Initial Reaction: Spurs vs. Mavs - Game 3

[timvp]

What did you expect? Another pivotal game between the Spurs and Mavs in the playoffs, another classic for the annals of history. In this contest filled with runs, the Spurs were able to make the final run to win by a final score of 94-90.

The heroics down the stretch were authored by Tony Parker. Following a Dirk Nowitzki jumper that put the Mavs up by a point with three minutes remaining, Parker nailed 20-foot jumpers in each of San Antonio's next three possessions to give the Spurs a five-point lead with 58 seconds left in the game.

During the meat of the game, the Spurs seemed to be in control. However, the Mavs exploded on a 17-0 run in the middle of the third quarter to turn a eight-point deficit into a nine-point advantage. By the end of the third period, the Spurs had trimmed the Mavs lead to four points and then began the fourth quarter by scoring the first seven points. The final stanza included big plays by both sides and the game was in doubt until Parker drained the clutch shots.

-Tim Duncan was very good once again on scoring the rock, finishing with 25 points on 11-for-18 shooting from the field. He's now averaging 25.7 points per game in this series while connecting on 34-of-57 shots. Outside of putting the ball in the hole, Duncan wasn't too sharp. He had five turnovers and pulled down only five boards. Duncan was active on defense but his execution was often lacking. The Spurs will need their big man in the middle to play smarter and more physical going forward.

-Manu Ginobili had an eventful evening. He didn't score his first field goal until less than a minute remaining in the first half. Heading into the fourth quarter, Ginobili had only four points. But, like is usually the case, Ginobili kept his best for last with a fantastic final period. On the night he finished with 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds, three steals and one broken nose. Before and after the broken nose, his defense was downright dominant at times -- not to mention his inhuman hustle. His play against Caron Butler had Rick Carlisle benching Butler for the entire second half. Heading into Game 4, hopefully Ginobili won't be slowed by injury to his beak.

-Tony Parker had a rollercoaster of night. When he first entered the game, he was playing very well and sparked the Spurs. The Mavs had no answer to Parker on the pick-and-roll. To slow Parker, Dallas went to a zone defense … and it worked; that's when the 17-0 run occurred in the third quarter. That said, any sins he committed were erased by the three huge shots he hit in the final minutes. In addition to those shots, I was impressed with the defensive intensity he had throughout the contest. Parker finished with 23 points, four rebounds and three assists on 10-for-16 shooting from the field.

-Coming off of arguably his best game of the season, Richard Jefferson went back to being an afterthought. In 31 minutes, he had six points, three rebounds and three assists. To his credit, Jefferson only took three shots and didn't get many other touches. Defensively, he played well for the most part. Jefferson had a few lapses in transition defense -- but we've come to expect that out of him.

-George Hill is looking healthier and healthier. Playing a team-high 45 minutes, Hill had 17 points and five rebounds on 6-for-16 shooting. Most importantly, 15 of his 17 points came in the second half. Hill once again did a great job of hounding Jason Kidd around the court. He also had a hand in slowing down J.J. Barea near the end of the ballgame. Hill showed some hesitancy at times but all in all it was a quality outing.

-Antonio McDyess once again played top notch defense on Nowitzki. Although Nowitzki ended up with 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting, it wasn't for a lack of effort by McDyess. There were a few times McDyess found himself out of position but the vast majority of the time Nowitzki just hit tough shots. In 31 minutes, he finished with six points and six rebounds while hitting 3-of-5 field goal attempts. If McDyess can keep giving this sort of effort, the Spurs would be thrilled.

-Matt Bonner played 15 minutes and didn't do much. He missed all three of his shots and grabbed three rebounds. His defense against Nowitzki was passable. The most notable attribute he brought to the game was toughness under the hoop, although the Spurs would undoubtedly trade some of that toughness for a couple of outside shots. (Amazingly enough, the Spurs won without hitting a three-pointer -- the team was 0-for-7 from deep.) Bonner is now 5-for-15 in the series, which is even worse than it looks because the Mavs are paying little to no attention to him.

-DeJuan Blair had two points, five rebounds and an assist in four minutes of action. He seems to be playing with either too much energy or a little bit of nervousness because he's missing shots he's made all season. If Duncan is going to get any rest this series, Blair is going to have to provide it by holding down the fort. Uneven play forces Pop to go back to Duncan prematurely.

-Speaking of Pop, I thought he coached another really good game. He kept Roger Mason, Jr. and Keith Bogans nailed to the bench and refrained from small ball when at all possible. He used small ball for a stretch in this game but only after the Mavs put Shawn Marion at power forward. Pop also deserves some credit for not panicking with his playcalling after the Spurs had their third quarter rut. Overall, it was a well coached game and a huge victory for San Antonio.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

i love you timvp

[timvp]

i love you timvp

So do I :tu

[EricB]

I have to respectfully disagree on Jefferson and bonners
. Jefferson's d was fantastic. Bonner's D was Better than passable as well.

[timtonymanu]

Pop's rotations were once again great.

Blair/Bonner need to start hitting some shots this series to rest Timmy and McDyess.

Hopefully Manu can play through his broken nose which I know he will.

[m33p0]

i'm really amazed how dominant the spurs are inside given the mavs' size advantage. i hope hill will continue to be aggressive and not settle for jump shots.

[DPG21920]

Great game by Pop. Just like you said he never panicked and stayed with what worked. I thought his only mistake was sticking with Bonner for too long.

Incredible the Spurs won without hitting a three. Thank goodness they are shooting so well from the field because I don't think that will happen again.

Spurs did a passable job on the rebounds, but gave up a ton of offensive boards in the fourth quarter it seemed like.

Hill easily had his best game of the series, but he is still looking shaky offensively. Hopefully that part comes back, because the Spurs need either Hill or RJ to step up in every game as a 4th scorer. If they both step up, that will be huge.

RJ played a solid game for not being very involved.

Dice played some great defense and if the refs allow Dice to play physical, he can make Dirk work. He needs to focus more on some of those things he does wrong (grab the offensive board, but then turn it over...), but other than that, I am stunned how he has flipped the switch.

If the Spurs get any bonus production from Bonner or Blair that would help out tremendously.

Overall, the Spurs best game of the series imo.

[nkdlunch]

i love you timvp

gay

[DPG21920]

Bonner's defense was terrible in my opinion. Dirk abused him and Marion killed him. On offense he laid a fat old goose egg. Pop went with Bonner too long.

[GSH]

One of the best parts of the game for me was watching Hill step up his game as soon as Manu left the floor to go to the locker room. He really struggled the last couple of games, after that injury. But you could see him dig down when Manu went out, and he came up with some really great plays.

The really good players seem to find a way to dig down when the team really needs it. It made me feel even better about the kind of player Hill is and will become.

Another high point was watching Tony and Manu get so fired up and passionate in the last couple of minutes of the game. When they play with that kind of fire, I think they have a good shot at beating any team in the league. Suddenly they looked like a team that is both tough and hungry, which I really haven't seen for the last couple of seasons.

[carina_gino20]

What I was impressed with was how they responded to the Maverick's run. Had they panicked, it would have been a Mavs blowout. They showed resiliency and heart when it was most needed.

[Kori Ellis]

Another high point was watching Tony and Manu get so fired up and passionate in the last couple of minutes of the game.

:tu

It reminded me a lot of the 2007 playoff run in that regard.

[jestersmash]

I don't think it's fair at all to criticize Jefferson for this game, for the very reason you stated - to his credit, he only took 3 shots (2-3 from the field)

if jefferson isn't open, i don't want him forcing shots for the sake of padding his own PPG potentially to the detriment of the team

Jefferson has never been an "I can create my own shot in isolation" type of player and he never will be. He thrives on receiving the ball from initial penetration and then driving it to the rim as the second penetrator, while there is movement on the floor due to the opposing team reacting to the initial driver. that's his game for the spurs, and ginobili/parker did not place him in these situations enough

[Trainwreck2100]

So do I :tu

so does your wife

[Ice009]

I agree with DPG about Bonner. We really got in a hole when Bonner played. Same as in game 1.

BONNER HAS TO PLAY BETTER ON BOTH ENDS.

Dejuan Blair needs to step up and just play his game. We need around 15 quality minutes from him. Blair can do it.

Hill played tough and so did Dice. The big 3 were great. TP AWESOME tonight.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

to me the man of the game is shared between the big 3 really. Duncan did a lot of damage in the paint (18 points) and was constant whenever they played for him.

Parker was good the entire game except for being stopped during the 3rd quarter but came back with 2 clutch shots.

Manu was good most of the game, not so much on his shooting but on everything else. When he left because of the injury I think it took everyone a little bit out of the game plus the D adjustment by Dallas. Manu was also instrumental in getting the Spurs back in the game when he returned with several relentless drives to the basket. I think the Spurs only then had a shot at the game after being up most of the time.

[kobyz]

i'm worry about Manu broken nose, i'm hope this injury will not hurt us!

[crc21209]

timvp as always right on the money..:tu

[DPG21920]

You cannot underestimate how much the defensive adjustment on Kidd has turned the series.

That has really stifled him. He hates being run off the three point line. Spurs are generally doing a great job at running the Mavs off the three point line. Nothing you can do when the Mavs are just on fire from there on the rare occasion you leave the open. Only thing you can do is try and limit their attempts.

Kidd is going to have to hit mid range shots in order to beat this strategy and that is not something that he can do regularly. If he does, tip the hat and move on.

Playing JJB helps them in that regard, but hurts them defensively.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I think the most important thing going forward is the point you made about DeJuan Blair. Duncan needs some rest, jesus I was worried shitless going into the final 6 minutes knowing Duncan had got little to no rest in a long time.

If Blair hits those baby shots he always hits, and jesus CHRIST he was going against the walking corpse of eddie najera and gave up Offensive Rebounds, Duncan can get some well-needed in-game rest.


The Ginobili shnozz-bloading was actually a blessing in disguise. He came back soon enough that he was still warm, had more than enough energy to throw the Mavs some patented Ginobili-layups (which erased the deficit Parker is responsible for earning) and that put us even score....after the Mavs switched out of zone for fear of Manu, Parker then took the reigns.

Tonight's game was truly a thing of beauty if you are a Spurs purist. Absolutely amazing how seamlessly the Big Three kept shifting the bulk of the work even while Manu got bloaded.

[silverblk mystix]

bonner's defense was terrible in my opinion. Dirk abused him and marion killed him. On offense he laid a fat old goose egg. Pop went with bonner too long.



this.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I think Hill's defence on Kidd is one of the keys to the series. Jason is yet to really put a stamp on anything, and that's down to Hill mostly, but also running him off the 3pt line (where he shot over 40% this year), as DPG said.

Superb game of basketball to watch - tough, see-sawing, indefatigable, awesome. Game of the Year so far for mine.

GO SPURS GO! :flag:

[Cant_Be_Faded]

:tu

It reminded me a lot of the 2007 playoff run in that regard.

Exactly. We were saying how NOONE had seen that kind of fire from Parker and Ginobili in quite some time.

1) they're probably sick and tired of the team being owned by the Mavs in the playoffs

2) maybe it takes two complete playoff heartbreak seasons in a row to re-kindle the competitive fire in their hearts


they seem so into it, and it makes the series so much more legendary

[HankChinaski]

Great take TIMVP.

I thought I would say that Jefferson had a few looks but he helped the offense move the ball, his d was pretty decent. Although he wasn't making a presence with scoring he was helping the rest out on the court with his play.

Hill was amazing on Kidd, and when Manu went out with the nose you saw Hill tug on his sack and stepped up big for a stretch there on offense. It was good to see.

Dice was superb, I kept watching the end of the 3rd and thinking to myself about at the 9 to 8 minute lefts to the game stretch he'll be back and we just need Bonner to stick around and not blow up horribly on defense.

Tony was a genuine spark off the bench. It was great seeing him going back to the things that worked for him.... THE FLOATER. His hussle on defense was amazing. He went clutch at the end there and I was happy to see that out of him. He may not be full on 100% speed but he's definitely getting his rhythm back the further we get along in the playoffs. He's showing us to shut all those naysayers.

Manu was epic. Offensively for the first half and into the third wasn't anything you go bragging about but on the other end of the court he was all over the place. Butler was just a empty jersey out there. His run into the fourth was legendary. I can't say enough about that guy. The nose is the only downer, good news hopefully for sunday.

Pop, great coached game. This 7/8 man rotation is what is going to be what we will be seeing for the rest of the series out with Dallas.

Sunday, I'm expecting a similiar trend from Dallas if they can't get around with something with Marion and Butler. That 3 guard rotation from dallas was actually pestering us. I'm curious what Pop and the crew can take from the game footage to work on this.

Great win, its been awhile to this excited over a win for the spurs.

[ElNono]

Bonner's defense was terrible in my opinion. Dirk abused him and Marion killed him. On offense he laid a fat old goose egg. Pop went with Bonner too long.

Agree. I don't expect much of anything from him against Dirk, but Marion was just abusing him. I also have gotten to the point where I'm already looking if we have somebody to grab the offensive rebound right before he releases his shot.
It's unfortunate that Blair has been very timid so far.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

this.

I disagree, Dirk is just really really good.

[Trainwreck2100]

Blair needs to stop playing like a rookie

[HankChinaski]

And, is there anything else to say about The Big Fundamental?

[DPG21920]

The energy was great and that was one of my generic points pre-game. If they play with that kind of energy and fire, they will be in every game. It was great to see the fire. Funny thing is, even with as well as they have played, I still see a lot of room for improvement. Mainly on the execution side.

[crc21209]

Exactly. We were saying how NOONE had seen that kind of fire from Parker and Ginobili in quite some time.

1) they're probably sick and tired of the team being owned by the Mavs in the playoffs

2) maybe it takes two complete playoff heartbreak seasons in a row to re-kindle the competitive fire in their hearts


they seem so into it, and it makes the series so much more legendary

I absolutely LOVE the fire and intensity they are playing with right now and showing, it's fkn awesome to see! :tu

[DPG21920]

Blair is killing his chances right now and honestly, I am surprised Pop played him at all. He has performed poorly now the last two games and I won't blame Pop if Blair sees no time next game. Blair has given him no reason to.

[DPG21920]

Is there any type of nose injury that would be really bad news for Manu?

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Blair is killing his chances right now and honestly, I am surprised Pop played him at all. He has performed poorly now the last two games and I won't blame Pop if Blair sees no time next game. Blair has given him no reason to.

My assessment of Pop prior to this series agrees with you and says no fucking way he plays Blair anymore.

But I can't help but think he will continue to give Blair a chance. He's already shocked the hell out of me more times in one series than he has in like 4 postseasons.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Is there any type of nose injury that would be really bad news for Manu?

yeah
many

let's just hope that they can fit him out with a mask asap and none of the mavs players are cheap enough to jack him in the face, because multiple nose injuries can be devestating

[Kori Ellis]

I think a lot of Tony/Manu's passion we see now is that they finally see things clicking after being off track for so long. I mean, last year Manu was out and Tony was just purely exhausted from doing all he could. Then this year Tony has been battling injuries all year, and Manu's been incredible trying to keep the Spurs afloat. So now they are finally together and healthy, and seeing things heading in a good direction.

[DPG21920]

Yeah. This has been a tough year for everyone. When you couple that with the off season excitement and expectations, it made for a major letdown.

This has been a very strange year, and I am just happy to see the guys really giving themselves a chance.

[florige]

I disagree, Dirk is just really really good.

I am almost to the point of not double teaming that fucker. Just give him his shots from outside since thats what he seems to like. It seems like most of the time when we double him we get fucked with someone being left wide open. Tonight was an exception because the rotations were excellent.

[elbamba]

Blair's play is a result of his lack of play. If Pop can find 15 min for Bonner, who does nothing, why not for blair? Bonner doesn't have the intensity that Blair brings every time he enters the game.

If Pop plays him a longer strech, he will eventually calm down and do what he does. The man is still rebounding, he is just going up to strong.

[Warlord23]

My wishlist for game 4:

- At least one of our bench bigs has a solid game on both sides of the ball
- If Carlisle goes with a 3-guard lineup, we attack Kidd. Jefferson needs to take him off the dribble and/or shoot right over him
- We are better prepared for zone coverage (a few threes wouldn't hurt)
- Nowitzki comes back down to earth and has an average game
- Mavs don't shoot as many fluky desperation threes as they did tonight

[duhoh]

Blair's play is a result of his lack of play. If Pop can find 15 min for Bonner, who does nothing, why not for blair? Bonner doesn't have the intensity that Blair brings every time he enters the game.

If Pop plays him a longer strech, he will eventually calm down and do what he does. The man is still rebounding, he is just going up to strong.

sure he's a top notch rebounder, but he's almost non-existent on D. either he gets over it, or he's just made no adjustments to playoff intensity shock as a rookie.

[jestersmash]

Is there any type of nose injury that would be really bad news for Manu?

who nose?

[LoneStarState'sPride]

who nose?

lame











.........................but I LOL'ed anyway! :rollin

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Blair is killing his chances right now and honestly, I am surprised Pop played him at all. He has performed poorly now the last two games and I won't blame Pop if Blair sees no time next game. Blair has given him no reason to.


My assessment of Pop prior to this series agrees with you and says no fucking way he plays Blair anymore.

But I can't help but think he will continue to give Blair a chance. He's already shocked the hell out of me more times in one series than he has in like 4 postseasons.

I agree that Grizzly has been poor this series, but who would you give his minutes to?

Also, he's a rookie in the playoffs for the first time going up against the franchise's arch-enemy, so the learninig curve is very steep.

I hope Pop keeps giving him those minutes at the end of the 1st Q/start of the 2nd Q so that when he finally calms down he might be a factor in a game. Those minutes allow Pop to assess whether to play him later in the game or not.

[timvpimp]

i love you timvp



So do I :tu

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I am almost to the point of not double teaming that fucker. Just give him his shots from outside since thats what he seems to like. It seems like most of the time when we double him we get fucked with someone being left wide open. Tonight was an exception because the rotations were excellent.

One of the more noticeable times we doubled him with results was when Parker INSTANTLY ran to him and went straight for the ball, the result was a jump ball, but the double team worked to near perfection that time.

[NewJerSpur]

Dice played well against Dirk early, but in the second have was a bit overactive and took a few too many risks......still, it was nice to see him playing with energy, he just has to channel it a bit better late when it comes time to buckle down (like he did on that Terry block). Great to see him battling on the boards.

Matt played Dirk as well as he could to not be overly physical with him. He stay in front of Dirk and didn't really foul...even drew a charge with his footwork. At the end of the day he (like Blair) have GOT to make Dallas pay for playing small ball and convert on 2nd chance attempts. Hopefully, he will find his shot as the playoffs move forward.

Hill has had an explosion like we've seen during the regular season yet, but he's made some big plays late in the past 2 games when the game was on the brink. Very encouraging given his status coming into the playoffs.

Jefferson looks like he's going to remain either a boom-or-bust from game to gamew with nothing in between. Hopefully he has a lot more booms in him, but he can't be hesistant and the team is going to have to make a concerted effort to keep him involved.

It feels like the 2009 Spurs and Mavs at times have switched places the way our defense is rotating and the way Dallas offense is becoming a one-dimensional, jump shooting barage with their idea of ball movement being a two-man game. Hopefully it keeps up and we keep attacking the basket.

[timvpimp]

My wishlist for game 4:

- At least one of our bench bigs has a solid game on both sides of the ball
- If Carlisle goes with a 3-guard lineup, we attack Kidd. Jefferson needs to take him off the dribble and/or shoot right over him
- We are better prepared for zone coverage (a few threes wouldn't hurt)
- Nowitzki comes back down to earth and has an average game
- Mavs don't shoot as many fluky desperation threes as they did tonight
my wishlist
- Dampier swabs some talcum on his fatty palms in lockerroom before he goes on court
- Carlisle gets fired and succeeded by someone who has a brain
- Someone who doesn't execrate the Mavs whistles the game
- No Barea in the 4th quarter

[DPG21920]

Dice was a bit jumpy on Dirk, but if he plays physical without putting him on the line and stays down on fakes, he can make him work.

[milkyway21]

Bonner seems hesitant at times...

I love the Coyote in between time outs. So energetic.

[lurker23]

I'm not sure whether this game was immensely fun or immensely stressful to watch; the end result makes me lean toward fun, but my stomach most of the game says otherwise (unless that was just the tortilla soup...).

The biggest problem was that through the entire first half, I felt the Spurs were outplaying the Mavericks thoroughly. They were efficient on offense and swarming on defense. Despite all that, they could never build any kind of padded lead, and that was very concerning. I attribute this mostly to the Mavs ability to hit 3-pointers, and the fact that the Spurs practically gave up on the 3-ball in this game. I love that they were attacking the basket, but being -24 on the game when comparing points from 3s is really hard to overcome. (For the record, the 7 threes that the Spurs attempted was their second lowest of the entire season; the only game where they attempted less was the Rockets game on 11/27, when they were 2 for 5 from three point range. Also, the last time the Spurs played a game without making a three-pointer? April 7, 2005...against the Dallas Mavericks.)

Anyway, once the Mavericks went on that big run in the 3rd quarter, and the Spurs managed to right the ship, that's when the game actually got fun to watch, and was a complete dog fight to the end.

A few other random bits:

-Tony Parker is the man. That is all.

-I knew when Manu left the game that he would come back as soon as they got the bleeding stopped. He's just a flat out warrior, and the kind of guy you love to have secured for 3 more years.

-It was great to see George Hill be the player we've come to expect the last few months. I was pretty sure it was in him, but until a player has a really good game in the playoffs, you still have that lingering doubt in the back of your mind.

-Matt Bonner must lead the league in contested shots made over his hands. The effort is certainly there, and the execution is usually there too, but players just seem to have so much confidence shooting over him. I really don't know if there's much the poor guy can do about it, but it never ceases to amaze me.

-If the Spurs go on to win this series, then no one should doubt the signing of Antonio McDyess again. He's been huge on both ends, especially against Dirk, and while he may not quite be averaging 8 and 8, he's getting awfully close, and his intangibles make up for it.

[L.I.T]

I was impressed with how Dice, especially in the first half, seemed to be able to take advantage of openings and get free for dunks. Cheap points.

[vander]

Bonner guards Nowitzki better than anyone else on the team, now if he would just start hitting those 3's, he'd be a real asset out there.

[lefty]

i love you timvp


So do I :tu
Get a room

[Warlord23]

Bonner guards Nowitzki better than anyone else on the team, now if he would just start hitting those 3's, he'd be a real asset out there.

Even the most ardent Bonner lovers wouldn't claim that he does a better job than Dice. Dice has been a major difference between this year's games and last year's 4-1 defeat. Bonner OTOH is just what the Mavs need to see; they attack him on every possession and score on him at will.

This take of yours is right up there along with:
a) Kobe is the GOAT
b) Randy Moss = Malcolm Floyd and only scores TD's because he's tall

lol vander

[timvpimp]

Bonner guards Nowitzki better than anyone else on the team, now if he would just start hitting those 3's, he'd be a real asset out there.
Negative. Duncan would do a better job tucking Dirk but he isn't assigned to him at the defense end, we all know the reason why. Bonner just did competent jobs in these 3 games but no where does it deserve any vocabulary like great/terrific etc.... Dirk got the points he was supposed to get regardless of how hard Bonner tried to guard him. It's just because Dirk's teammates all lick balls that Dirk's efforts always turn forlorn. It would have been 3-0 for Mavs if the Mavs got Dirk a 2nd banana near his level, like Pau to Kobe, but sadly Jason Kidd isn't this guy and nor is Butler, not to mention JET/Barea/Haywood/Dampier or any other sorry fuck not named.

[timvpimp]

Even the most ardent Bonner lovers wouldn't claim that he does a better job than Dice. Dice has been a major difference between this year's games and last year's 4-1 defeat. Bonner OTOH is just what the Mavs need to see; they attack him on every possession and score on him at will.

This take of yours is right up there along with:
a) Kobe is the GOAT
b) Randy Moss = Malcolm Floyd and only scores TD's because he's tall

lol vander
Dice may ram Dirk's points lower, but on the other hand his inactivity in offense pretty much negates his functions and that's the reason why Bonner is used more. Dirk is just unstoppable no matter who you assign to defend him. Only by closing down Dirk's sorry teammates can Spurs neuter Mavs offense, and the Spurs just did it well in the 3 games they played.

[milkyway21]

I worry about Duncan's 44-minute game tonight. They must end this series in 5 or 6 or Pop must find a way for others to contribute and limit Timmy's minutes. Ok Manu is finally healthy, but how can we play the Lakers w/ an exhausted TD?

[GSH]

Another big deal was that the Spurs outscored the mavs 56-38 in the paint tonight. The Spurs have owned the paint in this series, outscoring the Mavericks in that category in all three games. (Total margin of 146-102) If that continues, it's going to be really difficult for Dallas to win.

I don't expect that to go unnoticed by the Dallas coaching staff. Next game I expect to see them put a lot of effort into packing the paint on the defensive end, and running at Duncan to try and force some fouls on him early. We're going to need to do better than 0-7 from the 3P line, and hopefully Parker will keep that teardrop working to force them to leave the rim.

[Whisky Dog]

Exactly. We were saying how NOONE had seen that kind of fire from Parker and Ginobili in quite some time.

1) they're probably sick and tired of the team being owned by the Mavs in the playoffs

2) maybe it takes two complete playoff heartbreak seasons in a row to re-kindle the competitive fire in their hearts


they seem so into it, and it makes the series so much more legendary

Inthink theyre all tired of hearing how they're done and can't win it anymore.

[vander]

Negative. Duncan would do a better job tucking Dirk but he isn't assigned to him at the defense end, we all know the reason why. Bonner just did competent jobs in these 3 games but no where does it deserve any vocabulary like great/terrific etc.... Dirk got the points he was supposed to get regardless of how hard Bonner tried to guard him. It's just because Dirk's teammates all lick balls that Dirk's efforts always turn forlorn. It would have been 3-0 for Mavs if the Mavs got Dirk a 2nd banana near his level, like Pau to Kobe, but sadly Jason Kidd isn't this guy and nor is Butler, not to mention JET/Barea/Haywood/Dampier or any other sorry fuck not named.

TD was on Dirk a few times, and they resulted in baskets that Dirk hardly even had to work for

Mcdyess plays Dirk a little too thugish, fouls him and gets faked out too often.

Bonner makes Dirk Work, and doesn't leave his feet for the fakes.

[The Truth #6]

I was impressed with how Jefferson was able to say involved in the game for having such a small role on the offensive end. Normally, he spaces out completely in this situation.

Also, with Blair, I don't think he's playing great but not horrible either. He's getting rebounds. He's playing his game. His shots around the basket just aren't falling. Obviously, that's not acceptable but I have more faith that he can hit a 2 foot shot then Bonner can hit a 23 foot shot in the playoffs. Bonner is hustling and in the right spots for the most part but he's just not getting results. I understand supporting him because he's doing the best he can but the results are just not there. Whoever he guards, get's hot. That can't be ignored.

The Big Three...great play by all of them. Great to see Parker locked in.

[Whisky Dog]

On Dice and Bonner, Randy Galloway put it like this after game 2 - Dirk came out on the floor and saw this big black man guarding him and said "what happened to the red headed white guy? I liked him better". Dirk owns Bonner no matter how hard Bonner tries. Dirk doesn't own Dice, Dice makes him work his ass off to get his points and muscles him a bit.

[angelbelow]

i thought bonner was horrible. hes defense was weak and he failed to box out on a few occasions. Hes a poor rebounder but sometimes its simply because he doesnt box out. inexcusable effort imo.

[superjames1992]

I agree with DPG about Bonner. We really got in a hole when Bonner played. Same as in game 1.

No, we didn't. The Spurs scored four more points than the Mavericks when Bonner was in the game.

Bonner gets a C from me. I felt like his defense was decent and he rebounded alright. However, he needs to start hitting some shots.

[Whisky Dog]

Honestly, Bonner just isn't cut out for the playoffs. He's a nice regular season minutes eater, but just can't raise his game at all come April. He has to be gone after this year or relegated to regular season only role.

[Capt Bringdown]

Jefferson had 9 shots in the 1st half of game 2.

Since then, he's gotten only 6 shots in 6 quarters of basketball. That can't all be his fault.

Spurs need to get him involved in order to keep the dream alive.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

-Antonio McDyess once again played top notch defense on Nowitzki. Although Nowitzki ended up with 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting, it wasn't for a lack of effort by McDyess. There were a few times McDyess found himself out of position but the vast majority of the time Nowitzki just hit tough shots. In 31 minutes, he finished with six points and six rebounds while hitting 3-of-5 field goal attempts. If McDyess can keep giving this sort of effort, the Spurs would be thrilled.

This. Dude is earning his keep.

That, and Manu and Parker are playing with some serious fire. Let's get game 4 on Sunday and close this sucker out in Dallas next week :tu

[team-work]

Big 3 healthy again and playing well + a role player stepping up = Spurs win.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Pressuring Kidd is doing absolute WONDERS for this team.

Hill is absolutely custom-made for defending either Kidd or Terry, and pretty much taking them out of the game.

Problem is, Carlisle went small and Terry was hot as fuck. Then Ginobili gets shnozz-bloaded. Pop responds not by going Bogans-Mason, but by putting Richard-Fucking-Jefferson on Kidd.

Jefferson's full court D sucked oak cliff taint, but the principle was there. And Terry was cooled down like the turtleheaded bitch that he is.


Like I said in my keys to victory

Stop the Kidd.....stop Tommy Boy.

[Budkin]

Wow I was at the game and didn't even realize that Manu broke his nose, or that the Mavs run was 17-0... all I could focus on were the annoying Mav fans that were going nuts. The tickets were a birthday gift and I couldn't have asked for a better game. The best part was at the end of the night seeing all the chumps in Mavs gear getting shouted down with "Go Spurs Go!" and "Mavs Fans Suck!" as they headed for the exits.

[Brazil]

I think a lot of Tony/Manu's passion we see now is that they finally see things clicking after being off track for so long. I mean, last year Manu was out and Tony was just purely exhausted from doing all he could. Then this year Tony has been battling injuries all year, and Manu's been incredible trying to keep the Spurs afloat. So now they are finally together and healthy, and seeing things heading in a good direction.

:toast

[Cry Havoc]

I don't think it's fair at all to criticize Jefferson for this game, for the very reason you stated - to his credit, he only took 3 shots (2-3 from the field)

if jefferson isn't open, i don't want him forcing shots for the sake of padding his own PPG potentially to the detriment of the team

Jefferson has never been an "I can create my own shot in isolation" type of player and he never will be. He thrives on receiving the ball from initial penetration and then driving it to the rim as the second penetrator, while there is movement on the floor due to the opposing team reacting to the initial driver. that's his game for the spurs, and ginobili/parker did not place him in these situations enough

+1

If this keeps up, I have a really good feeling about the series.

If Jefferson and Tony continue to be active on D, it gives us a LOT of options as far as defensive assignments go. Manu and Hill both picked up Barea for a couple of possessions, and the different looks worked on him -- he cooled off right away.

Mavs hit a bunch of horrifically bad shots tonight. The Dirk flail, the Barea deep 3, the Terry 3 from 25 feet out, I think Hawyood got a ridiculous shot in there or two as well. They almost jumpshotted their way to victory. Doubt it will happen again -- we're just dominating the paint right now.

[BillMc]

Another great posting. Many thanks!!!

[Borosai]

Bonner's gonna go to work in game 4. He has the Mavs right where he wants them.

[Darkwaters]

I'm freaking excited. I was actually able to view part of this game today as our TV satellite it working again (last one took a mortar round). I saw the final 5 minutes. Excellent win.

Go Spurs!

[Rogue]

Bonner's gonna go to work in game 4. He has the Mavs right where he wants them.
You easily know we sucked balls in paint when even Matt Bonner was made look good there, and you all know what a soft pussy bonner is.

[Manufan909]

Bonner guards Nowitzki better than anyone else on the team, now if he would just start hitting those 3's, he'd be a real asset out there.

Better than Dice? I think not.

[kace]

The big three was good and we had our 4th offensive weapon for those two wins: RJ then Hill. With Dice doing the job. If Blair could be a little bit more productive, we would have a loaded team.

but that's great to see four + 15 pts scorer in a game.

[taps]

I agree that Grizzly has been poor this series, but who would you give his minutes to?

Also, he's a rookie in the playoffs for the first time going up against the franchise's arch-enemy, so the learninig curve is very steep.

I hope Pop keeps giving him those minutes at the end of the 1st Q/start of the 2nd Q so that when he finally calms down he might be a factor in a game. Those minutes allow Pop to assess whether to play him later in the game or not.

I Agree heartily with this. Blair was still one of our top rebounders in limited minutes and his defense has been criticized but I saw him alter a shot or two even though at some poinnt Najera did score on an offensive board (blech.)

Without scoring he was the only big on the floor during microball and held serve without the mavs really catching up which was good rest for TD. He kept some possessions alive iirc so he gets some intangibles credit from me.

He still has to play better, if the offense can run through him for a quarter and have success i'd be thrilled - I'm quite worried about TD's minutes (seemed to play the whole second half without rest.) Just seems like a matter of a couple rattling down instead of out just like game 2.

I was skeptical but Pop has given him chances and has been more than fair with Blair the past couple of game. Like Sean said, take the lid off that basket Dejuan's shots are hitting everything but the bottom

[Ice009]

I agree that Grizzly has been poor this series, but who would you give his minutes to?

Also, he's a rookie in the playoffs for the first time going up against the franchise's arch-enemy, so the learninig curve is very steep.

I hope Pop keeps giving him those minutes at the end of the 1st Q/start of the 2nd Q so that when he finally calms down he might be a factor in a game. Those minutes allow Pop to assess whether to play him later in the game or not.

I say keep playing Blair. He needs to play better and I know that he can.

[timvp]

I'm not sure whether this game was immensely fun or immensely stressful to watch; the end result makes me lean toward fun, but my stomach most of the game says otherwise (unless that was just the tortilla soup...).

The biggest problem was that through the entire first half, I felt the Spurs were outplaying the Mavericks thoroughly. They were efficient on offense and swarming on defense. Despite all that, they could never build any kind of padded lead, and that was very concerning. I attribute this mostly to the Mavs ability to hit 3-pointers, and the fact that the Spurs practically gave up on the 3-ball in this game. I love that they were attacking the basket, but being -24 on the game when comparing points from 3s is really hard to overcome. (For the record, the 7 threes that the Spurs attempted was their second lowest of the entire season; the only game where they attempted less was the Rockets game on 11/27, when they were 2 for 5 from three point range. Also, the last time the Spurs played a game without making a three-pointer? April 7, 2005...against the Dallas Mavericks.)

Anyway, once the Mavericks went on that big run in the 3rd quarter, and the Spurs managed to right the ship, that's when the game actually got fun to watch, and was a complete dog fight to the end.

A few other random bits:

-Tony Parker is the man. That is all.

-I knew when Manu left the game that he would come back as soon as they got the bleeding stopped. He's just a flat out warrior, and the kind of guy you love to have secured for 3 more years.

-It was great to see George Hill be the player we've come to expect the last few months. I was pretty sure it was in him, but until a player has a really good game in the playoffs, you still have that lingering doubt in the back of your mind.

-Matt Bonner must lead the league in contested shots made over his hands. The effort is certainly there, and the execution is usually there too, but players just seem to have so much confidence shooting over him. I really don't know if there's much the poor guy can do about it, but it never ceases to amaze me.

-If the Spurs go on to win this series, then no one should doubt the signing of Antonio McDyess again. He's been huge on both ends, especially against Dirk, and while he may not quite be averaging 8 and 8, he's getting awfully close, and his intangibles make up for it.

Very good post :tu

There's no mistake that the Spurs have had their low water marks against the Mavs and the Rockets when it comes to three-point shooting. Those two teams double TD less than any other teams in the league. And as good as TP and Manu are at making plays for others, the number one reason why the Spurs usually get open looks from beyond the arc is because Duncan typically draws a lot of attention.

[J.T.]

Parker and Duncan have pretty much roasted the Mavs two games in a row. They really have no match for Ginobili either. The best D they played on him all series was breaking his nose and sending him to the locker room for five minutes.

[ceperez]

I don't think it's fair at all to criticize Jefferson for this game, for the very reason you stated - to his credit, he only took 3 shots (2-3 from the field)

if jefferson isn't open, i don't want him forcing shots for the sake of padding his own PPG potentially to the detriment of the team

Jefferson has never been an "I can create my own shot in isolation" type of player and he never will be. He thrives on receiving the ball from initial penetration and then driving it to the rim as the second penetrator, while there is movement on the floor due to the opposing team reacting to the initial driver. that's his game for the spurs, and ginobili/parker did not place him in these situations enough

[ceperez]

Jefferson is not entirely useless in a half-court offense.

He does well posting up. Last game he easily scored on top of Jason Kid. The 2nd game he showed some good moves against Butler. He can do well if given the ball and isolated at the post.

Last game he didn't score much because he never got the ball. He's not going to get the ball unless the Ginobili, Parker or Hill give him the ball. Unfortunately, he isn't involved in any pick and roll play. Matter of fact, I don't think the Spurs have any plays designed for him.

Jefferson can do well if he gets the ball in the right spot and plays aggressively. Matter of fact, I would say he is best that if he ever gets the ball, he should never pass it way and make a drive to the basket.

[wildbill2u]

i'm worry about Manu broken nose, i'm hope this injury will not hurt us!

"Fear not. Manu Ginobili heart of a Jedi knight has." Master Yoda

[ceperez]

Blair is killing his chances right now and honestly, I am surprised Pop played him at all. He has performed poorly now the last two games and I won't blame Pop if Blair sees no time next game. Blair has given him no reason to.

Wait a minute here, I think he did well during his time on the floor. Didn't he have a good assist to George Hill? He also got 5 rebounds, which incidentally is 1 less than the highest rebounder on the team (mcdyess 6 rebounds).

[wildbill2u]

yeah
many

let's just hope that they can fit him out with a mask asap and none of the mavs players are cheap enough to jack him in the face, because multiple nose injuries can be devestating

Speaking of cheap shots to his nose, at the end of the game when Manu had the ball and they were fouling, it looked like Berea may have hit his nose when he swarmed him. Manu sort of rocked back his head and put his hand up to his nose.

Working over an opponents' injury is a time-tested tactic. Usually it means driving on a guy who has limited mobility because of foor or ankle injury. I hope a smash to the face isn't a deliberate tactic they will use.

[MateoNeygro]

I love reading Timvp's analysis. I get a good run down of what happened in the game. I'm in the middle of the ocean on a ship for 6 months and am sadly missing my Spurs. I can't even watch highlights because it takes hours for them to load but thanks Timvp keepin me updated. GO SPURS GO!!!!

[kace]

"Fear not. Manu Ginobili heart of a Jedi knight has." Master Yoda

well, i have to admit i'm a little bit worried too.

Everyone seems very confident so i guess that even if manu play with a mask, he will be OK.

we really don't need him to be injured the way he's playing and now that the team has this cohesion.

[NZ Spurs]

timvp continues to be unduly harsh on RJ. RJ played great D on Kidd, and hit a huge basket to bring the points difference back to 2 at the end of the third. I don't see how RJ could have done any more especially considering that 90% of the offense was either a PnR with Manu or Tony and Tim, or a dump down to Tim.

[TJastal]

I agree with DPG about Bonner. We really got in a hole when Bonner played. Same as in game 1.

BONNER HAS TO PLAY BETTER ON BOTH ENDS.

Dejuan Blair needs to step up and just play his game. We need around 15 quality minutes from him. Blair can do it.

Hill played tough and so did Dice. The big 3 were great. TP AWESOME tonight.

+1

Bonner is never going to be even an average defender in this league as long as the officials continue to see that imaginary bullseye on his chest. I swear, the guy cannot win, and gets called for the most ridiculous ticky tack shit of anyone in the league in the past 5 years. Case in point: 1st quarter Caron Butler used his left forearm to "shove off" of Bonner into a running jumpshot and the refs call Bonner for a "and-1" foul and it becomes a 3pt play. Total horseshit call. After getting a call like this, Bonner will almost always play even more docile and unaggressive and last night's game was no exception, a couple of mav players scored in the paint right over Bonner after the Butler foul.

Because of this, he is basically forced to drop 3's at a rate of at least 45% and also give the spurs scoring off the dribble in order to justify his defensive liabilities on the court.

[emanueldavidginobili]

okay so great win.

TP really sparked us in the begining hitting his floaters, vintage parker, and had 7 points in the last minute or so, he was clutch tonight.

Timmy just being timmy he has really turned it on during the playoffs. he makes some mistakes here and there passing the ball but he understands and will learn from his mistakes.

Manu, said it all already, one of a kind. only thing i dont like is when were on offense and he just sits there in the corner, no cuts no nothing i dont now if thats by design or not, but loved his defense right of the tip getting like2 steals a block stripped terrys pull up J.

dice i love his hustle doing all the dirty work crashing the boards giving it his all, and hitting that mid range.

RJ i think he played very well 2/3 and i like him not forcing anything. also he was good in the 1st couple of minutes he had a nice pass to i think dice down low when RJ was in the corner also he had a nice Defensive posssesion in the 3rd or 4th which forced a shotclock violation...we had 4 of them.

George getting heavy minutes. played 45 minutes so his ankle has to be fine, every day his ankle is getting better i expect hill to be 100% explosion and everything back by sunday. he stepped up when manu went out and was active on the defensive end.

all in all great win i love the emotion Manu and TP are showing when manu made those two and 1's swinging his fist and when manu gave the pass to tp at the end of the game for the and 1 they both went nuts, i even saw george hill jumping pumping his fist haha. this team right now has alot of confidence right now, you can see it in the press conferences and everything and we have momentum.

the mavs have made alot of Bullshit shots and desperation shots, and that will not continue. also dirk had a huge game 1 had a average game 2 had a huge game 3 dirk will have a average game 4.

we win this next game, were in good shape.

[SenorSpur]

Jefferson is not entirely useless in a half-court offense.

He does well posting up. Last game he easily scored on top of Jason Kid. The 2nd game he showed some good moves against Butler. He can do well if given the ball and isolated at the post.

Last game he didn't score much because he never got the ball. He's not going to get the ball unless the Ginobili, Parker or Hill give him the ball. Unfortunately, he isn't involved in any pick and roll play. Matter of fact, I don't think the Spurs have any plays designed for him.

Jefferson can do well if he gets the ball in the right spot and plays aggressively. Matter of fact, I would say he is best that if he ever gets the ball, he should never pass it way and make a drive to the basket.

It's also pretty clear that in order for RJ to have a productive game, you must get him untracked early. That was the case in Game #2. Pop ran a few plays exclusively for him and his teammates looked to get him the ball early. We all saw the results. That didn't happen in Game #3. Of course, RJ needs to come out with an aggressive attitulde, as well.

[SenorSpur]

Wait a minute here, I think he did well during his time on the floor. Didn't he have a good assist to George Hill? He also got 5 rebounds, which incidentally is 1 less than the highest rebounder on the team (mcdyess 6 rebounds).

Blair isn't scoring around the basket, with the proficiency he showed during the season. However, he continues to hustle, which is a good sign from a rookie. I agree that he made some things happen in small sequences during Game #3. That assist to Hill was boss. His offensive struggles have not hurt his aggressiveness on the glass.

I hope Pop continues to stick with him because obviously the more rest Duncan has, the fresher he will be during crunch time.

[Muser]

Dyess earning his paycheck :tu

[ShoogarBear]

Lol shnozz-bloaded

The first three quarters of this game could have been played by any of the January or February Spurs.

The difference was the fourth quarter, which was vintage.

[Bender]

I hope Pop continues to stick with him because obviously the more rest Duncan has, the fresher he will be during crunch time.
Duncan had to play some major minutes, 40+. Hope he doesn't have to do that all thru the playoffs, if the spurs get that far. Be nice if Blair could do more, for Tim to get a few more minutes rest.

[NFGIII]

I think the most important thing going forward is the point you made about DeJuan Blair. Duncan needs some rest, jesus I was worried shitless going into the final 6 minutes knowing Duncan had got little to no rest in a long time.

If Blair hits those baby shots he always hits, and jesus CHRIST he was going against the walking corpse of eddie najera and gave up Offensive Rebounds, Duncan can get some well-needed in-game rest.

I agree but if you look below you will see what I've been preaching all series long. Shut down/disrupt Kidd and that makes the Mave less effective. Given that this game was close some might not agree. But Kidd is the captian of the Mavs and runs it the best. Put the clamps on him and you make the Mavs a lesser team even though they are explosive at times. IMHO


I think Hill's defence on Kidd is one of the keys to the series. Jason is yet to really put a stamp on anything, and that's down to Hill mostly, but also running him off the 3pt line (where he shot over 40% this year), as DPG said.

Superb game of basketball to watch - tough, see-sawing, indefatigable, awesome. Game of the Year so far for mine.

GO SPURS GO! :flag:

:tu

Get in his jersey and never leave. Make him shoot moving Js rather than set shots and he is much less effective. He runs the team the best. Disrupt Kidd and you effect the whole team.

Now lets get game 4 and really put some doubt into their heads. I believe that this team will crack if put under enough pressure, especially Marrion. That's just my gut feeling and with MArrion it goes back to his Suns days. This guy just never got the job done with them and until he soes I don't think he can.

:flag:

[florige]

Truth be told, Dirk is going to get his points regardless he is just that good. I liked how the Spurs didn't double team him the whole time, just through certain stretches which sorta threw him off in the 4th quarter. It just burns me up when I see that little turd Barrera slicing through out defense causing all kinds of havoc. Its probably better I'm not a player playing for the Spurs because I would had elbowed the crap out of that bastard.

[HarlemHeat37]

Jefferson has a horrible matchup vs. Kidd..even though he scored in the only post-up he had, it was extremely shaky, Kidd tipped the ball out twice before Jefferson just rose up and took the J..

While he had a good game in game 2, he didn't have success in 1 on 1 situations, especially vs. Butler..his worst stretches of the game came in the 2nd half when Butler was guarding him 1 on 1, RJ couldn't do anything..

I'd like to see him get a few plays coming off screens or in transition, but you can't run too many isolation plays for him..he isn't that good of an iso player in general, but it's even tougher against Kidd, since he doesn't have an advantage over him other than rising up and taking a J..Jefferson's jump shot isn't exactly reliable though..he has a tough matchup against Kidd..

The best thing Jefferson can do is keep playing hard..he played good D in this game, he made some great rotations..he just needs to keep playing active and he'll get his touches..his all-around game is more important to me than his scoring..

[Blackjack]

Great thoughts all around and most, if not all, has been covered. But there's a little bit I'd like to touch on.

Two things I really liked defensively:

Discouragement of the Nowtizki entry - The Spurs had their guards (namely George and Tony) putting doubt and hesitancy in the mind of the passer by cheating over and threatening to shoot the gap and steal or deflect the pass -- often ending with a couple seconds more elapsed on the shot clock, the disruption of the play or timing, or an altogether changing of the attack, as they were forced to try another option not named Nowitzki.

3-point Close-outs - The Spurs were scrambling and switching extremely well for a good chunk of the game and their close-outs on Kidd were crucial. Hill's been a godsend in this matchup (against all of the Mavs smalls) but whomever's been charged with making the closeout, they've been doing an admirable job as of late -- Kidd's tempo on his shot and release have been altered and the results have shown.


A few things that stood out individually:


Man on fire: Manu's energy and frenetic pace to start the game was unreal. It's one thing to get hot as a shooter but the guy caught fire as a flyswatter -- Miyagi's chopsticks ain't got nothing on that dude. He was simply deflecting, disrupting or deterring anything in his vicinity -- which was the AT&T Center. Simply unreal and entertaining as hell.

Not a freight train: Tim and 'Dyess' athleticism and purpose has been a sight for sore eyes. Tim's had some of the best looking post moves and drives he's had in years over the first three games and 'Dyess has displayed some springs and quickness out on the perimeter (most notably staying with Dirk, getting into him and contesting the shot) that he's displaying really for the first time in a Spurs uniform -- he's allowed Pop to stay big and, like Hill, has been a godsend in this matchup. It's amazing what the light at the end of the tunnel can do for a couple of aging vets and their athleticism -- nothing like a little urgency.

Manu on, Tony off: The obvious thing for most to point out is the change in role, Tony now being "Manu jr.". But it's not just in where they start but in how they play. There was a little bit of an adjustment and some cause for concern with a little bit of what we saw over the first couple of games, but they look to be figuring it out. See, Manu's on the ball much more throughout the game (as apposed to just more during crunch time with Tony) and that presents a bit of a spacing problem with Tony off the ball -- Tony's lack of a 3-point shot gives the defender a couple of extra steps to clutter the lane for Manu and the high pick-and-roll (it's especially difficult at times when it involves Tim and they're on the same side of the floor), which can lead to defelctions, turnovers or just bad possessions. Plus, Tony is just a flat out better player on the ball -- his skill set is not one of a spot-up shooter. But give credit to Tony. The guy's making chicken salad and getting it done -- in the clutch. He's stepping up (or, perhaps, in, would be more appropriate) and knocking those shots out. The ability of the Big 3 to find a way to mesh and find their collective rhythm under the circumstance, and in such a quick fashion, has been remarkable -- Tony and Manu deserve the bulk of the credit.


All-in-all, just a really good win and a great time to be a Spurs fan. The series is far from over but given how this season's played out and all the hurdles that have been put in front of this team ... it's hard to complain (downright impossible, really) with what they've been able to accomplish thus far.

I said if they were to win, it'd be in 6 -- The first three's outcome have gone to plan and if it keeps playing out the way I thought, the Spurs will have to win Games 5 and 6 to get it done. (But I'd be more than content with a Game 4 win :D)

I said there'd be a bit of poetic justice for the Spurs to win this thing in 7 and on the Mavs' homecourt, but too be honest ... I couldn't care less -- poets are overrated.

Let's get it done, as soon as possible, Spurs. :flag:

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I'll just throw in the broken record reply, same thing I pointed out after game 2:

Manu is playing hellacious man to man D on Butler. He had him so thoroughly dominated defensively last night that Carlisle put him on the bench the second half.

[boutons_deux]

"Jefferson ... does well posting up"

He has no post-up game.

[boutons_deux]

"Jefferson ... does well posting up"

He has no post-up game.

[mingus]

what the two wins have shown is that it will be imperative for at least one of Hill or RJ to be in the 14 - 16 point range for the Spurs to win (to go along with the typical play by the big 3 that we've come to expect, of course). if RJ isn't being effective (and i think it was more nobody involving him than him not involving himself), i'd like to see Pop go with Hill. i'm not sure if a TP/Hill/Manu backcourt can work against some lineups, because it's pretty small, so that might be an issue in the future if they try to employ it.

[Avitus1]

Great game. Is it just me or does Dirk's eyes glaze over every time he sees Bonner take the floor?

[BackHome]

At the end of the fourth Hill was a blanket on Terry he was on him like white on rice!

Dice played another great game but at the end of the fourth quarter you could tell he was tired by not getting after some loose balls.

I think the Spurs need to get RJ some touches early because when he scores a few baskets early it sets the tone for him the whole game.

Manu was freakin the man!

[bigfan]

I live in Dallas, you should hear all the bitching and moaning up here. Anyway, Sunday's game is the key. If the Spurs can win that one, this series is essentially over, the Mavs will roll over. No way that they could win three straight. Ok Spurs, lets hammer em.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

what the two wins have shown is that it will be imperative for at least one of Hill or RJ to be in the 14 - 16 point range for the Spurs to win (to go along with the typical play by the big 3 that we've come to expect, of course). if RJ isn't being effective (and i think it was more nobody involving him than him not involving himself), i'd like to see Pop go with Hill. i'm not sure if a TP/Hill/Manu backcourt can work against some lineups, because it's pretty small, so that might be an issue in the future if they try to employ it.

There's a lot of talk here in Dallas about the three guard look the Mavs trotted out last night. I think Hill/TP/Manu would be a good counter by Pop.