 29, 2013.  This was his first and only 3 pointer of the season.   You remember that game?  This is the game where the NBA later apologized for the missed foul call that would’ve sent Brandan Wright to the free throw line.  Looking back, that’s now a big loss on the Mavs record.

Our Maverick hearts have been broken many times over the years.  Obviously mended in the magical run of 2011, but then broken again the following seasons.  This year’s team has been awful in a lot of categories; Rebounding, Point Guard play, paint scoring, and getting to the free throw line.  I’m man enough to admit that this team is average.  But with such small room for error, it’s disappointing to see shots fall for opponents when the odds are that they shouldn’t.  I don’t have the stats in front of me and I don’t have the time to look.  But how many buzzer beaters as the shot clock or a quarter expires have we seen against the Mavs in the last 5 years?  Too many.  How many ridiculous shots have players made after the Mavs played 23.5 seconds of great defense?  Too many.  How many times this season have we seen a lesser player make long range jumpers with hands in their face as players like Dirk or Brand miss wide open jumpers on the other end?  Too many.  It’s a weird deal.

I’m looking forward to an offseason filled with hope.  I’m expecting for Cuban and company to take this years draft more seriously than ever before.  I’m also expecting some major roster shake ups as well.  Mavs will be back.

MFFL.     

Back to Top

Mavs Game Night: Can Mavs Resuscitate the Red River Rivalry?

by Damian Jackson on March 17, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

You will remember the last time Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder came to Dallas; he poured in a career-high 52 points to complete the 117-114 overtime road victory.

Durant and crew are in the AAC once again to take on the Dallas Mavericks. While the Mavs fight for the final playoff spot, the Thunder own the league’s third best record and continue to jockey with San Antonio Spurs for the West’s top seed.

Dallas let a close one slip away against the Spurs a few nights ago, but rebounded with a 96-86 home win on Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Mavs are in a stretch right now that has them playing 8 of the next 9 games at home.

The Mavs will be without Shawn Marion (calf strain) for the sixth straight game. His defensive impact will be sorely missed against Durant.

Team is all important to these Mavericks and recently, the Mavs have been getting solid play from its role players.

“We have to make sure that everybody’s ready,” Roddy Beaubois said. “Even if you don’t play, the next game maybe you’re going to get in.”

Roddy has seen plenty of nights pass by when the only time he’s gotten off the bench is to cheer on his teammates. Friday he was called upon to play and he sure took advantage of those 22 minutes. He scored 18 points, dished out five assists and grabbed three boards.

Meanwhile, Brandan Wright has given the Mavericks great production in March. In seven games played this month Wright averages 11.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks on 68-percent shooting.

[VIDEO] Brandan Wright Two-Hand Flush on the Break

“Anybody can get in a nice groove when they play a lot of minutes in a row and kind of know when they’re going back in and that they’re going to get opportunities,” Wright said.

 

“That’s a big-time comfort level. It can get tough being on the other side of the stick, because I’ve been there before.

The Mavericks will need to play near perfect basketball to avoid a 10th consecutive defeat against these Thunder. As has been the case for the Mavs all season, the drive to compete exists but the ability to close has not.

Jae Crowder will likely take the first crack at covering Durant, which happens to be a major size advantage for the NBA’s leading scorer. Crowder rung in a career-best 14 rebounds on Friday as he continues to improve with the ample playing time he’s received in wake of trade and injury.

Newest Maverick Chris Wright scored his first two points on a layup with under a minute to go in Friday’s win over the Cavs.

Dallas seeks to reverse the trend and battle the odds against them in this one. Stranger things have happened as people love to say. Time to resuscitate the Red River rivalry.

____________________

Playoff Picture Update:

MAVERICKS - 10th seed in West; 3 GB of the Los Angeles Lakers for final playoff spot.

THUNDER - 2nd seed in West; 1.5 GB of San Antonio Spurs.

____________________

Thunder at Mavs tips at 6:30 p.m. CT and airs on FSSW/FSOK.

Let’s Go Mavs!

Source: ESPN & ESPN Dallas

Back to Top

Mavs Game Night: Mavs Hot, Renew Rivalry With Thunder

by Damian Jackson on January 18, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

One tied to either the Dallas Mavericks or Oklahoma City Thunder has to be excited for this Red River showdown tonight in the American Airlines Center and shown nationally on ESPN.

Now in terms of victories, since the Mavs sent the Thunder home in the 2011 playoffs, the Thunder led by elite 24-year-olds Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have won eight of the last nine ball games.

It’s a little deceptive because the actual games have been much more competitive than the ultimate outcome. In the eight losses the Mavs have lost only by an average of 5 ½ points. Of course, the wins matter, not moral victories are close defeats. However, the Mavs always tend to compete until the end against OKC and tonight ought to be no different.

While Dallas is hot and on a four-game win streak, the Thunder own the league’s best win streak of five games along with the top record of 31-8. You couldn’t ask for a better time for these two to tussle.

This game means a hell of a lot more to the Mavericks. Durant and his crew are clear cut title contenders and cruising through the first half of the season. On the other hand, the Mavs are playing some of their best basketball with Dirk Nowitzki back and despite the win streak are still six games below .500.

Dirk and the Mavs understand the need to avoid the idea of ‘fool’s gold’ and they want to take down an elite opponent. A win against the NBA-best Thunder would infuse the team with even more confidence and advance the climb back into the playoff chase.

Facing the Thunder will require an intense defensive effort from the Mavs and more specifically Shawn Marion’s coverage on the recently announced West All-Star starting forward Durant. In the last meeting Durant exploded for 40 points in their 111-105 overtime win.

Westbrook, who certainly will be named an All-Star reserve, comes into tonight’s matchup averaging 34 points over his last two games. It’s always tough when he’s got his shot falling, because it’s the defensive preference opposed to allowing Westbrook attack the basket.

A key to the Mavericks success of late has been their much improved ball protection. The four-game streak consists of 101 Mavs assists and only 40 turnovers (25.3 APG to 10 TPG). With turnovers numbers dropping and assist totals increasing, the Mavs are limiting opponent possessions and increasing their own quality offensive looks.

Dirk will play this time and he’s coming off a night against the Houston Rockets in which he led the Mavs with 19 points.

“That 3 at the end of the third helped me get my rhythm. Sometimes all you need is to see the ball go through the hoop one time.”

It was the fourth quarter where Dirk really got things going and helped close out the win. It was his frontcourt teammate Elton Brand though who sealed the win with a key block of James Harden.

“The play of the game was Elton’s block,” said Nowitzki. “He said he’s got lots of practice since I let my man go by me all the time. That was a heck of a play.”

The idea of Brand actually moving to the starting lineup has been discussed. The fact Dirk and EB play much better together than starting center Chris Kaman and Dirk makes a strong case for the change.

“It’s a good question. It’s a valid question,” said Rick Carlisle. “I don’t know if we’re at a point yet where it’s time to change, but we’ll see. I’m for giving everything a legitimate chance and then making the decision to stay with it or to change course.”

Whether it’s Kaman or Brand who starts, the importance lies in who finishes. Brand professed his desire to close games rather than start and the recent games have seen that take place.

The play of the Mavericks bench could play a role in the outcome tonight. Let’s assume EB won’t start, we’ll need to see strong efforts from the likes of Vince Carter and Jae Crowder as well. The 3-ball has been kind to Crowder lately (8-14 3PT over last 7 games).

Veteran guard Mike James made enough of an impression to earn another 10-day contract. It was his intense prowl defensively on Jeremy Lin that earned him late game minutes on Wednesday night.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m not supposed to be nowhere but the NBA,” said James.

Perhaps the Mavs need a guy with James’ attitude to help run the ship along with the younger, electric Collison.

For Oklahoma City this may be just another game along their pleasant ride atop the NBA standings, but the Mavericks know this type of game can decide they’re ultimate destination.

Mavs and Thunder – they’re ready. Are you Mavs fans?!?

The game will tip around 8:30 p.m. CT and airs on ESPN and FSSW.

Sources: ESPN; ESPNDallas; TheTwoManGame

Back to Top

Mavs Game Night: Mavs Look To Get Back On Track

by Ryan Wilson on December 27, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

One would assume that tonight’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and host Oklahoma City Thunder would be an ideal Western Conference showdown.

There’s a problem though, it’s not 2010, but rather the end of 2012. This isn’t our Mavericks of old with savvy veterans, a host of defenders and a healthy Dirk Nowitzki playing at an all-time high.

We have Dirk, Shawn Marion and Rick Carlisle. Over on their side still stands Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and head coach Scott Brooks. Swap out James Harden for Kevin Martin and the Thunder look relatively the same, but Dallas lurks as a former shell of itself.

No longer is there that rock of point guard stability named Jason Kidd. Kidd’s wisdom and post-prime talents are now at work for the Knicks. It only took Dirk’s 20 minute season debut to realize the drop in the mental advantage of his current point guards.

“Our basketball IQ obviously went down a little bit with J-Kidd leaving,” Nowitzki told reporters in San Antonio. “I think that’s pretty obvious.”

Obvious, you are correct Dirk. The lack of basic basketball smarts has outweighed the benefits of new youth and energy.

“Offensively, our decision-making has been brutal. We’re averaging 20 [turnovers] a night. It’s impossible to win, especially on the road.”

Dirk is used to playing on fundamentally sound veteran squads who have excelled away from home which always had the Mavs in the conversation as a top road team. They’re 4-12 this season.

The Mavs were blitzed in San Antonio 129-91, knocked out with some remarkable shooting from beyond. The Spurs connected on a franchise-record 20 three-pointers led by Danny Green’s six made and 25 points.

Now the task shifts an Oklahoma City team who even at 21-6 come into this one with an edge. The Thunder lost a highly contested NBA Finals rematch on Christmas day against the Miami Heat. Looking to rebound, OKC might feel Dallas is the perfect opponent to bounce back.

There’s no such thing as a perfect game in basketball, right?

You could get tricky and specific with details, but the point is our Mavs will have to be close to perfect to win tonight. The Thunder will feast on our turnovers and an overflow of easy baskets could swing this into a Red River massacre.

National television hasn’t been favorable for the Mavericks this season. Tonight’s game will be seen on TNT. In the five national TV games the Mavs are only 1-4. The lone win was opening night’s surprise 99-91 win against the LA Lakers.

The Mavs enter having lost three straight by double figures and each by an average of 21 points.

Dirk will continue to come off the bench for the Mavs as he gradually catches up to full game speed and conditioning.

Mavs at Thunder tips at 7:00 p.m. CT

We need a win to get Mavs Nation Rowdy, Loud and Proud! GoDallas!

Back to Top

Young Mavs Fall to Proven Thunder in Kansas

by Ryan Wilson on October 25, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The Dallas Mavericks took on the Oklahoma City Thunder last night on neutral grounds. The game took place in Wichita, KS and gave the fans some glimpses of the powerful and young Thunder squad, as well as the young guns that reside in Big D.

Kevin Durant scored 18 points and James Harden added 16 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to an 88-66 preseason victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

Serge Ibaka scored all 15 of his points in the first half for the Thunder.

The Mavericks were playing without Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Vince Carter, and Chris Kaman. This allowed the young guys to step in and show #UncleRicky what they could bring to the table. It has become no surprise that Jae Crowder can deliver, and he didn’t let up again last night. After starting the game 1-6 from the field, he ended up finishing the game with 21 points on 10-19 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds and three assists.  Brandan Wright was another bright spot adding 11 points. Late in the 2nd half, he twisted his ankle, and never returned to the game.

“Not believed to be serious, but you know we’ll let you know,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We weren’t going to bring him back in either way.”

Overall, on a night where the Thunder had their big guns, and the Mavericks did not, they still battled all the way to the end. They got out rebounded again, firmly keeping their rank as worst rebounding team in the pre-season so far. That was obviously in large part to a lack of size.

The Mavericks will look to finish the pre-season at .500 as they take on the Charlotte Bobcats Friday night at the AAC.

Back to Top

Pre Game Report: Dallas Mavericks (3-3) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

by Ryan Wilson on October 24, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

Our Dallas Mavericks (3-3) are in Wichita,Kansas for a meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3) Wednesday night. The Western Conference power Thunder abruptly ended the Mavericks disappointing 2011-2012 title-defense campaign.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook lead the still very young and athletic, but now well experienced Thunder. Coach Scott Brooks rested stars Durant and Westbrook Tuesday night inChicagodue to a back-to-back situation, but both are expected to play tonight. Serge Ibaka led the team with 24 points and eight rebounds in a 94-89 defeat. Rookie Perry Jones III added 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field.

Fourth-year guard James Harden has struggled shooting the ball in the preseason. Harden and the Thunder have had contract extension talks, but a resolution hasn’t been met. In three games, Harden is connecting on a only 24-percent of his field goals and 23-percent from deep.

The Mavericks play tonight’s game short-handed once again. Dirk Nowitzki (knee) and Chris Kaman (calf) did not play in Monday’s 87-74 home win over the New Orleans Hornets. Veterans Shawn Marion and Vince Carter stayed back in Dallas for a scheduled night off.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle will rely heavily on the younger guys without his entire starting frontcourt. Rookies Jae Crowder and Bernard “Sarge” James figure to log ample playing time.

Crowder continued his hot streak Monday night, scoring in double figures (12 points; 5-5 FT) for the fourth consecutive game. Brandan Wright, who left Monday’s game in the fourth with a tightened quad, has blocked at least two shots in the past four games. Wright expects to play tonight.

Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo will start their seventh straight game together in the Mavs backcourt. We’ve seen both the positives and negatives from Collison and Mayo as the gradually adjust toCarlisle’s system and one another.

Collison possesses lightening quick speed and needs to consistently utilize it to his advantage in the half-court, but even more on the fast-break. He’s done an admirable job thus far creating for his teammates and picking his own spots to score. Watch Collison continually improve from game to game as his comfort levels increase and he makes adjustments within the Mavs system.

Reserve guard/forward Dahntay Jones will likely join Crowder with the arduous task of slowing down the silky smooth, two-time reigning scoring champ Durant.

A Red River rivalry has developed between the Mavericks and Thunder over the past few seasons. This will be an excellent test for the decimated Mavs and allows them to see which guys have it in them to step up as a go-to guy.Carlisle will provide guys the opportunity tonight.

Game action tips at 7 p.m. CT and available to watch on Fox Sports Southwest.

Back to Top

Heat Hold Off Thunder

by Ryan Wilson on June 15, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

LeBron James has seen his share of great starts turn into faulty finishes.

So with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh providing the help he needed, he wasn’t letting another one get away Thursday night.

James scored 32 points, got a disputed big stop on Kevin Durant and the Miami Heat held off a furious fourth-quarter rally behind their three All-Stars to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-96, tying the NBA Finals at one game apiece.

“We had played too well in the first 36 minutes to try to let this one slip away from us,” James said. “We just wanted to make one more, two more plays than they made and come out with a victory and we were able to do that.”

Wade rebounded from a poor opener to add 24 points and Bosh had 16 points and 15 rebounds in his return to the starting lineup for the Heat, who snapped a four-game Finals losing streak with their first victory since Game 3 against Dallas last year.

“It’s been so long since we’ve had them all together,” Heat forward Shane Battier said. “They played like the All-Stars that they are and that’s the effort that we need.”

Now they go home to host Game 3 on Sunday and the next two after that, knowing they don’t have to hear the noisy Thunder fans again — not to mention all their critics — if they win all three.

Miami blew a 13-point lead in Game 1 and seemed headed toward a repeat of the second game of the Finals last year, when it blew a 15-point edge on its home floor.

Not this time.

“This is a good team and we didn’t want to be down 2-0,” Bosh said. “We know in order to accomplish our goal, we have to win on the road. We’re a good road team. We’ve done it before. They posed a great challenge because they haven’t lost up until today. But we felt that we let one get away and we felt that we could play a much, much better game in Game 2.”

Durant scored 32 points for the Thunder but missed a short jumper with 9.9 seconds left after appearing to be bumped by James. The basket would have tied a game the Thunder trailed the entire way.

Oklahoma City’s explosive point guard Russell Westbrook finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists but shot 10-of-26 from the field.

James Harden tried to keep the Thunder in it early and finished with 21 points, but this time the Thunder couldn’t come back from a double-digit deficit after spotting Miami a 17-point advantage during their worst first half of the season.

“That was the game. We can’t start off down 18-2,” Durant said. “We can’t go down that much, especially at home. We’ve got to correct it.”

It was the first home loss in 10 postseason games for the Thunder, who had overcome a 13-point deficit in Game 1.

James had what was his career high, 30 points, in the opener, but afterward said Wade needed to be Wade — All-Star, Olympic gold medalist and finals MVP.

In Game 1, Wade was 7-of-19. He wasn’t sharp in the last round and continues to hear reports that something is physically wrong with him. He was all but asked Wednesday if his explosiveness was a thing of the past, what must have been insulting to a player who, though 30, still believes he’s not far from the top of the game.

Wade bounced back in a big way, not quite at the level he was as the 2006 Finals MVP, but certainly good enough with the help around him now for the Heat to win another one.

“Just know that I’m always going to keep coming back until I don’t play this game no more,” Wade said. “I know my abilities, I know what I’m capable of and it was good.”

He spun into the lane and found Bosh for a dunk that seemed to have the Heat safe at 98-91 inside the final minute, but a 3-pointer by Durant cut it to 98-96 with 37 seconds left. After James missed a 3-pointer, the Thunder got the ball into Durant, who appeared to be knocked off balance by James as he missed the baseline shot attempt.

Durant said only that he missed the shot, saying he would have to watch the tape to see if he was fouled.

James then sank the insurance free throws — finishing a 12-for-12 night at the line — as fans booed loudly over the no-call.

Bosh started after coming off the bench in every game since returning late last round from his nine-game absence with a strained lower abdominal muscle. The Big Three joined Battier and Mario Chalmers in the lineup, the first time Miami had gone with that first five all season.

It sent the Heat on their way to a terrific start, and Battier matched his surprising 17-point performance in Game 1 by going 5-of-7 from 3-point range, providing all the help the superstar trio needed.

James had his fifth straight 30-point game, breaking Wade’s franchise playoff record, and added eight rebounds. He defended Durant early in Game 1 and helped put the league’s scoring champion in early foul trouble, just one of the problems the Thunder had early.

Another loud, blue and white crowd tried to inspire them to rally, but the team could just simply never get close enough to until the final minutes.

For most of the first three quarters, the home team would get the deficit to around 10, and James would get himself into the post or drive powerfully into the lane to score or set up a teammate.

Durant nailed a 3-pointer and drove into the lane to throw down a dunk over Battier that cut it to 82-74 with 8:22 remaining. His 3-pointer from the wing trimmed it to 90-86, and the Thunder got it all the way to 94-91 when Westbrook dunked Durant’s miss with 1:48 to go.

James answered by banking in a jumper for his first basket of the final period, as the Big Three combined for all but one of Miami’s seven field goals in the fourth quarter.

The Thunder missed 11 of their first 12 shots, and when James capped a run of 13 straight Miami points with a basket, it was 18-2 with 4:51 remaining in the period.

Coach Scott Brooks had talked to his team about its poor starts — this was three straight games with a double-digit deficit — and told the Thunder during a first-quarter timeout that the Heat were playing harder than they were. The Heat kept it up, pushing it to 25-8 on Wade’s jumper with 2:39 left.

“We kept missing good shots,” forward Serge Ibaka said. “We can do better.”

 

Game notes

The Heat used their 25th different lineup in their 86 games this season, including seventh of the postseason. The most frequently used lineup in the regular season, with James, Wade, Bosh, Chalmers and center Joel Anthony, has not opened a game in the postseason after going 27-10 during the regular season. … Reserve James Jones checked in for the Heat in the first quarter after missing Game 1 with a migraine. … Former Oklahoma star running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings was at the game. … A powerful storm knocked out cable in many South Florida homes, keeping Heat fans from seeing the entire game.

 

 

 

Back to Top

Consider The Big German Impressed

by Ryan Wilson on June 13, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The premise presented to the 7-footer who shoots it better than any other 7-footer ever has is that no one else on the NBA map could possibly have a better grasp of how it feels to be Kevin Durant these days.

Who better to size up the long-limbed bomber lighting up the 2012 playoffs than the greatest singular (and similarly built) force of the 2011 postseason?

Dirk Nowitzki listened to that suggestion and just laughed.

For all that these lanky Southwest scoring machines purportedly have in common, given their size and the mere three-hour drive that separates Dallas and Oklahoma City, Nowitzki knows the truth and isn’t afraid to say it out loud.

“KD,” Nowitzki says, “is way ahead of my curve.”

Since the defending champs were broomed out of the first round by Durant’s rolling Thunder, exiting the playoffs faster than any other team, Nowitzki admits that he hasn’t missed a dribble of Oklahoma City’s ride to its first NBA Finals, except for the time bad weather knocked out his satellite during OKC’s Game 6 clincher over San Antonio. When the Thunder are on — avenging a 2010 first-round exit to Kobe Bryant‘s Los Angeles Lakers in a mere five games or letting the shell-shocked Spurs run their winning streak to an eye-popping 20 before sticking them with four straight L’s — Dirk doesn’t leave the couch.

He wants to track precisely how much higher Durant is nudging the bar for supersized shooters that Bob McAdoo set and Larry Bird raised.

“He’s arguably the best player in the league right now,” Nowitzki told ESPN.com over the weekend. “I see a guy that really has no holes.

“He’s a 6-10 guy with a 7-4 wingspan who can shoot it from the parking lot. He’s posting up now. In transition he’s so long that, when he gets a pass from the 3-point line, it’s a layup or dunk with one step. He’s got the one- or two-dribble pull-up, which you need to be a great scorer, because you can’t just shoot 3s or go to the basket if you want to be a great scorer, ’cause sometimes you can’t get all the way to the bucket. He can go both ways, one or two dribbles and up.

“And he’s clutch, too. He’s hit big shot after big shot all season long. He made three game winners on us this year. I thought he’s always been clutch, but now it’s almost like you know he’s going to make them. He’s phenomenal.”

Dirk isn’t done, either.

“He’s way more of a 3-man than I ever was,” Nowitzki continued. “He handles the ball way better on the break than I ever did. He’s got deeper range. And he’s doing all this at 23. He’s won the scoring title three times in a row, so that he means he won the first one at 21. I barely got through my rookie year. When I was 21, Gary Trent was still killing me in practice.”

OK, OK. The gap between the kid and the ousted champ, who turns 34 later this month, is not nearly as wide as Nowitzki makes it sounds. Obviously.

Durant, though, has made it easy to get swept up in the hyperbole over the past month. Another playoff victim has fallen prey to it, too, with San Antonio’s Stephen Jackson proclaiming during the last round that trying to slow Durant down at the minute is the tallest of orders.

“Imagine Dirk with Blake Griffin‘s athleticism,” Jackson says.

Durant isn’t quite there yet, either, but you get the idea. Sixteen straight points in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Spurs, followed by his 34 points and 14 rebounds while playing every second of the 48 minutes in the Game 6 clincher, will bring out the superlatives.

This was also the first season that you could call Durant a two-way player, but it’s probably wisest to grade his D after the Finals, with Durant sure to draw some LeBron James duty to test that athleticism. Yet the louder questions clearly persist about what sort of mindset James will tote into the Finals — his third Finals — with the memories of last spring’s epic failures against Nowitzki’s Mavericks sure to be brought up far more often than LeBron’s punishing 33.6 points per game in a seven-game epic against Boston in the East finals.

Durant, meanwhile, hits the big stage in the zone of his life, with seemingly no one wondering if he might be overwhelmed by his first taste. The assumption, amazingly, is that he’ll just continue to roll, pumped up by home-court advantage and emboldened by the way OKC just mowed through the three teams (Mavs, Lakers and Spurs) that combined to represent the West in the championship round for the past 13 seasons.

This is the stuff Nowitzki can unquestionably speak to with the utmost authority. A year ago, like the T-shirt says, Dirk was That Dude. The 2011 playoffs, especially the middle two rounds against the Lakers and Thunder, were his own personal party. A rewriting-his-legacy kind of party.

“The opponents are great, the challenges are great, but when you’re that hot it feels like you step on the court with a great rhythm shooting,” Nowitzki said, rewinding to his own magical run that included a five-game schooling of Durant’s Thunder in the West finals. “Any 3 I took during the playoffs felt great. It felt like it was going in every time. You feel like you never get tired. You just want to stay out there as long as you can.

“For me, at the beginning of my career, I was basically a third or fourth option. We had [Michael Finley]. We had Steve [Nash]. We had Nick Van Exel that one year [in 2003]. Then we got rid of everybody and it was kind of my team, so I had to grow into the [closer] role. I never had to take big shots when I was 20 or 23. Once everybody left, it took me awhile to get used to being in that position. But now I like being in that position. I like to be in that situation. Everybody is looking at you to get it done at the end. And it’s a great feeling when you do.

“But I gotta admit [that] their whole team is playing well. [James] Harden shot 14-for-23 from 3 in the San Antonio series. [Derek] Fisher can’t even miss a shot right now. [Russell] Westbrook has gotten so much better playing under control. He looks for the other guys. He’s still shooting a lot, but he’s gotten better with the midrange game. He killed us with the midrange shot.

“I think all those guys got better. [Serge] Ibaka got better. [Kendrick] Perkins is a great defender. They’ve really got all the ingredients I think you need to be a great team. They’ve got defenders in [Thabo] Sefolosha and Perkins, they can spread the floor and they have three legit scorers. Three legit playmakers. Two is not even enough anymore. They’ve got three guys that can create their own shot at any time and score at any time.”

Which isn’t the most comforting thought if, like Nowitzki, you’re in the same neighborhood as Durant and the Thunder and you have to figure out how to keep up with them in a conference they now own.

“If you look at ‘em, it looks like they’re going to be great for the next 10 years if they find a way to keep Harden and Ibaka,” Nowitzki said. “Hopefully that’s going to be hard for them, ’cause I think after this playoff run, people might throw a lot of money at those guys.”

Pessimism trumps Nowitzki’s hopes in most Western Conference outposts, such is the speed of Durant’s progression from skinny gunner who couldn’t cope with the weight-room rigors of the bench press to ruthless, ring-chasing go-to guy in just five seasons. He’s seemingly getting only more well-rounded as opposed to getting older, consistently making people around him better for the first time, fueled by a drive that — to hear Dirk tell it — sounds Kobe-esque.

Well aware that Durant has been working for months to try to master Nowitzki’s one-legged fadeaway jumper, Dirk said: “I just think, as you get older, it’s an easy shot to get off. I think Kobe [Bryant] recognized that. All you do is create a little separation and you can shoot over the defender. But I don’t really know what [pushed Durant] to try it.

“I think he’s such a basketball freak that he just watched it a lot and decided to copy it. At the All-Star Game, their coaches told me that Kevin is such a basketball fanatic and freak that he watches film on everybody in the league all the time. He practices for hours and hours and stays extra to shoot and work on different things. He’s a freak of nature and a workaholic and he deserves all the praise he gets.

“Every time he shoots now I think it’s going in, I’m surprised when he misses.”

Surprised and not surprised is more like it.

Dirk said it again: “He’s so far ahead of my curve.”

Back to Top

Thunder? Heat? Allow Us

by Ryan Wilson on June 13, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

Call yourself a Mavs fan?  Then root for the Heat.

Some of your minds are blown, I know. But just bear with me…….

Here’s an example that might clear it up, assuming you know anything about baseball and you’re a Texas Rangers fan.

In 2002, The SF Giants faced off against the Anaheim Angels.  The hated Barry Bonds vs. the Rally Monkey Angels.  Remember? I’m sure at the time, some Ranger fans were rooting for the Angels.  What was the harm right?  A lesser known team of scrappy ball players was making a run in October.  Plus most of you all loved to root against Barry Bonds.  But looking back, how dirty does it make you feel for rooting for the Angels in 2002?  Now that the Rangers/Angels rivalry is heated up, I despise the fact that the Angels fan base has ammo in a sports talk battle.  The dreaded, “We have a ring, how ‘bout you?”

What’s your point, Tony?

My point is that Lebron James is playing the part of Barry Bonds in these NBA finals.  Hated and despised for their own separate reasons, but hated none the less.  The OKC Thunder are the sweet little team that peaked a little earlier than planned like the 2002 Angels.  80% of Mavs nation is pulling for the Thunder.  I’ve cleverly come up with “80%” based solely off text messages and tweets.  But there is a healthy majority of Dallas Mavericks fans that are rooting for OKC simply because of their hate for the Miami Heat.  The hate is deserved and warranted.  But it’s misplaced.

My warning to you today is that in a few years when the Mavericks/Thunder rivalry reaches the level of Mavericks/Spurs, you’ll REGRET ever pulling for the Thunder.  You’ll despise the fact that they have as many championships as our Mavericks.  You’ll hear the Thunder’s new found fans talk trash and I guarantee you’ll hear this; “OKC has only been around for 4 years and we already have as many rings as Dallas.”  (Although we all know they were the Supersonics before moving to OKC so the 4 years thing is a little skewed.  But we wouldn’t expect a fan base like OKC’s to be clever enough to take that into consideration.  Ouch! SHOTS FIRED!).  Not to mention the fact that OKC has had minimal hardships on the way to the Larry O’Brien trophy, if they happen to win it.  Look at our precious Mavs, YEARS of torture and heartache.  Do we really want to see a young, cocky, brash, streaky shooting team from Oklahoma win a title?  So easily?  Nope.

Also, another reason to root for Miami is rather simple.  By the Mavericks beating the Heat last year, it will make our title look even better.  Miami would’ve taken down the favorites, OKC.  The Mavs would be the only team to solve and conquer the 3 headed Miami beast.  Our trophy will be shinier for this.  Just trust me.

Mavs fans, think this through and root against the Thunder.  Your future self will appreciate it.

Back to Top

Thunder Back In Series

by Ryan Wilson on June 1, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The streak is over. The series might only be beginning.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points, Thabo Sefolosha set playoff career bests with 19 points and six steals, and the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped San Antonio’s 20-game winning streak by beating the Spurs 102-82 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals Thursday night.

Oklahoma City closed its series deficit to 2-1 and will host Game 4 on Saturday night.

“We never thought these guys had an advantage over us even though we had lost a few,” Durant said. “It was just good that we took it to 2-1. We didn’t want to go down 0-3.”

Sefolosha threw a wrench in the Spurs’ well-oiled offense at the start, getting four steals in the first 3 minutes. The Spurs ended up committing a postseason-worst 21 turnovers and scoring their fewest points all season.

San Antonio had been averaging 109.4 points per game during its month-and-a-half winning streak and had been held to double-digits only twice.

“We just played a good basketball game,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “We played with a lot of force, we played with good energy, but we played defensive-minded basketball.

“That’s who we are. That’s how we win.”

Tony Parker and Stephen Jackson led the Spurs with 16 points apiece. Tim Duncan had 11 points on 5 for 15 shooting, taking 11 of San Antonio’s first 25 shots as the offense went through the All-Star center instead of Parker.

“They played like it was a closeout game, both offensively and defensively,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They were very active, physical; they moved the ball well on offense. They did all those things better than we did. They beat us good.”

The Spurs, who already set an NBA record for the longest winning streak carried over from the regular season into the playoffs, were trying to match the league mark for most wins to start the postseason. The Lakers won 11 straight to start the 1989 and 2001 playoffs, getting swept in the NBA Finals the first time and winning it all the second.

The Spurs hadn’t lost since April 11 at home against the Lakers.

“We are a prideful team. It’s no fun being down 0-2. It’s no fun,” Brooks said. “But we weren’t looking at the game thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, we have a chance to be down 0-3.’ We were looking at the game that we have a chance to be 1-2 after this game, and I give our guys a lot of credit. They believe in each other and they always play hard for each other.”

Parker and Duncan didn’t play in the final 15 minutes, and Popovich pulled the plug after a series of three straight turnovers allowed the deficit to reach 23 points early in the fourth quarter.

Sefolosha had a right-handed dunk off a lob pass from Russell Westbrook, who followed with his own two-handed jam on an alley-oop pass, and Sefolosha followed with a reverse layup on another turnover-fueled fast-break chance to push the lead to 86-63 with 9:48 left.

The Thunder put together another 9-0 run coinciding with Manu Ginobili coming out of the game and featuring Serge Ibaka sticking his tongue out after nailing a jumper from the top of the key. Brooks soon followed Popovich and pulled his own front-line players with the game well in hand.

“You’re not going to beat this team by playing one-effort basketball,” Brooks said. “You’re going to have to have two, three, four, even five. And they make you do that because they pass the ball so well, they spread the floor so well.”

Popovich said the Thunder played harder and smarter than the Spurs.

“They did definitely play with a lot more energy, a lot more passion than us tonight,” said Parker, who committed five turnovers.

The Spurs wiped out a 24-point deficit in Game 3 against the Clippers in Los Angeles in the previous round, but they weren’t recovering in this one.

San Antonio managed only 24 points in the paint after averaging 46 through the first two games of the series and 47.8 through the playoffs.

Oklahoma City already held a 28-8 scoring edge in the paint while taking a 54-41 halftime lead, and it never got better for San Antonio, which couldn’t get any closer than 11 points in the second half.

“We wanted to bounce back after two losses like that. We had to play better and we did that tonight,” Sefolosha said. “We played with energy; we played with passion in front of our home crowd. They did a great job giving us a lift.”

The Thunder scored the game’s first eight points, feeding off Sefolosha’s steals, but San Antonio recovered in time to take the lead with more than 5 minutes left in the opening period.

Oklahoma City took the lead early in the second quarter, and there was no looking back.

Sefolosha set up Ibaka’s two-handed dunk and hit a 3-pointer during a 13-1 run, with San Antonio’s only point coming on a free throw by Ginobili after Durant was called for a technical foul while arguing a call from the bench.

Oklahoma City’s lead ballooned to 15 when Kendrick Perkins grabbed Westbrook’s air ball and dunked it with two hands.

 

Game notes

Duncan did have five blocks to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA playoff record of 476 by one. … Rapper Lil Wayne tweeted before the game that he planned to attend but “was denied by the team to be in their arena.” Thunder spokesman Dan Mahoney said the rapper’s representatives demanded front-row seats but none were available. “We’d love to have him at a game, but like anyone else, he needs a ticket,” Mahoney said. … Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin presented TNT analyst and former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley with a pair of boots, a steak and an order of lamb fries — a dish that leaves the otherwise undesirable part of the anatomy out of its name — during the pregame show.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Back to Top