Initial Reaction: Spurs vs. Mavs - Game 2

[timvp]

Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks threw the first punch with a Game 1 victory. The Spurs took the hit and responded with a roundhouse of their own in Game 2. Led by Tim Duncan's domination down the stretch, the Spurs escaped Dallas with a 102-88 victory and head to San Antonio with the series tied 1-1.

The Spurs grew their lead to 20 points with three and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter, however the Mavs weren't going down without a fight. With seven minutes left in the contest, Dallas had cut the spread to five points -- but that's when Tim Duncan went Tim Duncan. Over the next four minutes, Duncan had a personal 8-0 run to seal the deal.

-If you had forgotten what a healthy Tim Duncan looks like in the postseason, tonight was a reminder. The Spurs looked on the verge of a horrific meltdown when Duncan came to the rescue. On the night, he was 11-for-19 from the field for 25 points. His 17 rebounds allowed the Spurs to control the glass (51-42) and his defense was superb -- he even took his turns defending Nowitzki. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that he didn't turn the ball over after making it a point to cut down his six Game 1 turnovers. Legendary performance.

-Manu Ginobili continues his superstar level play. He hit 4-of-6 three-pointers and now has 49 points in this series on only 30 field goal attempts. By attacking and exploiting Dallas' defense early on, he forced the Mavs to concentrate on him, which opened the court up for everyone else. Compared to Game 1, Ginobili did a better job of taking care of the ball and defending Caron Butler. He needs to keep pumping in the stats like he did tonight (23 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals) for the Spurs to have a chance in this series.

-Tony Parker was surprisingly sharp in Game 2. His play, particularly in the first half, was invaluable in keeping the team rolling when Duncan and Ginobili were resting. His 16 points were important but not as important as his eight assists and no turnovers. I was also very impressed with his defense and his hustle on both ends. Parker still shows some rust from time to time but he's playing about as well as could have been expected given the circumstances of his season from hell.

-That was the Richard Jefferson the Spurs traded for last offseason. His first half was his best half of the season -- and he picked a great time to unleash it. He scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half and also pulled down seven rebounds for the game. I loved his aggressiveness, confidence and his devil-may-care attitude. Jefferson played good defense, limited his mental mistakes and acted like the fourth star this team wanted and needed.

-Antonio McDyess was perhaps the Most Valuable Player for the Spurs. His defense on Nowitzki was fantastic, holding the former NBA MVP to 9-for-24 shooting. When he wasn't defending Nowitzki, McDyess was crashing the glass on both ends. He finished with nine boards (five offensive) and the team's only blocked shot. If McDyess can keep making Nowitzki work without fouling him, he'll be worth every penny the Spurs paid him this summer to coax him out of Detroit.

-George Hill was again in the starting lineup despite his gimpy play in Game 1. Although Hill didn't do much this time out either, he had great timing. Both of Hill's made field goals were in the fourth quarter (a three-pointer and a long two-pointer off of a Duncan double-team). Hill's defense was much, much better and even though he's still hurting, he battled and gave the Spurs 31 extremely important minutes -- even more important when you consider the alternatives options the Spurs have on the bench.

-Baby steps. Matt Bonner didn't exactly play great but he wasn't a total disaster, which has been the case for Bonner during the postseason. Bonner hit half of his six shots including two three-pointers. His defense was pretty good against Nowitzki; most importantly, he didn't foul him unnecessarily. Rebounding (two in 20 minutes) remains a concern but the Spurs can live with Bonner playing average basketball.

-DeJuan Blair had a difficult second career playoff game. He had four rebounds in 11 minutes of play but missed all four of his field goal attempts. The Mavs were also able to exploit his lack of height. Going forward the Spurs need Blair to play better when Duncan rests to help keep the ship from taking on water.

-I can't be mad with Roger Mason, Jr. He's having a bad season so it's best that he goes out on the court and tries to blend into the scenery. In six minutes, Mason had nothing of note other than a missed shot and a personal foul. Honestly, that's better than him going out on the court and pretending he's a professional basketball player.

-I was extremely happy with what Pop did and didn't do. He did make sure the ball was put into Ginobili's hands early and often. He didn't play Keith Bogans for one second. He did keep two bigs out on the court at all times. He didn't overreact and send too much help at Nowitzki. Overall, I thought Pop coached a game that showed why he's headed to the Hall of Fame.

[slick'81]

oh yes rj and dice helped right the ship

[timtonymanu]

Great write-up timvp.

RJ and Dice stepped up tonight and Pop had a great coaching game. Let's hope this continues.

[Dex]

Honestly, that's better than him going out on the court and pretending he's a professional basketball player.

:lmao

[AnthonyM]

He didn't play Keith Bogans for one second. He did keep two bigs out on the court at all times. He didn't overreact and send too much help at Nowitzki.

Huge key to the game imo.

Great game and great writeup...

[EricB]

Agreed about dice. Dice showed all year he could defend Dirk and showed it in game 1 and 2.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

One big question for me is.....


is it just good luck that we are hitting 50% in game 1 and 48% in game 2 against this Mavs team?

Are we headed back down to earth soon? Or are we really able to score this efficiently against them?





Props to McDyess and Jefferson. They responded well to Pop destroying them in the locker room. Let's hope they can continue the intensity.

[Crookshanks]

Great analysis timvp! Tonight's game was so fun to watch - the complete opposite of game 1. Glad to see RJ and Dice stepping up when we really need them. I thought it was a good strategy to not double Dirk. He was really off tonight, and Dice played him one-on-one just fine. That meant we didn't have to leave any shooters open.

[itzsoweezee]

-I was extremely happy with what Pop did and didn't do. He did make sure the ball was put into Ginobili's hands early and often. He didn't play Keith Bogans for one second. He did keep two bigs out on the court at all times. He didn't overreact and send too much help at Nowitzki. Overall, I thought Pop coached a game that showed why he's headed to the Hall of Fame.

agreed. pop finally did what fans have been urging him to do. hopefully, this is the new status quo.

[jestersmash]

One big question for me is.....


is it just good luck that we are hitting 50% in game 1 and 48% in game 2 against this Mavs team?

Are we headed back down to earth soon? Or are we really able to score this efficiently against them?





Props to McDyess and Jefferson. They responded well to Pop destroying them in the locker room. Let's hope they can continue the intensity.

I would've made such a claim for past spurs teams, but not for this spurs team.

Offensive efficiency has not been our problem this year. Our inconsistent lock down team defense has been a problem. Obviously tonight it wasn't, we stepped it up in that department.

[NewJerSpur]

Good read Timvp, and nice call on Dice last offseason when I was hollering out for Gortat.....it may very well appear that the investment in him was made for the postseason above all. Hopefully it continues to pay dividends.

Nice job by Pop overall on the rotations as the game progressed.

[OldSilentHill]

Very nice writing.

Hope Pop understands that the win came mostly for that factors you mentionated.

[Libri]

-DeJuan Blair had a difficult second career playoff game. He had four rebounds in 11 minutes of play but missed all four of his field goal attempts. The Mavs were also able to exploit his lack of height. Going forward the Spurs need Blair to play better when Duncan rests to help keep the ship from taking on water.

I like that Blair is watching and learning how the big boys play under pressure. This is going to be valuable experience for him.

[Supergirl]

I don't know why you're still so negative about Bogans though. There were times when I would have preferred to have him out there instead of Hill, Blair, or Bonner. He plays good defense and could have protected that 20 pt lead a little better than some of the guys out there.

Otherwise a good write up.

[santymrc]

Quote TIMVP

-I can't be mad with Roger Mason, Jr. He's having a bad season so it's best that he goes out on the court and tries to blend into the scenery. In six minutes, Mason had nothing of note other than a missed shot and a personal foul. Honestly, that's better than him going out on the court and pretending he's a professional basketball player.

First, you walked away like "ok, i wont go there" just to get impulse and brake the door open with a monster kick, hahaha.

I told you to get a clue in your previous Initial Reaction thread. This one looks better, I agree with you.

[HarlemHeat37]

100% agree with Bonner..

For me, he just has to be average/passable IMO..he just has to play the role of an energy big man off the bench..just play even or slightly better and I'm good with having him get minutes..

[Cry Havoc]

Baby steps.

http://content.internetvideoarchive.com/content/photos/1446/233075_522.jpg


Keep the defense up, Spurs. :tu

[spursfaninla]

One big question for me is.....


is it just good luck that we are hitting 50% in game 1 and 48% in game 2 against this Mavs team?

Are we headed back down to earth soon? Or are we really able to score this efficiently against them?


I don't think we will score this efficiently forever. However, we don't need to in order to win. I think we will get more FT calls at home (I think that is standard for every team), and we will get better and better at defending each other.

[greyforest]

agreed. pop finally did what fans have been urging him to do. hopefully, this is the new status quo.

pops rotations during the regular season are mostly experimental

[NewJerSpur]

I don't know why you're still so negative about Bogans though. There were times when I would have preferred to have him out there instead of Hill, Blair, or Bonner. He plays good defense and could have protected that 20 pt lead a little better than some of the guys out there.

Otherwise a good write up.

I too think Bogans can be valuable moving forward against a Kobe or another great perimeter scorer. I think Pop is saving him for a series that would feature that calibur player with that body type. Only thing is he has to find his offensive legs.

[Marcus Bryant]

Exactly what was expected of McDyess and Jefferson when they were acquired.

Great to see the Big 3 able to step it up in the postseason.

Great to see Pop willing to deep six a personal favorite like Bogans when he doesn't fit the series. Also glad to see him go big (and have the personnel to do so) against the Mavs.

Maybe it just took a little longer for this team to gel and live up to its potential than was anticipated last summer.

[DesignatedT]

Agree with everything. Thought Blair was pretty bad out there but he was the only one.

Obviously less Bonner the better but he played decent for the time he was out there.

Dice is a man and a beast on the boards.

Very glad to see RJ step up big.. just hope he continues this play in game 3.. I could easily see him come out and be his content/passive self that we have seen so often this season.

Hill looked a lot better than game 1 but you can still see that ankle is bothering him or it could be confidence issues. Either way hes still a better option than any of our other alternatives.

Tony,Tim,Manu :tu

cant wait for friday. late tip off and a weekend game at the at&t... going to be wild

[santymrc]

pops rotations during the regular season are mostly experimental

Not quite, Game 1 says Pop finally understood Bogans and Mase can't play BB. (Maybe Bogans against Bryant if it comes to it but not against the Mavs).

[EricB]

I've said it and was laughed at. Pop will go big if he's got the personnell.

[Marcus Bryant]

I'm also glad to see Hill and Blair getting minutes.

[WESTACKED]

it's timvp's biggest fun to gloat about others' sufferings.

[DesignatedT]

I've said it and was laughed at. Pop will go big if he's got the personnell.

just didn't understand the ratliff trade IMO. only thing that has stumped me.

[Doe]

During the dark days of the season Hill was missing those important 4th quarter shots against great teams. It was good to see him shoot with confidence today and hopefully he continues to do so.

First half rotations and game plan against Kidd was great. Getting to him quickly and chasing him off the line. He didn't look quite as good trying to make something happen off the dribble, especially in the lane.

[WESTACKED]

I'm also glad to see Hill and Blair getting minutes.
LOL @ Steven Homosexual Gerrard

LOL Scouse not making top 4, or even 6 probably

LOL baldhead Benitez leaving for Juventus

[thispego]

Very nice writing.

Hope Pop understands that the win came mostly for that factors you mentionated.

mentionated? for real?

[Marcus Bryant]

LOL Mavs.

[ShoogarBear]

The best thing about this game was how seamlessly the Spurs took turns letting each other run the show. The Big 3 stepped back in the first half and picked their spots while letting RJ dominate, and in turn Parker, Duncan, and Manu all had the energy when it was needed in the second half. McDyess two solid games have hopefully eliminated the last vestiges of Enforced Small Ball.

The hidden bright spot was the way Hill played in the fourth. If he has turned the corner on his ankle, then the Spurs have one more huge weapon. As it is, Hill being able to play 30+ minutes is addition by subtraction of Mason and Bogans.

Bonner, as you said, didn't suck, which was a definite step up.

The only disappointment was Blair, who maybe was a little too hyped and wasn't playing smart defensively.

[vander]

in the 4th quarter, wow, :wow I didn't think TD was still capable of that, he just decided to put the game away, and it was so.

but!

we had the refs, we had superb play from RJ, Manu, and TD; Nowitzki was off; we had people making crucial, clutch jump shots :wow:wow
and it was still close down the stretch.

I don't think we can count of offensive performances like that every game, we need to stop losing composure when Dallas goes on a little run, causing it to become a big run, that was ridiculous

[Avitus1]

I hope this is even better in game 3.

[TC-MAVS]

One big question for me is.....


is it just good luck that we are hitting 50% in game 1 and 48% in game 2 against this Mavs team?

Are we headed back down to earth soon? Or are we really able to score this efficiently against them?





Props to McDyess and Jefferson. They responded well to Pop destroying them in the locker room. Let's hope they can continue the intensity.

Mavs give up a lot of high shooting percentage nights because of our lack of d. Your guys were wide open most of the night. But when we're actually stepping up on d, you will be coming down to earth. One question, how is Bonner a NBA player?

[NFGIII]

Thanks for the write up! TP's play has been nice to see. I agree with you that he does look rusty at times but is coming on more now. I doubt if we'll see his blazing speed this year due to his PF but his J i simproving, espceially the one he hit over Dirk.

So we cut down on TOs, D gets better, Dirk comes back to earth and Kidd gets 5 pts and 8 assists. No double double for Kidd like game 1.

Now for game 3 a nd the adjustments from the Mavs. Like Barkley said after the game its all about pace. If the Spurs are allowed to dictate the pace then they will win.

[EricB]

Mavs give up a lot of high shooting percentage nights because of our lack of d. Your guys were wide open most of the night. But when we're actually stepping up on d, you will be coming down to earth. One question, how is Bonner a NBA player?


He had as many points as your prized offseason acquistion the matrix....

[Cant_Be_Faded]

The hidden bright spot was the way Hill played in the fourth. If he has turned the corner on his ankle, then the Spurs have one more huge weapon. As it is, Hill being able to play 30+ minutes is addition by subtraction of Mason and Bogans.

Bonner, as you said, didn't suck, which was a definite step up.

The only disappointment was Blair, who maybe was a little too hyped and wasn't playing smart defensively.


-I did not think Hill played too well in the fourth quarter (other than the fact like you said it meant Bogans and Mason were not playing).
He rushed the show and almost lost the entire lead in like 1 minute of play when the Mavs made their last push. Pop instantly went to Parker handling the ball the next few sequences. His Bowen Three was clutch though.

-Blair was definitely nervous or too excited. No way his excellent hands miss that many point-blank shots, and fumble that many passes.

[Manufan909]

I'm also glad to see Hill and Blair getting minutes.

I don' like that Blair played more in Gm 2, but was worse than in Gm 1. Idk why he missed that dunk, but he did get man rebounds and altered at least one shot, I don't think he did too bad.

And man I'm glad Bonner, Dice, and RJ stepped up. Especially RJ. He went from 10% of his potential to 85%. Stupid flagrant and some missed calls messed him up from continuing his roll.

[TC-MAVS]

He had as many points as your prized offseason acquistion the matrix....

I wouldnt say he was a "prized" acquisition. He shoots lay ups that look like he's firing a basketball out of a cannon. The ugliest shot in B-ball (next to Bonner and Marcus Camby) But he's a great defender. Which is something we need. Good slasher too.

[phxspurfan]

-I can't be mad with Roger Mason, Jr. He's having a bad season so it's best that he goes out on the court and tries to blend into the scenery. In six minutes, Mason had nothing of note other than a missed shot and a personal foul. Honestly, that's better than him going out on the court and pretending he's a professional basketball player.

Ouch, someone call the hospital and tell them to prep the BURN unit

[crc21209]

BIG props all around to the whole team. Starting with RJ who was clearly criticized by EVERYONE, and left everyone in waiting to see how he would respond. And when the time game, this guy brought it right from the opening tip :tu. Next up was The Big 3, from TP to Manu to TD still proving that he still has that killer instinct and the "give me the ball and get outta the way" mentality, it was a beautiful thing to see. Each took their turn taking shots at the Mavs, and Manu ultimately hit the dagger on them. Next up was probably the MVP of the game- Antonio Mcdyess. This is exactly what the Spurs signed up for when they brought him in. His D on Dirk was damn good and his activeness on the glass was a great thing to see, hopefully he keeps it up. Hill played well, not great...but well enough to hit two HUGE shots in the 4th when the Spurs needed them the most, so big props to him. All in all, good win..but it is just ONE, now let's come home and take care of business. :flag:

[td_tp_manu]

Thank you timvp.

Who else do we have if Blair can't lift his game to another level. One thing that Mavs do not lack is length.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I find Haywood completely neutralizes Blair. Haywood's length really bothers Blair, so that'll be interesting to keep an eye on moving forward.

Gotta be pleased with RJ, but I hope he can continue to give us 15 ppg.

I also would like to see Bonner attack the rim more, that floater over Haywood at the end of the fourth was a thing of beauty :lol

[ajGambino]

Timmy - 25
Manu - 23
Jefferson - 19
Parker - 16

I think the difference was Jefferson. I'd like to see the same effort from him as they head down in San Antonio. Timmy was great, really shut the place down in the 4th, with Manu giving the Spurs the lid on the victory. Great emotion he showed to see he's really into this series.

[mando6599]

Pop utilized a full-court press all night and I think it worked. The Mavs really couldn't get a good set play all night b/c it would take them 12-14 seconds to fight past the press. Keep doing this and playing top-notch D on Friday for 48 and I'll be happy when that creates a win for the Spurs.

[senorglory]

He didn't overreact and send too much help at Nowitzki. Overall, I thought Pop coached a game that showed why he's headed to the Hall of Fame.

An interesting point, as almost everything I read placed expectations on the Spurs blitzing Nowitzki with double and triple teams. There was plenty of straight up one on one tonight.

[senorglory]

just didn't understand the ratliff trade IMO. only thing that has stumped me.

Wasn't Ratliff moved as a salary dump?

[TDMVPDPOY]

did jeffersons points come from creating his own offense or from passes?

[gilmor]

LOL @ Steven Homosexual Gerrard

LOL Scouse not making top 4, or even 6 probably

LOL baldhead Benitez leaving for Juventus

Steven Gerrard is probably the best english player to play the game right now..

No wonder you supported a fucked-up team like Mavs..

[senorglory]

did jeffersons points come from creating his own offense or from passes?

Jefferson says his offense fed of others tonight:
When my teammates set me up, I’m typically a pretty good finisher, and my teammates were looking for me on the break, throw aheads. They were coming off of pick-and-rolls and tossing it back, allowing me to try and close out. That’s something my game has pretty much been predicated on the last nine years. When I’m in that position, I’m kind of in my comfort zone. I think, after I struggled last game, there was a concerted effort to kind of get me going, get me rolling. And I appreciate that. I appreciate them letting me help out.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151881

[SenorSpur]

Great writeup.

Timely performances by all the key players. It's almost as though each of the Big Three, along with RJ, took turns having their own personal highlight sequences. Dice defended Dirk beautifully and was a monster on the glass. RJ was simply a man possessed in the first half, while the Big Three were, well, the Big Three.

Everyone was committed, determined and aggreesive from start to finish. This was the type of all-around, team effort that will be necessary in order for the Spurs to prevail. Hopefully, they can keep it up. There's no time for a letdown.

[Mr.Robinson]

One big question for me is.....


is it just good luck that we are hitting 50% in game 1 and 48% in game 2 against this Mavs team?

Are we headed back down to earth soon? Or are we really able to score this efficiently against them?





Props to McDyess and Jefferson. They responded well to Pop destroying them in the locker room. Let's hope they can continue the intensity.
Mavs are weak on D. As long as Dirk doesn't get the pussy calls this is over. Its Dirk's free throws that always kills us.

[SenorSpur]

Mavs are weak on D. As long as Dirk doesn't get the pussy calls this is over. Its Dirk's free throws that always kills us.

It's true. Despite the Mavs incredible depth, and the new pieces they added from the Wizards, they are not a good defensive team at all. Their hallmark this year was giving up an incredibly high FG% to both good teams and bad. This resulted in, not only high point totals, but it also allowed bad teams to hang around in games that should've been either been blowouts for the Mavs or it resulted in timely losses to inferior teams alltogether.

One could tell during this game, how they had periods where they simply didn't bother to concentrate on defending the paint area. TP and RJ had several uncontested forays to the hoop.

Meanwhile, the Spurs played outstanding defense both individually (Dice on Dirk) and collectively. They need to keep this up.

[kace]

I was extremely happy with what Pop did and didn't do. He did make sure the ball was put into Ginobili's hands early and often. He didn't play Keith Bogans for one second. He did keep two bigs out on the court at all times. He didn't overreact and send too much help at Nowitzki. Overall, I thought Pop coached a game that showed why he's headed to the Hall of Fame.

well, he did basically what every fan was asking him to do. can't see how it is HOF deserving.

don't be wrong, i like Pop and i think it's easy to be an "hindsight coach" on a net forum but not play Bogans and play two bigs ? that's a rather easy choice IMHO.

[DubMcDub]

Nice win Spurs fans. My pre-series fear for this series was Spurs in 6, and I think last night's game went a long way toward making that a reality. I was very, very impressed with the type of team ball the Spurs played. It was really a pleasure to watch, especially on the offensive end.

[MannyIsGod]

Good breakdown, but I'm pretty much to the point that I think the team that wins the contest on the boards wins the game each and every time. I think its the biggest factor in this series by far.

[jestersmash]

I think the biggest factor in the series is the team who scores the most points relative to the other team by the end of the game, which in turn is a function of any and every stat/factor you could possibly think of.

[024]

don't know if hill's still injured, he did play 31 minutes, but he needs to start showing up because i can guarantee to everyone that jefferson won't be scoring 19 points a game, which means the points will need to come from somewhere else. double digit scoring is not going to come from bogans, mason, blair, bonner, or mcdyess. mcdyess maybe, if he shoots like 10 shots because he never gets to the free throw line. hill needs to get on it.

defense could use some improvements too. it got better this game but some of it was mavs players missing wide open shots or close layups. hopefully the rotations will be tighter as the series progresses and the spurs can finally play some championship defense.

nice to see everyone rebound better. rebounding definitely sunk the spurs in game one. much better in game 2 as it was a group effort + tim duncan.

[BillMc]

Excellent write up

[Mavs101]

Mavs couldn't hit a shot last night. Spurs have been going straight to the cup. I don't think the Mavs remember what defense is right now.... lol

[RiverwalkParade]

Caron Butler was hesitant all night. He passed up wide open corner threes on multiple occassions and dribbled into more contested, albeit, closer mid range jumpers. If he knocks one or two down from the corner, that could have been a game changer.

Loved seeing Dice play like a man last night. 30 min a night from him and this series is over.

Biggest impact that we are forgetting however were Dirk's early fouls that put him on the bench. He couldn't get in rhythm, Mavs couldn't impose their game plan and instead had to look to Terry and Butler for offense all night.

Dirk will be back in Game 3, and I am curious to see if Pop keeps playing him straight up or if he does the unexpected and runs doubles at him all night.

[polandprzem]

I think Pop did an excellent job all game long.

He adjusted in Bogans and mason but he was able to play Hill for 31 minutes and that was crucial for our rotation.
secondly - he was stopping the bleeding very quickly. For example whan Blair came in and was not doing a good job Pop put TD back in, no matter the minutes Tim would have to play, also big amount of timeouts helped to keep spurs players sharp.
Playing dirk straight up but also giving him a fake double team. Somehow he was intimidated by that. And that’s a plus.
Our coach also was not playing small ball, but he had McDyess who was a beast on the glass. I mean the stats won't tell you how much battle he left on the floor.

Overly spurs were not as sloppy and were sharper on rotations also was controlling the transition and on p&r offense were reading the defense and finding the way to score or to pass. In Game 1 they went mostly by the schemes especially manu. And the Mavs were there to cut the passing lanes, steal the ball and kill us on transition.
Also we made the Dallas players to hesitate on shots, and only Terry was hot all game long.

Great Tim Duncan - as I said a key to win with mavs and the guy who is the core of the offense and defense. On offense he made mavs pay for not sending double teams at him. He was unpredictable and his arsenal of moves was huge. Like TD of old - a young Tim Duncan. he passed the ball well and had no turnovers.
Vintage

Tony Parker - Thank God Hill was able to play as a starter so TP could go of the banch and lead the 'second unit'. When the team needed the ball in a hole he delivered, I think he stopped the bleeding two times when Mavs made a run. He was driving the lane and was hitting the shots. And good to see him cooperate with anybody that was on the floor.
Great play - still rusty but hopefully healthy the whole playoffs


Manu Ginobili - so effective it hurts. I mean talking about timing in hitting three pointers. His calm in playing screens were also fantastic. Not easy cause that was priority for Mavs to defend this series.

RJ - hopefully he can keep up this level of play cause we will need him if we do not find anybody else contribute.

talking about contribute - blair - a bad game, game 2 and bad game, game 1. Size advantage bothered him. But he can find a way IMO as he gathered some rebs in the last game of a season against almost the same frontcourt. Najera was there and Blair was there - I said to myself "damn Blair should eat Najera alive there. not even burking after that"


All in all I had many emotions in me. F that watching the spurs in the middle of a night and having butterflies like years ago.

If big 3 with the 4th guy are gonna play that high level of basketball on offense all series long? we need to find out.
game 3 is on Friday, me at work time on the clock 3;30am


:flag:

[Darkwaters]

Nice win Spurs fans. My pre-series fear for this series was Spurs in 6, and I think last night's game went a long way toward making that a reality. I was very, very impressed with the type of team ball the Spurs played. It was really a pleasure to watch, especially on the offensive end.

I appreciate a Mavs fan with civility. It is such a nice change.

[admiralsnackbar]

Nice win Spurs fans. My pre-series fear for this series was Spurs in 6, and I think last night's game went a long way toward making that a reality. I was very, very impressed with the type of team ball the Spurs played. It was really a pleasure to watch, especially on the offensive end.

Props for the classy post -- it's too bad so much is lost in the inter-team shit-talk on this board since the reality is it won't be long before both our teams become unspectacular rebuilding projects. I still think it's anybody's series to win, but we're lucky to have well-matched teams that always give us a great show when they play each other (and are healthy).

Maybe it's due to my vested interest as a Spurs fan, but this seems like it is easily the most exciting of all the PO match-ups this year in terms of team basketball. The distant runner-ups are more human-interest stories... seeing how long Portland can keep up with Phoenix and watching Durant develop into a stud on the clearly out-matched Thunder.

Anyway, bringing it back to the thread topic, I hope our scoring can remain in the ballpark of efficiency it has over the past two games. Not only is it nice in and of itself, but healthy leads allow Pop to sit Tim long enough to put Blair in. Blair seems like an anomaly with respect to the rest of the team as far as production goes, but I know he has a monster game against the Mavs in him yet.

[Mixability]

and why is it again you don't write for the paper?

[coyotes_geek]

Good breakdown, but I'm pretty much to the point that I think the team that wins the contest on the boards wins the game each and every time. I think its the biggest factor in this series by far.

Same here. It's all about the rebounds.

[gospursgojas]

I loved his aggressiveness, confidence and his devil-may-care attitude. Jefferson played good defense, limited his mental mistakes and acted like the fourth star this team wanted and needed.


Can someone explain this expression to me?

[DPG21920]

1) This was a very good win. It was a must win and the Spurs took care of the job. A loss would have been insurmountable imo. It is not easy to win on the road against a well balanced, talented team.

2) This win however, did not give me anymore confidence or change anything (although it kept the Spurs alive in the series). I still feel the same as I did going into the series.

3) Spurs did a good job at cleaning up the problem stats (Rebounds, Turnovers and Free Throws). Having said that, while seemingly those things look better on paper, a lot of those things are still problems. Yes the Spurs rebounded better, but they gave up timely offensive rebounds that actually led to points for the Mavs and allowed them to stay in it. They did not turn the ball over as much, but when they did, they were in the worst moments and led to easy baskets that fueled the runs for the Mavs. Spurs evened out the FT's, but did not execute at the line. This is what I mean by the cleaned up the problem stats on paper, but not so much in impact.

4) RJ, with a good first half, then invisible 2nd half really gives me pause. Hill looks shaky still and I don't know what the problem is. Spurs need to be able to consistently rely on them in order to have a chance. I don't know what to expect.

5) Dice played a lot better and that is very encouraging.

6) Pop's rotations were much improved and that bodes well.

7) Still nothing from the real role players, but not terrible.

All in all, this game poses more questions than answers. I feel like the Mavs can shoot poorly, but always be in the game. I also feel they can lock the Spurs up when they want, but the Spurs can't do that to them. If the Spurs have a poor shooting game, like the Mavs did, I don't see them hanging around.

But, this is a start and I hope everyone keeps playing their hardest. The big 3 look great and that is the most important thing.

I feel the Spurs have to win game 3. They can't keep having to fight for their lives (putting themselves in must win games). They need to put the Mavs on their heels and make them respond. Game 3 is crucial.

[MannyIsGod]

Can someone explain this expression to me?

It means throwing caution to the wind, fearless,

[TacoCabanaFajitas]

To me it seems like the Mavs are killing themselves by going with Barea to spell Kidd instead of bringing Stevenson off of the bench and having him play physical with Parker and Hill. As long as Barea is in there, Hill and Parker have the option of either using their length to move the offense along or using their strength to go right through

[DPG21920]

But I agree with MOG, and I have said it before; all stats are important, but if you have to isolate one that correlates strongly with winning this series, it is rebounding. It is the single most crucial stat and it will be interesting to chart the wins/losses and which team won the boards.

[TC-MAVS]

Nice win Spurs fans. My pre-series fear for this series was Spurs in 6, and I think last night's game went a long way toward making that a reality. I was very, very impressed with the type of team ball the Spurs played. It was really a pleasure to watch, especially on the offensive end.

wow. the mavs fans on here are worse than the spurs fan. Get off your knees. Spurs in 6, really? I hope that you're using some type of reverse psycology scheme.

[gospursgojas]

It means throwing caution to the wind, fearless,

:tu ahhh...growing a pair. thanks manny.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I don't know why you're still so negative about Bogans though. There were times when I would have preferred to have him out there instead of Hill, Blair, or Bonner. He plays good defense and could have protected that 20 pt lead a little better than some of the guys out there.

Otherwise a good write up.

Blair or Bonner? You wanted Bogans at center matched up against Haywood or Dampier?

LOL...

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I find Haywood completely neutralizes Blair. Haywood's length really bothers Blair, so that'll be interesting to keep an eye on moving forward.


But the thing is Blair tore him and Dampier up in that last regular season game.

I think last night was more about nerves. Duncan said something to him when TD went out with two fouls and Blair came in. Blair was pressing after that, wonder if Tim told him to go put up another 20-20 game or something like that...

Think we'll see him settle down though.

[nkdlunch]

-Antonio McDyess was perhaps the Most Valuable Player for the Spurs. His defense on Nowitzki was fantastic, holding the former NBA MVP to 9-for-24 shooting. When he wasn't defending Nowitzki, McDyess was crashing the glass on both ends. He finished with nine boards (five offensive) and the team's only blocked shot. If McDyess can keep making Nowitzki work without fouling him, he'll be worth every penny the Spurs paid him this summer to coax him out of Detroit.


RJ blocked Butler early in the game. Just saying because that probably was the best block of RJ's season.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Caron Butler was hesitant all night. He passed up wide open corner threes on multiple occassions and dribbled into more contested, albeit, closer mid range jumpers. If he knocks one or two down from the corner, that could have been a game changer.


Lost in everything last night was Manu's individual D on Butler. Manu likes to gamble but last night he was channeling Bowen in his m2m defense of Caron. :tu

[santymrc]

Steven Gerrard is probably the best english player to play the game right now..

No wonder you supported a fucked-up team like Mavs..

One word. Rooney.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

But the thing is Blair tore him and Dampier up in that last regular season game.

I think last night was more about nerves. Duncan said something to him when TD went out with two fouls and Blair came in. Blair was pressing after that, wonder if Tim told him to go put up another 20-20 game or something like that...

Think we'll see him settle down though.

That's a good point. While I'm not expecting another 20+ ppg and rpg performance against the Mavs from Blair, I would love to see him challenge Bonner for more reserve minutes.

[santymrc]

That's a good point. While I'm not expecting another 20+ ppg and rpg performance against the Mavs from Blair, I would love to see him challenge Bonner for more reserve minutes.

If that happens, then Blair fouls out in 3 min. He can't play D on Dirk.

[Bruno]

Nice write up.

This series is now a best of 5 ones with Spurs having HCA. HCA in a 5 games series is nice but Mavs are damn good and are the best road team in the league.

[roycrikside]

Here's my question:

Do the Spurs have the stamina to survive a series where from here on out it's a game every other day, with basically a 7-man rotation?

Blair and Mason are getting spot minutes, mostly in the second quarter, but that's about it. Really, in the second half it was almost a six man rotation. Bonner got a quick hook, right?

I think we look awfully shaky whenever Tim isn't on the floor and that Pop has to do what he can to ensure he or Manu is on the floor at all times.

[OldSilentHill]

Can someone explain this expression to me?

Let me complete: could be also a reference to a famous videogame.


http://kid.ingamevg.com/images/devil-may-cry.jpg

[Spurs Brazil]

Great read timvp

Let's hope RJ and Dice can keep the good play and Hill keep improving

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Nice recap, LJ. :tu

I was working and had to watch the replay, but oh what a game! Standouts for mine were RJ (this is the guy we envisioned when he was traded for), Playoff Dice (looked like 2005 all over again), the Big 3 all did their thing (welcome back TP!), and even Geoerge, who was quiet statistically, came up big when he got the opportunity.

Viva la Spurs!!! :D

On to game 3.

[bugmenot]

TIMVP this wasn't one of your better efforts. I expect moar.