duncan228
11-19-2009, 01:03 AM
Mavs outplay Spurs in OT (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Mavs_outplay_Spurs_in_OT.html)
Jeff McDonald
DALLAS — An hour before his team was set to tip off a key Southwest Division game at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was talking about the giant chemistry project he'd undertaken.
Long story short, there is no pushing fast-forward when it comes to the integration of seven new players.
“Over 50 percent of the team is new,” Popovich said. “That's a lot of new bodies. Just people-wise, relationship-wise, people understanding the system — it's a real work in progress.”
What the Spurs have learned over the past week, leading up to Wednesday's 99-94 overtime loss to Dallas, which sunk them below .500: Chemistry projects are even more difficult when some of the important elements are frequently unavailable.
Already without Tony Parker for the third time in four games, the Spurs lost Manu Ginobili to a strained left groin 71/2 minutes into Wednesday's game.
Unlike a week earlier, when they lost to a Spurs team down Parker and Tim Duncan, the Mavericks, shorthanded themselves, took advantage to earn their fourth consecutive win since leaving San Antonio. Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 of his 41 points after the third quarter.
Duncan had 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs, who dropped to 0-4 on the road this season.
Forgive the Southwest Division-leading Mavs (9-3) if they don't feel the Spurs' injury-induced pain. They were playing without 60 percent of their preferred starting lineup — Josh Howard, Erick Dampier and Shawn Marion all were out Wednesday.
Down 84-82 after Nowitzki's tip-in with 14.6 seconds left in regulation, the Spurs (4-5) needed a double dose of Duncan heroics to force OT.
Duncan tied the game with a jump-hook over Kris Humphries with 2.3 seconds to go, then blocked Jason Terry's potential game-winning jumper as time expired.
The magic ran out in the extra period. Nowitzki gave Dallas the lead for good with 2:28 left, finishing a left-handed layup, drawing a foul on Antonio McDyess, and hitting the ensuing foul shot. That gave the Mavs a 92-91 lead.
On the next possession, Nowitzki forced Duncan into a miss. Terry followed with a jumper to put Dallas up by three. Nowitzki then forced Duncan into another miss — with Duncan pumping his fist and vociferously insisting he was fouled — then buried his first 3-pointer of the game on the other end.
That put the Mavs up 97-91 with 1:15 to go, essentially ending the Spurs' bid to snap their road-game curse.
Dallas center Drew Gooden scorched his old team for 17 points and 11 rebounds — logging his third straight double-double in his third-straight start — but fouled out late in regulation.
Richard Jefferson added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, for whom slow starts are nothing new.
The Spurs typically ease their way into a season by design. Popovich prefers his teams to peak heading into the playoffs, not the All-Star break.
This year?
“We have no choice,” Popovich said. “Usually I try to force that. We don't even have to try this year. It's going to have to be at a slower pace, with the new guys not knowing what we're doing.”
Without Parker and Ginobili on Wednesday, the Spurs found themselves in the same quandary they were during last year's playoff series — lacking offensive firepower.
During a stretch of nearly seven minutes in the second quarter, the Spurs managed one point and no field goals, going 0 for 10 from the floor.
Still, the Spurs scratched and clawed and hung in the game. And, yes, they benefited from a Mavs team that suddenly couldn't throw a ball in the ocean.
When Duncan finally broke the Spurs' scoring spell, with a tough basket over Nowitzki with 3:24 left in the half, they were behind by just five, 33-28. By intermission, the Spurs were down two. And after Jefferson drained a long 3-pointer with 7:43 to go in the third, the Spurs were in the lead, 46-45.
The Spurs battled back from that early deficit to force overtime, but — thanks to Nowitzki, who left the floor to “MVP chants” — couldn't close out the game.
Jeff McDonald
DALLAS — An hour before his team was set to tip off a key Southwest Division game at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was talking about the giant chemistry project he'd undertaken.
Long story short, there is no pushing fast-forward when it comes to the integration of seven new players.
“Over 50 percent of the team is new,” Popovich said. “That's a lot of new bodies. Just people-wise, relationship-wise, people understanding the system — it's a real work in progress.”
What the Spurs have learned over the past week, leading up to Wednesday's 99-94 overtime loss to Dallas, which sunk them below .500: Chemistry projects are even more difficult when some of the important elements are frequently unavailable.
Already without Tony Parker for the third time in four games, the Spurs lost Manu Ginobili to a strained left groin 71/2 minutes into Wednesday's game.
Unlike a week earlier, when they lost to a Spurs team down Parker and Tim Duncan, the Mavericks, shorthanded themselves, took advantage to earn their fourth consecutive win since leaving San Antonio. Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 of his 41 points after the third quarter.
Duncan had 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs, who dropped to 0-4 on the road this season.
Forgive the Southwest Division-leading Mavs (9-3) if they don't feel the Spurs' injury-induced pain. They were playing without 60 percent of their preferred starting lineup — Josh Howard, Erick Dampier and Shawn Marion all were out Wednesday.
Down 84-82 after Nowitzki's tip-in with 14.6 seconds left in regulation, the Spurs (4-5) needed a double dose of Duncan heroics to force OT.
Duncan tied the game with a jump-hook over Kris Humphries with 2.3 seconds to go, then blocked Jason Terry's potential game-winning jumper as time expired.
The magic ran out in the extra period. Nowitzki gave Dallas the lead for good with 2:28 left, finishing a left-handed layup, drawing a foul on Antonio McDyess, and hitting the ensuing foul shot. That gave the Mavs a 92-91 lead.
On the next possession, Nowitzki forced Duncan into a miss. Terry followed with a jumper to put Dallas up by three. Nowitzki then forced Duncan into another miss — with Duncan pumping his fist and vociferously insisting he was fouled — then buried his first 3-pointer of the game on the other end.
That put the Mavs up 97-91 with 1:15 to go, essentially ending the Spurs' bid to snap their road-game curse.
Dallas center Drew Gooden scorched his old team for 17 points and 11 rebounds — logging his third straight double-double in his third-straight start — but fouled out late in regulation.
Richard Jefferson added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, for whom slow starts are nothing new.
The Spurs typically ease their way into a season by design. Popovich prefers his teams to peak heading into the playoffs, not the All-Star break.
This year?
“We have no choice,” Popovich said. “Usually I try to force that. We don't even have to try this year. It's going to have to be at a slower pace, with the new guys not knowing what we're doing.”
Without Parker and Ginobili on Wednesday, the Spurs found themselves in the same quandary they were during last year's playoff series — lacking offensive firepower.
During a stretch of nearly seven minutes in the second quarter, the Spurs managed one point and no field goals, going 0 for 10 from the floor.
Still, the Spurs scratched and clawed and hung in the game. And, yes, they benefited from a Mavs team that suddenly couldn't throw a ball in the ocean.
When Duncan finally broke the Spurs' scoring spell, with a tough basket over Nowitzki with 3:24 left in the half, they were behind by just five, 33-28. By intermission, the Spurs were down two. And after Jefferson drained a long 3-pointer with 7:43 to go in the third, the Spurs were in the lead, 46-45.
The Spurs battled back from that early deficit to force overtime, but — thanks to Nowitzki, who left the floor to “MVP chants” — couldn't close out the game.