duncan228
04-25-2009, 01:06 AM
After Dallas Mavericks’ big win, now it gets scary (http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/1338759.html)
By Ray Buck
Memo to Spurs: Have some mercy, will ya?
Tim Duncan and Tony Parker seem to be on a Dirty Harry mission in Game 4 of the Mavs-Spurs first-round series at American Airlines Center.
Prediction: The Mavs will have to withstand the Spurs’ best punch right out of the box today.
The way things have gone, San Antonio will lay a good old-fashioned payback on the Mavericks for deeds done less than 48 hours earlier.
"Both teams have responded very well to losing ... and very poorly to winning," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said following Friday’s light team practice. "Human nature, I guess [it is]. When you lose, you become desperate."
Call it unconditional, high-energy, trend-breaking desperation. That’s what the Mavs need to bring to the AAC today at 3 p.m.
So far in this best-of-seven series, it’s been the Mavs by eight, the Spurs by 21 and the Mavs by 21 ... and it wasn’t even that close.
"We’d loved to have had a little closer game and grind it out," said Dirk Nowitzki, reminding his teammates to "stay humble, stay hungry."
Prediction: The Spurs will take an edge in dangerous mind-set into Game 4.
"It’s a chess match. Our playoff series with [the Spurs] have always been that," Mavs guard Jason Terry said after Thursday night’s 88-67 checkmate.
But this team might want to show up more like Dick Butkus than Boris Spassky.
"San Antonio is going to bring a great game [today], we know that," said Carlisle, offering up a prediction of his own.
Inside the Spurs’ locker room immediately following Game 3, a stoic Duncan sat at his locker and saw dead people, or at least I think he saw dead people. That’s the impression he gave.
His resolve is scary.
"We’re not going to play like that again," Duncan vowed. "We’re not going to give that kind of effort, we’re not going to make those kind of mistakes again."
Dallas is up 2-1 in a series that has made a couple of crooked turns in its favor. But the Mavs now face a psychological hill climb.
Can they stand prosperity? Can they contain Parker for back-to-back games? Can they produce a second stat sheet in a row that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich ("Good Lord. Have some mercy, will ya?") will flip upside-down and push onto the floor without reading?
Prediction: Duncan will not be held to four points on 2-of-9 shooting today. Or maybe ever again, for that matter.
"It was just an awful game for me," Duncan said. "I want to come back and … hopefully be a leader."
Hopefully? His intent will be to put the Spurs on his back and carry them to a series-tying victory today. Hopefully, the Mavs recognize this and match San Antonio’s intensity.
"They’ll be ready for Game 4," Terry said of the Spurs. "But we’ll be ready, too."
Duncan, foreboding mind-set and all, is coming off a game in which he played just 15 1/2 minutes.
"That’s like going through a shoot-around, almost," Carlisle said of Duncan’s Game 3 activity. "I mean, that’s nothing for him."
Prediction: Popovich won’t be clearing his bench in the third quarter today. Over Duncan’s dead body.
The thing about Duncan is that he has enough skins on the wall to last a lifetime. He could take off a playoff game once in a while, rest his knees. But that would be another Tim Duncan.
On Thursday night, Duncan, Parker and the rest of the starters were put on the bench by Popovich with roughly 20 minutes to play in a game that had reached a foregone conclusion.
"Pop pulls us, puts us on the bench, and lets us sit there and simmer," Duncan said. "Hopefully, that’ll be a little bit of fuel in addition to the little bit of rest we got."
Prediction: Popovich will have this Spurs team ready. Not unbeatable in Game 4, but ready.
Guessing along with everybody else, Dirk said Popovich was "probably chewing out" his players Friday, and that can never hurt a team in need of a bounce back.
As for the Mavericks, the X-factor could be the 20,000-plus fannies in AAC seats today.
Thursday night’s raucous crowd from the get-go was credited in helping the home team make a fast start: 8-0, 21-9 ... and keep pouring it on: 46-21, 80-44 by early in the fourth.
"The challenge for us is to keep that energy level up ... [which] is not easy to do after a win," said Carlisle, trying to explain. "The playoffs are so emotional that when you win, it feels like you’re never going lose. And when you lose, it feels like you’re never going to win."
Same good news/bad news for the Mavs today. They’re up 2-1 in the series. ... but scheduled to be blown out next.
"It’s sitting there, staring both teams in the face," Carlisle said of the facts. "When either team has won, their next game has been abysmal."
It’s a game of chess.
But for the Mavs, a few Bobby Fischer moves might not be enough.
By Ray Buck
Memo to Spurs: Have some mercy, will ya?
Tim Duncan and Tony Parker seem to be on a Dirty Harry mission in Game 4 of the Mavs-Spurs first-round series at American Airlines Center.
Prediction: The Mavs will have to withstand the Spurs’ best punch right out of the box today.
The way things have gone, San Antonio will lay a good old-fashioned payback on the Mavericks for deeds done less than 48 hours earlier.
"Both teams have responded very well to losing ... and very poorly to winning," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said following Friday’s light team practice. "Human nature, I guess [it is]. When you lose, you become desperate."
Call it unconditional, high-energy, trend-breaking desperation. That’s what the Mavs need to bring to the AAC today at 3 p.m.
So far in this best-of-seven series, it’s been the Mavs by eight, the Spurs by 21 and the Mavs by 21 ... and it wasn’t even that close.
"We’d loved to have had a little closer game and grind it out," said Dirk Nowitzki, reminding his teammates to "stay humble, stay hungry."
Prediction: The Spurs will take an edge in dangerous mind-set into Game 4.
"It’s a chess match. Our playoff series with [the Spurs] have always been that," Mavs guard Jason Terry said after Thursday night’s 88-67 checkmate.
But this team might want to show up more like Dick Butkus than Boris Spassky.
"San Antonio is going to bring a great game [today], we know that," said Carlisle, offering up a prediction of his own.
Inside the Spurs’ locker room immediately following Game 3, a stoic Duncan sat at his locker and saw dead people, or at least I think he saw dead people. That’s the impression he gave.
His resolve is scary.
"We’re not going to play like that again," Duncan vowed. "We’re not going to give that kind of effort, we’re not going to make those kind of mistakes again."
Dallas is up 2-1 in a series that has made a couple of crooked turns in its favor. But the Mavs now face a psychological hill climb.
Can they stand prosperity? Can they contain Parker for back-to-back games? Can they produce a second stat sheet in a row that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich ("Good Lord. Have some mercy, will ya?") will flip upside-down and push onto the floor without reading?
Prediction: Duncan will not be held to four points on 2-of-9 shooting today. Or maybe ever again, for that matter.
"It was just an awful game for me," Duncan said. "I want to come back and … hopefully be a leader."
Hopefully? His intent will be to put the Spurs on his back and carry them to a series-tying victory today. Hopefully, the Mavs recognize this and match San Antonio’s intensity.
"They’ll be ready for Game 4," Terry said of the Spurs. "But we’ll be ready, too."
Duncan, foreboding mind-set and all, is coming off a game in which he played just 15 1/2 minutes.
"That’s like going through a shoot-around, almost," Carlisle said of Duncan’s Game 3 activity. "I mean, that’s nothing for him."
Prediction: Popovich won’t be clearing his bench in the third quarter today. Over Duncan’s dead body.
The thing about Duncan is that he has enough skins on the wall to last a lifetime. He could take off a playoff game once in a while, rest his knees. But that would be another Tim Duncan.
On Thursday night, Duncan, Parker and the rest of the starters were put on the bench by Popovich with roughly 20 minutes to play in a game that had reached a foregone conclusion.
"Pop pulls us, puts us on the bench, and lets us sit there and simmer," Duncan said. "Hopefully, that’ll be a little bit of fuel in addition to the little bit of rest we got."
Prediction: Popovich will have this Spurs team ready. Not unbeatable in Game 4, but ready.
Guessing along with everybody else, Dirk said Popovich was "probably chewing out" his players Friday, and that can never hurt a team in need of a bounce back.
As for the Mavericks, the X-factor could be the 20,000-plus fannies in AAC seats today.
Thursday night’s raucous crowd from the get-go was credited in helping the home team make a fast start: 8-0, 21-9 ... and keep pouring it on: 46-21, 80-44 by early in the fourth.
"The challenge for us is to keep that energy level up ... [which] is not easy to do after a win," said Carlisle, trying to explain. "The playoffs are so emotional that when you win, it feels like you’re never going lose. And when you lose, it feels like you’re never going to win."
Same good news/bad news for the Mavs today. They’re up 2-1 in the series. ... but scheduled to be blown out next.
"It’s sitting there, staring both teams in the face," Carlisle said of the facts. "When either team has won, their next game has been abysmal."
It’s a game of chess.
But for the Mavs, a few Bobby Fischer moves might not be enough.