Here is a breakdown of the NBA playoffs pairings for the Western Conference:
(8) Denver Nuggets vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers
Series tied 0-0 Series Breakdown
Playoff History
1. Sun, Apr 20 – at LAL, 3:00 pm EDT (ABC)
2. Wed, Apr 23 – at LAL, 10:30 pm EDT (TNT)
3. Sat, Apr 26 – at Den, 5:30 pm EDT (TNT)
4. Mon, Apr 28 – at Den, 10:30 pm EDT (TNT)
*5. Wed, Apr 30 – at LAL
*6. Fri, May 2 – at Den
*7. Sun, May 4 – at LAL
Playoff History
(7) Dallas Mavericks vs. (2) New Orleans Hornets
Series tied 0-0 Series Breakdown
Playoff History
1. Sat, Apr 19 – at NO, 7:00 pm EDT (ESPN)
2. Tue, Apr 22 – at NO, 7:00 pm EDT (TNT)
3. Fri, Apr 25 – at Dal, 8:00 pm EDT (ESPN)
4. Sun, Apr 27 – at Dal, 9:30 pm EDT (TNT)
*5. Tue, Apr 29 – at NO
*6. Thu, May 1 – at Dal
*7. Sat, May 3 – at NO (TNT)
Playoff History
(6) Phoenix Suns vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs
Series tied 0-0 Series Breakdown
Playoff History
1. Sat, Apr 19 – at SA, 3:00 pm EDT (ABC)
2. Tue, Apr 22 – at SA, 9:30 pm EDT (TNT)
3. Fri, Apr 25 – at Pho, 10:30 pm EDT (ESPN)
4. Sun, Apr 27 – at Pho, 3:30 pm EDT (ABC)
*5. Tue, Apr 29 – at SA
*6. Thu, May 1 – at Pho
*7. Sat, May 3 – at SA (TNT)
Playoff History
(4) Utah Jazz vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Series tied 0-0 Series Breakdown
Playoff History
1. Sat, Apr 19 – at Hou, 9:30 pm EDT (ESPN)
2. Mon, Apr 21 – at Hou, 9:30 pm EDT (TNT)
3. Thu, Apr 24 – at Uta, 10:30 pm EDT (TNT)
4. Sat, Apr 26 – at Uta, 10:30 pm EDT (ESPN)
*5. Tue, Apr 29 – at Hou
*6. Fri, May 2 – at Uta
*7. Sun, May 4 – at Hou
Playoff History
My Picks
Western Conference
Round 1: Lakers vs. Nuggets - Lakers in 5
Hornets vs. Mavericks – Mavericks in 7
Spurs vs. Suns – Suns in 7
Jazz vs. Rockets – Jazz in 6
Round 2: Lakers vs. Jazz – Lakers in 6
Suns vs. Mavericks – Mavericks in 7
Round 3: Lakers vs. Mavericks – Lakers in 6
NBA Finals
Celtics vs. Lakers – Lakers in 7
Friday, April 18, 2008
Bring On The Hornets
Well, the NBA playoff pairings are set and the Mavs will be playing the New Orleans Hornets. Dallas played New Orleans last night for the right to play them in the playoffs and while the game was a bit more meaningful to the Mavs, the Hornets didn’t back down and rest their starters like I thought they might.
The Hornets already knew they were locked into the #2 seed…beating Dallas or losing to Dallas would not change that. So, I thought the Hornets would play their starters the first half, maybe, and then put in their backups the rest of the game. I was sorely mistaken as New Orleans played their starters the whole game.
Even though the game meant a little more to Dallas than it did to New Orleans, the Mavs didn’t show it in the first half. It seemed like, for a while, that Dallas was just content to make it into the playoffs, which was the attitude they took last weekend losing to 2 non-playoff teams in Portland and Seattle. However, just when it looked like New Orleans was going to pull away from Dallas, Brandon Bass threw down a vicious dunk that not only sparked the crowd but sparked the rest of the Mavs roster. From there, Dallas went on a 30-8 run that took them from down by 11 to leading by 13. Jason Kidd and Jason Terry really stepped up their game, each one scoring 27 points and 30 points respectively which is exactly what Dallas needed because New Orleans kept Dirk in check all night long (he was 4 of 16 shooting for only 12 points). Jason Kidd also hit a major milestone by recording his 100th triple-double of his career.
New Orleans cut the lead to 4 points, at 100-96, but then Dallas pulled away and ended up winning 111-98. Again, New Orleans was playing all their starters right up until the end of the game. I think that is huge because if the Hornets had rested their starters, they could say that they really didn’t try to win (cough, cough…like the Mavs did last year) but that things will be different in the playoffs when Dallas has to contend against their full roster and not just backups. Not so in this case. New Orleans gave it their all and still lost by 13.
Even though this is #2 vs. #7, this is not the typical 2/7 match up. Most years, a #2 seed will have anywhere from 58 to 60 wins and a #7 seed will typically have 45-48 wins. However, New Orleans has 56 wins and Dallas has 51 wins so there really isn’t that much separation between the two teams. Below is a comparison between the teams, when they played each other this season:
Individual Stats:
Scoring - D. Nowitzki : 23.6 point per game; C. Paul: 21.1 point per game
Rebounds - D. Nowitzki: 8.6; T. Chandler: 11.8
Assists - J. Kidd: 9.5; C. Paul: 11.6
Steals - J. Kidd: 2.1; C. Paul: 2.7
Blocks -E. Dampier: 1.5; D. West: 1.3
Team Stats:
Rebounds - Dallas: 43.0; New Orleans: 41.8
Assists - Dallas: 21.0; New Orleans: 21.8
Steals - Dallas: 6.0; New Orleans: 7.8
Points Scored - Dallas: 100.4; New Orleans: 100.9
Points Allowed - Dallas: 95.9; New Orleans: 95.6
Most of the “experts” think, as I do, that the Mavs will prevail in this series. And if that happens, I really don’t think it will be that much of an upset even though it would be a #2 seed losing in the first round. As I pointed out above, the teams are pretty evenly matched and in the season series, both team’s wins came at home. That really only leaves playoff experience…which the Mavs have a lot of (the past 8 seasons) and the Hornets don’t. That is why I think the Mavs will move on to round 2. The playoffs are a different animal than the regular season; everything is ratcheted up a notch. Every position is huge and the half court offense and playing defense becomes more important. And while New Orleans is a great team with a bright future, their lack of playoff experience will catch up with them here.
My prediction: Mavs in 7.
The Hornets already knew they were locked into the #2 seed…beating Dallas or losing to Dallas would not change that. So, I thought the Hornets would play their starters the first half, maybe, and then put in their backups the rest of the game. I was sorely mistaken as New Orleans played their starters the whole game.
Even though the game meant a little more to Dallas than it did to New Orleans, the Mavs didn’t show it in the first half. It seemed like, for a while, that Dallas was just content to make it into the playoffs, which was the attitude they took last weekend losing to 2 non-playoff teams in Portland and Seattle. However, just when it looked like New Orleans was going to pull away from Dallas, Brandon Bass threw down a vicious dunk that not only sparked the crowd but sparked the rest of the Mavs roster. From there, Dallas went on a 30-8 run that took them from down by 11 to leading by 13. Jason Kidd and Jason Terry really stepped up their game, each one scoring 27 points and 30 points respectively which is exactly what Dallas needed because New Orleans kept Dirk in check all night long (he was 4 of 16 shooting for only 12 points). Jason Kidd also hit a major milestone by recording his 100th triple-double of his career.
New Orleans cut the lead to 4 points, at 100-96, but then Dallas pulled away and ended up winning 111-98. Again, New Orleans was playing all their starters right up until the end of the game. I think that is huge because if the Hornets had rested their starters, they could say that they really didn’t try to win (cough, cough…like the Mavs did last year) but that things will be different in the playoffs when Dallas has to contend against their full roster and not just backups. Not so in this case. New Orleans gave it their all and still lost by 13.
Even though this is #2 vs. #7, this is not the typical 2/7 match up. Most years, a #2 seed will have anywhere from 58 to 60 wins and a #7 seed will typically have 45-48 wins. However, New Orleans has 56 wins and Dallas has 51 wins so there really isn’t that much separation between the two teams. Below is a comparison between the teams, when they played each other this season:
Individual Stats:
Scoring - D. Nowitzki : 23.6 point per game; C. Paul: 21.1 point per game
Rebounds - D. Nowitzki: 8.6; T. Chandler: 11.8
Assists - J. Kidd: 9.5; C. Paul: 11.6
Steals - J. Kidd: 2.1; C. Paul: 2.7
Blocks -E. Dampier: 1.5; D. West: 1.3
Team Stats:
Rebounds - Dallas: 43.0; New Orleans: 41.8
Assists - Dallas: 21.0; New Orleans: 21.8
Steals - Dallas: 6.0; New Orleans: 7.8
Points Scored - Dallas: 100.4; New Orleans: 100.9
Points Allowed - Dallas: 95.9; New Orleans: 95.6
Most of the “experts” think, as I do, that the Mavs will prevail in this series. And if that happens, I really don’t think it will be that much of an upset even though it would be a #2 seed losing in the first round. As I pointed out above, the teams are pretty evenly matched and in the season series, both team’s wins came at home. That really only leaves playoff experience…which the Mavs have a lot of (the past 8 seasons) and the Hornets don’t. That is why I think the Mavs will move on to round 2. The playoffs are a different animal than the regular season; everything is ratcheted up a notch. Every position is huge and the half court offense and playing defense becomes more important. And while New Orleans is a great team with a bright future, their lack of playoff experience will catch up with them here.
My prediction: Mavs in 7.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Pick Your Poison
On Wednesday night we will all know what the NBA playoff pairings will look like for the Western conference. However, as of today, things are still up in the air. If the NBA playoffs started today, here is what the Western conference playoffs would look like:
(1) LA Lakers vs. (8) Denver Nuggets
(2) New Orleans Hornets vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks
(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Phoenix Suns
(4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Utah Jazz
Depending on what happens this evening though, the above could change. If the Lakers beat the Sad Sac Kings tonight, they will be locked in to the #1 seed. However, if the Lakers lose and the Hornets beat the Clippers tonight and the Mavs tomorrow night, New Orleans would have the #1 seed. Also, if Dallas loses tomorrow night to New Orleans and the Nuggets beat Memphis, the Nuggets would slide into the #7 spot and Dallas would slip back to #8 (Dallas and Denver would end with the same record but Denver would have the tie breaker because they beat Dallas 2 of the 3 games they played this year). So, for those of you who don’t have an ice cream headache right now, my question is…who would you rather see Dallas play in the first round?
The Mavs went 1-2 against the Hornets this season and 1-3 against the Lakers. The Mavs loses against the Lakers were by 4 points, 2 points and 4 points respectively. The Mavs loses to the Hornets were 4 points and 9 points respectively but the 9 point loss was Jason Kidd’s first game with the Mavs which needs to be give some consideration. So, even though Dallas has only 2 wins in 7 games vs. the Hornets and Lakers combined, the games were close and Dallas could have won 4 of those.
Both the Lakers and the Hornets are extremely good teams, both have had great seasons and both have legitimate MVP contenders in Kobe (for the Lakers) and Chris Paul (for the Hornets). However, I think I would rather play the Hornets for a few reasons. One, even though the Hornets had a really good year, they are still a very young team and relatively few players on that team have much playoff experience. And the playoffs are a different animal than the regular season. Two, I think the Lakers are a better team so I would rather not play them right out of the shoot. For the Mavs to get to the Finals again, they will probably have to face the Lakers but postponing that as long as possible, in my opinion, is the best scenario. And three, Kobe is the best player in the game and, seemingly, explodes most of the time when he plays Dallas. Chris Paul is a Kobe starter kit but, like I said, is still very young and has never experienced NBA playoff basketball before. There are several players on the Mavs roster that have been to the playoffs, and made deep runs in the playoffs, so I think that experience will serve better against a young Hornets team.
If both the Lakers and Hornets win tonight thus locking both into the #1 and #2 seeds respectively, I kind of wonder if New Orleans will play their full roster the full game tomorrow night vs. Dallas. The game will be meaningful to Dallas, regardless of tonight’s outcome, as Dallas will be playing for #7 seed. I would think if New Orleans is locked into the #2 seed, they might play their starters for one half thus giving Dallas and easier shot at winning and securing the #7 seed. That’s what I’m hoping for at least. So, I guess I gotta root for the Lakers and the Hornets to win tonight. But nothing is guaranteed this year in the Western conference.
(1) LA Lakers vs. (8) Denver Nuggets
(2) New Orleans Hornets vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks
(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Phoenix Suns
(4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Utah Jazz
Depending on what happens this evening though, the above could change. If the Lakers beat the Sad Sac Kings tonight, they will be locked in to the #1 seed. However, if the Lakers lose and the Hornets beat the Clippers tonight and the Mavs tomorrow night, New Orleans would have the #1 seed. Also, if Dallas loses tomorrow night to New Orleans and the Nuggets beat Memphis, the Nuggets would slide into the #7 spot and Dallas would slip back to #8 (Dallas and Denver would end with the same record but Denver would have the tie breaker because they beat Dallas 2 of the 3 games they played this year). So, for those of you who don’t have an ice cream headache right now, my question is…who would you rather see Dallas play in the first round?
The Mavs went 1-2 against the Hornets this season and 1-3 against the Lakers. The Mavs loses against the Lakers were by 4 points, 2 points and 4 points respectively. The Mavs loses to the Hornets were 4 points and 9 points respectively but the 9 point loss was Jason Kidd’s first game with the Mavs which needs to be give some consideration. So, even though Dallas has only 2 wins in 7 games vs. the Hornets and Lakers combined, the games were close and Dallas could have won 4 of those.
Both the Lakers and the Hornets are extremely good teams, both have had great seasons and both have legitimate MVP contenders in Kobe (for the Lakers) and Chris Paul (for the Hornets). However, I think I would rather play the Hornets for a few reasons. One, even though the Hornets had a really good year, they are still a very young team and relatively few players on that team have much playoff experience. And the playoffs are a different animal than the regular season. Two, I think the Lakers are a better team so I would rather not play them right out of the shoot. For the Mavs to get to the Finals again, they will probably have to face the Lakers but postponing that as long as possible, in my opinion, is the best scenario. And three, Kobe is the best player in the game and, seemingly, explodes most of the time when he plays Dallas. Chris Paul is a Kobe starter kit but, like I said, is still very young and has never experienced NBA playoff basketball before. There are several players on the Mavs roster that have been to the playoffs, and made deep runs in the playoffs, so I think that experience will serve better against a young Hornets team.
If both the Lakers and Hornets win tonight thus locking both into the #1 and #2 seeds respectively, I kind of wonder if New Orleans will play their full roster the full game tomorrow night vs. Dallas. The game will be meaningful to Dallas, regardless of tonight’s outcome, as Dallas will be playing for #7 seed. I would think if New Orleans is locked into the #2 seed, they might play their starters for one half thus giving Dallas and easier shot at winning and securing the #7 seed. That’s what I’m hoping for at least. So, I guess I gotta root for the Lakers and the Hornets to win tonight. But nothing is guaranteed this year in the Western conference.
Friday, April 11, 2008
One of the Best Sports Weeks I Can Remember for DFW Area
This week has been a pretty good week in the DFW sports scene. On Sunday, The Rangers beat the hated LA Angels 10-4 and then took won both games of a double header against Baltimore yesterday. Even though the season is still very young, the pitching has been solid and the bats have started to wake up the past few games. If the Rangers can win 81 games this year, I think they can consider this season a success.
The Stars started their playoff run by defeating the defending Stanly Cup champion Anaheim Ducks 4-0. That was a big feat considering the Stars haven’t made it out of the first round of the playoffs since 2003. I usually find it hard to sit down and watch the a regular season hockey game however playoff hockey is actually pretty fun to watch. All four goals were scored on power plays and the Stars, in general, made the Ducks look pretty silly. Hopefully they can continue this push and do something this year in the playoffs. If no, then the
And the Mavs started off the week on Sunday by coming from 13 points down in the 4th quarter to beat the mighty Suns, in Phoenix no less. Dirk came up big in that game by scoring 32 points and proving he is one tough SOB playing that way on a gimpy ankle. The Mavs then beat a pretty hapless Seattle team in the middle of the week but then last night welcomed the Utah Jazz to town. The game was great and Dallas played very well. Again Dirk scored 32 points but none were bigger than these:
So now the Mavs have clinched a playoff spot and won at least 50 games for the 8th straight season. The only team that can currently make that claim is San Antonio which has won 50+ games for the last 9 seasons. Judging where the Mavs were during the decade of the 90’s, when they were the WORST professional sports franchise out of all the teams in the 4 major sports (football, basketball, baseball and hockey), that is huge.
I honestly think the Mavs could win out as they play at Portland, at Seattle and finish up at home against New Orleans. That would mean Dallas would finish the year on a 6 game win streak winning 7 of 8 overall in April. That is streaking into the playoffs. And I don’t care who they play (more than likely Dallas will draw the Spurs or the Lakers in the first round), if they continue to play this way Dallas will definitely be a tough opponent in playoffs. Dirk is playing well, JET Terry is playing well, Josh Howard is playing well and Jason Kidd seems to have really gotten used to playing with the team. Once the playoffs start, it’s a new season and anything can happen…especially with the way the Western conference is so close. It’s going to be interesting and fun to watch.
The Stars started their playoff run by defeating the defending Stanly Cup champion Anaheim Ducks 4-0. That was a big feat considering the Stars haven’t made it out of the first round of the playoffs since 2003. I usually find it hard to sit down and watch the a regular season hockey game however playoff hockey is actually pretty fun to watch. All four goals were scored on power plays and the Stars, in general, made the Ducks look pretty silly. Hopefully they can continue this push and do something this year in the playoffs. If no, then the
And the Mavs started off the week on Sunday by coming from 13 points down in the 4th quarter to beat the mighty Suns, in Phoenix no less. Dirk came up big in that game by scoring 32 points and proving he is one tough SOB playing that way on a gimpy ankle. The Mavs then beat a pretty hapless Seattle team in the middle of the week but then last night welcomed the Utah Jazz to town. The game was great and Dallas played very well. Again Dirk scored 32 points but none were bigger than these:
So now the Mavs have clinched a playoff spot and won at least 50 games for the 8th straight season. The only team that can currently make that claim is San Antonio which has won 50+ games for the last 9 seasons. Judging where the Mavs were during the decade of the 90’s, when they were the WORST professional sports franchise out of all the teams in the 4 major sports (football, basketball, baseball and hockey), that is huge.
I honestly think the Mavs could win out as they play at Portland, at Seattle and finish up at home against New Orleans. That would mean Dallas would finish the year on a 6 game win streak winning 7 of 8 overall in April. That is streaking into the playoffs. And I don’t care who they play (more than likely Dallas will draw the Spurs or the Lakers in the first round), if they continue to play this way Dallas will definitely be a tough opponent in playoffs. Dirk is playing well, JET Terry is playing well, Josh Howard is playing well and Jason Kidd seems to have really gotten used to playing with the team. Once the playoffs start, it’s a new season and anything can happen…especially with the way the Western conference is so close. It’s going to be interesting and fun to watch.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Another Disappointing Ending
The Mavs led the majority of the game last night vs. the Lakers but in the end couldn't close out the game. The Mavs lost 112-108 and also lost the season series to LA 3-1. The last three games between the two teams were decided by 4 points (ended in overtime), 2 points and 4 points (last night). This is just more of the same from the Mavs...a team that is talented but just can't seem to close out the close games. This was the Mavericks' 10th loss that was decided by 4 points or less.
The starters did their part. Nowitzki led the Mavs with 27 points, Jason Terry scored 25 and Josh Howard added 23. Jason Kidd had 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. However, the bench is where Dallas came up short. Devon George played 25 minutes and Eddie Jones played 22 minutes and guess how many points Dallas got out out that? A grand total of 4 (Eddie Jones didn't score one single point!). Four points?!?!? Four freaking points from 47 minutes between these two jokers? I've had it with both of them. Neither will be here next year and I wish that was right now. All Dallas needed was 5 more points to win the game...that's it. Just 5 more points. And these two guys toss in a total of 4. Absolutely ridiculous to say the least.
I'm glad Terry and J.Ho have started to show back up but the bench has got to do better than that. Brandon Bass played 12 seconds...what is up with that? I would be willing to be he could have at least scored 5 points by himself.
Well, I don't have much hope for tomorrow's game in Phoenix which, more than likely, will erase the 2 game cushion the Mavs had on Golden State and we're back to where we were on Wednesday. Part of me thinks that since these games are close, Dallas just needs to give it just a little more effort and they could win some of these close games. The other part of me thinks that "you are what you are" (as Parcells used to say) and maybe this team is what it is...7th, 8th or even 9th best in the West. They have lost too many close games too many times for me to think these losses are flukes.
So, I'm bracing for what could possibly be a long off season if Dallas doesn't make the playoffs. I so wish they could have pulled it out last night. Let's hope they can nut up before tomorrow's game and surprise everyone, including me. That would be a great way to start off the week.
The starters did their part. Nowitzki led the Mavs with 27 points, Jason Terry scored 25 and Josh Howard added 23. Jason Kidd had 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. However, the bench is where Dallas came up short. Devon George played 25 minutes and Eddie Jones played 22 minutes and guess how many points Dallas got out out that? A grand total of 4 (Eddie Jones didn't score one single point!). Four points?!?!? Four freaking points from 47 minutes between these two jokers? I've had it with both of them. Neither will be here next year and I wish that was right now. All Dallas needed was 5 more points to win the game...that's it. Just 5 more points. And these two guys toss in a total of 4. Absolutely ridiculous to say the least.
I'm glad Terry and J.Ho have started to show back up but the bench has got to do better than that. Brandon Bass played 12 seconds...what is up with that? I would be willing to be he could have at least scored 5 points by himself.
Well, I don't have much hope for tomorrow's game in Phoenix which, more than likely, will erase the 2 game cushion the Mavs had on Golden State and we're back to where we were on Wednesday. Part of me thinks that since these games are close, Dallas just needs to give it just a little more effort and they could win some of these close games. The other part of me thinks that "you are what you are" (as Parcells used to say) and maybe this team is what it is...7th, 8th or even 9th best in the West. They have lost too many close games too many times for me to think these losses are flukes.
So, I'm bracing for what could possibly be a long off season if Dallas doesn't make the playoffs. I so wish they could have pulled it out last night. Let's hope they can nut up before tomorrow's game and surprise everyone, including me. That would be a great way to start off the week.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Another Big 2 Games This Weekend for Dallas
Well, Dallas did what I hoped they would do on Wednesday night…pummel a team, in the Golden State Warriors, that was ripe for a pummeling. The Warriors were playing the second game of a back-to-back and had their bells rung by 24 points the night before in San Antonio. They also were finishing up 4 games in 5 days. The Mavs were at home, got an emotional lift when Dirk actually played and got an inspired effort from the rest of the team. They played a complete 4 quarters and won by 25 against a team that didn’t look like they had much interest in playing.
I’m not going to over hype the win on Wednesday but I will say it was a big win for a few reasons. If Dallas loses that game, the chances of them making the playoffs were slim and none. Also, Golden State is a team that has been in the head of the Mavericks the last 2 seasons so Dallas needed to prove to themselves they could not only beat the Warriors but beat them soundly. Dallas is now 2 full games ahead of Golden State (with 7 games left to play) and 1 game ahead of Denver, who occupies the 8th spot in the West right now. However, for Wednesday’s win to remain as big, the momentum must carry over to this weekend.
Dallas plays the Lakers tonight in L.A. and Phoenix on Sunday afternoon in Phoenix. The Mavs need at least a split here. I truly think if they play the way they did on Wednesday night against Golden State, Dallas can beat the Lakers tonight. The Lakers lost last week, at home, to both Charlotte and Memphis. How they lost to those two hapless teams, I don’t know…but the fact is they did. I don’t think they will get a win on Sunday though as Dallas, over the years, typically hasn’t played that well in day games, especially on the road. So that makes tonight’s game pretty important. Dallas needs to take advantage of the momentum they created on Wednesday night and build on that.
Josh Howard seems to be getting back to the form he had last season. The last 5 games, Josh has averaged 30.2 points. He has to continue at this level for the Mavs to have a shot of an extended post season run. JET Terry showed some signs on Wednesday of awakening as well as he poured in 31 points of his own. He, also, needs to play at a high level (especially since Dirk is still not 100% yet) for Dallas to do well in the playoffs. Over the past few games, Kidd also seems to have played better so I’m hoping he has a better grasp of the offense and he and the team are becoming more familiar with each other..
I am in hopes that Wednesday’s win started some momentum Dallas can sustain through April and go streaking into the playoffs, much the same way Golden State did last year. If that happens, Dallas will be a very dangerous team for any team in the West to play. But for that to happen, Dallas really needs to play well and get a “W” this evening.
I’m not going to over hype the win on Wednesday but I will say it was a big win for a few reasons. If Dallas loses that game, the chances of them making the playoffs were slim and none. Also, Golden State is a team that has been in the head of the Mavericks the last 2 seasons so Dallas needed to prove to themselves they could not only beat the Warriors but beat them soundly. Dallas is now 2 full games ahead of Golden State (with 7 games left to play) and 1 game ahead of Denver, who occupies the 8th spot in the West right now. However, for Wednesday’s win to remain as big, the momentum must carry over to this weekend.
Dallas plays the Lakers tonight in L.A. and Phoenix on Sunday afternoon in Phoenix. The Mavs need at least a split here. I truly think if they play the way they did on Wednesday night against Golden State, Dallas can beat the Lakers tonight. The Lakers lost last week, at home, to both Charlotte and Memphis. How they lost to those two hapless teams, I don’t know…but the fact is they did. I don’t think they will get a win on Sunday though as Dallas, over the years, typically hasn’t played that well in day games, especially on the road. So that makes tonight’s game pretty important. Dallas needs to take advantage of the momentum they created on Wednesday night and build on that.
Josh Howard seems to be getting back to the form he had last season. The last 5 games, Josh has averaged 30.2 points. He has to continue at this level for the Mavs to have a shot of an extended post season run. JET Terry showed some signs on Wednesday of awakening as well as he poured in 31 points of his own. He, also, needs to play at a high level (especially since Dirk is still not 100% yet) for Dallas to do well in the playoffs. Over the past few games, Kidd also seems to have played better so I’m hoping he has a better grasp of the offense and he and the team are becoming more familiar with each other..
I am in hopes that Wednesday’s win started some momentum Dallas can sustain through April and go streaking into the playoffs, much the same way Golden State did last year. If that happens, Dallas will be a very dangerous team for any team in the West to play. But for that to happen, Dallas really needs to play well and get a “W” this evening.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Same Song, Different Verse…Mavs Game Tonight is Vital to Making Playoffs
Tonight at 8:30, the Mavs play Golden State in a game that has serious playoff implications. Currently, the Mavs are a full game ahead of G.S. and a half game ahead of Denver, which currently holds the 8th spot in the West. Dirk is a game time decision but Stackhouse is out. Due to the remainder of Dallas schedule, as well as the schedules of both Denver and Golden State, if the Mavs somehow don’t win tonight, I think I’m prepared to say that they will be on the outside looking in when the playoffs start later this month. So really, this is a MUST WIN.
The last few years, the Warriors have been a tough match up for the Mavs. Everyone remembers last Spring (who could forget?) and this year the Warriors have a 2-1 advantage in the series. However, if Dallas has any shred of pride they will nut up, show up and beat up the Warriors tonight…Dirk, or no Dirk. I know that last sentence is super cheesy, but it’s the truth. Dallas is well rested, playing at home (where they are fairly difficult to beat) and Golden State is playing the second game of a back-to-back (they played the Spurs last night and lost by 24 points). Since the Kidd trade, Dallas has yet to beat a team in playoff contention in the West but that HAS to end tonight.
A win for Dallas means a couple of things. For one, they put more distance between themselves and Golden State/Denver for the playoffs. Two, they can prove to themselves that they not only can play with but can beat a quality team. The Mavs have been able to hang with the playoffs teams from the West but they just can’t seem to get over the hump and come up with a “W” against any of those teams. And three, a win tonight might jump start this team so they can build some sort of momentum going into the playoffs. I may just be dreaming about that though.
I never in a million years thought, at the beginning of this season, that Dallas wouldn’t make the playoffs. I have to admit, I haven’t watched much of the past few games and probably won’t watch much of tonight’s game. Not because I’m a fair weather fan or any less of a Mavs fan now than I was a few months ago. I just can’t take getting emotionally suckered much more. I want the Mavs to make the playoffs and do well. But getting emotionally invested in an important game only to get my guts stomped on at the end is not my idea of an enjoyable time.
This team is soft, no two ways about it. But I want the team to get mad. I want them to play with emotion. I want them to come out and play physical ball…plant Stephen Jackson’s butt on the court if need be (I hate that guy)…but do something, ANYTHING, to prove to this city as well as the league that they aren’t going anywhere and stories of their demise have been prematurely written. Forget taking 18 foot jump shots or hiding behind the 3 point arc. Take the freaking ball to the basket and make a freaking statement with it!
Otherwise, go get your shine box, your golf clubs and start making your off season plans because you aren’t going anywhere. We’ll see if Dallas can answer the bell or if they will cower down like that have done the past month. Hopefully it will be the former and not the latter.
The last few years, the Warriors have been a tough match up for the Mavs. Everyone remembers last Spring (who could forget?) and this year the Warriors have a 2-1 advantage in the series. However, if Dallas has any shred of pride they will nut up, show up and beat up the Warriors tonight…Dirk, or no Dirk. I know that last sentence is super cheesy, but it’s the truth. Dallas is well rested, playing at home (where they are fairly difficult to beat) and Golden State is playing the second game of a back-to-back (they played the Spurs last night and lost by 24 points). Since the Kidd trade, Dallas has yet to beat a team in playoff contention in the West but that HAS to end tonight.
A win for Dallas means a couple of things. For one, they put more distance between themselves and Golden State/Denver for the playoffs. Two, they can prove to themselves that they not only can play with but can beat a quality team. The Mavs have been able to hang with the playoffs teams from the West but they just can’t seem to get over the hump and come up with a “W” against any of those teams. And three, a win tonight might jump start this team so they can build some sort of momentum going into the playoffs. I may just be dreaming about that though.
I never in a million years thought, at the beginning of this season, that Dallas wouldn’t make the playoffs. I have to admit, I haven’t watched much of the past few games and probably won’t watch much of tonight’s game. Not because I’m a fair weather fan or any less of a Mavs fan now than I was a few months ago. I just can’t take getting emotionally suckered much more. I want the Mavs to make the playoffs and do well. But getting emotionally invested in an important game only to get my guts stomped on at the end is not my idea of an enjoyable time.
This team is soft, no two ways about it. But I want the team to get mad. I want them to play with emotion. I want them to come out and play physical ball…plant Stephen Jackson’s butt on the court if need be (I hate that guy)…but do something, ANYTHING, to prove to this city as well as the league that they aren’t going anywhere and stories of their demise have been prematurely written. Forget taking 18 foot jump shots or hiding behind the 3 point arc. Take the freaking ball to the basket and make a freaking statement with it!
Otherwise, go get your shine box, your golf clubs and start making your off season plans because you aren’t going anywhere. We’ll see if Dallas can answer the bell or if they will cower down like that have done the past month. Hopefully it will be the former and not the latter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
