MannyIsGod
04-08-2005, 03:01 AM
Dallas dominating with 'Big D'
Web Posted: 04/08/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
DALLAS — The Spurs flirted with their lowest point total ever, missed all 12 of their 3-point shots and suffered their worst loss in almost four years Thursday night. And they did it all in front of a national TV audience.
More Spurs coverage
* Dallas dominating with 'Big D'
* Notebook: Duncan's workout offers hope
* Box: Mavericks 104, Spurs 68
Not that the evening was a total waste.
Manu Ginobili had plenty of opportunity to rest.
Aside from also helping Dallas compile two-plus hours of footage for its season-ending highlight DVD, the Spurs accomplished little else of merit as the Mavericks blitzed them 104-68 at American Airlines Center.
"I don't know what's the adjective, but it was pretty embarrassing," Ginobili said. "We knew we were not playing well but today was awful."
Dallas reduced the Spurs' lead in the Southwest Division to four games. With only seven games left to play, the Spurs — who also own the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams — still have a pretty firm grip on the Western Conference's second playoff seed, though they might want to try winning somewhere other than the SBC Center.
Thursday's loss was the Spurs' sixth consecutive on the road, proving, once again, they can't be taken anywhere without Tim Duncan. The 36-point setback was their worst since the final day of the 2000-01 season, when coach Gregg Popovich rested Duncan and most of the team's starters for the playoffs.
Duncan was on the bench again Thursday. The Spurs had also played the previous night, beating the Clippers, but the Mavericks didn't have reason to feel sympathetic. Dallas was missing at least one starter when it lost each of the teams' first three meetings.
"A lot of good things happened tonight," Avery Johnson said after facing his former team for the first time since becoming Dallas' head coach, "against a good basketball team that didn't play the way they were capable."
The Spurs trailed 45-34 at the half, then watched Dallas run off eight unanswered points to start the third quarter.
Their 68 points were four more than the franchise all-time low.
In addition to being outrebounded 51-35, the Spurs shot only 34.6 percent and established a new standard of ineptitude in 3-point shooting.
"You look at a game like that, and you would have thought Dallas hit a lot of threes," Robert Horry said. "They hit only one. That lets you know how bad we played."
Not wanting to burn out Ginobili in the second game of a back-to-back, Popovich said before the game he planned to play his All-Star guard only moderate minutes. Ginobili's production supported Popovich's concern: In 17 minutes, he missed eight of his nine shots and all four of his free throws.
"He was having a hard time with a back-to-back — it's one of the things we have to watch," Popovich said. "But it has nothing to do with why Dallas won.
"They were more aggressive, more physical than we were. They just outplayed us in every way in the second half."
Johnson has done his best to put the 'D' back in Dallas. Hanging in the center of the Mavericks' locker room is a quote from their new coach: "Contested shots wound us. Uncontested shots and layups will kill us."
The Mavericks appear to have heeded the advice.
In spite of the blowout, the rivalry appears to be alive and well.
Bruce Bowen and Dallas' Jerry Stackhouse were given technicals at the end of the first half after they exchanged words. Brent Barry and Mavericks forward Keith Van Horn had to be separated, and Nazr Mohammed and Dirk Nowitzki traded elbows.
In the final quarter, Barry got away with a shove to Stackhouse's face.
"That's typical between Texas teams playing down the stretch," Horry said.
"You've got guys who want to win. And we're frustrated because we got the (bleep) beat out of us."
Web Posted: 04/08/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
DALLAS — The Spurs flirted with their lowest point total ever, missed all 12 of their 3-point shots and suffered their worst loss in almost four years Thursday night. And they did it all in front of a national TV audience.
More Spurs coverage
* Dallas dominating with 'Big D'
* Notebook: Duncan's workout offers hope
* Box: Mavericks 104, Spurs 68
Not that the evening was a total waste.
Manu Ginobili had plenty of opportunity to rest.
Aside from also helping Dallas compile two-plus hours of footage for its season-ending highlight DVD, the Spurs accomplished little else of merit as the Mavericks blitzed them 104-68 at American Airlines Center.
"I don't know what's the adjective, but it was pretty embarrassing," Ginobili said. "We knew we were not playing well but today was awful."
Dallas reduced the Spurs' lead in the Southwest Division to four games. With only seven games left to play, the Spurs — who also own the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams — still have a pretty firm grip on the Western Conference's second playoff seed, though they might want to try winning somewhere other than the SBC Center.
Thursday's loss was the Spurs' sixth consecutive on the road, proving, once again, they can't be taken anywhere without Tim Duncan. The 36-point setback was their worst since the final day of the 2000-01 season, when coach Gregg Popovich rested Duncan and most of the team's starters for the playoffs.
Duncan was on the bench again Thursday. The Spurs had also played the previous night, beating the Clippers, but the Mavericks didn't have reason to feel sympathetic. Dallas was missing at least one starter when it lost each of the teams' first three meetings.
"A lot of good things happened tonight," Avery Johnson said after facing his former team for the first time since becoming Dallas' head coach, "against a good basketball team that didn't play the way they were capable."
The Spurs trailed 45-34 at the half, then watched Dallas run off eight unanswered points to start the third quarter.
Their 68 points were four more than the franchise all-time low.
In addition to being outrebounded 51-35, the Spurs shot only 34.6 percent and established a new standard of ineptitude in 3-point shooting.
"You look at a game like that, and you would have thought Dallas hit a lot of threes," Robert Horry said. "They hit only one. That lets you know how bad we played."
Not wanting to burn out Ginobili in the second game of a back-to-back, Popovich said before the game he planned to play his All-Star guard only moderate minutes. Ginobili's production supported Popovich's concern: In 17 minutes, he missed eight of his nine shots and all four of his free throws.
"He was having a hard time with a back-to-back — it's one of the things we have to watch," Popovich said. "But it has nothing to do with why Dallas won.
"They were more aggressive, more physical than we were. They just outplayed us in every way in the second half."
Johnson has done his best to put the 'D' back in Dallas. Hanging in the center of the Mavericks' locker room is a quote from their new coach: "Contested shots wound us. Uncontested shots and layups will kill us."
The Mavericks appear to have heeded the advice.
In spite of the blowout, the rivalry appears to be alive and well.
Bruce Bowen and Dallas' Jerry Stackhouse were given technicals at the end of the first half after they exchanged words. Brent Barry and Mavericks forward Keith Van Horn had to be separated, and Nazr Mohammed and Dirk Nowitzki traded elbows.
In the final quarter, Barry got away with a shove to Stackhouse's face.
"That's typical between Texas teams playing down the stretch," Horry said.
"You've got guys who want to win. And we're frustrated because we got the (bleep) beat out of us."