48MoH: San Antonio Spurs 92, Dallas Mavericks 89

[Blackjack]

San Antonio Spurs 92, Dallas Mavericks 89: George Hill and DeJuan Blair earn their playoff stripes
by Jesse Blanchard

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0425/rpm_g_spursts_576.jpg

AT&T Center–A game after Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle benched each of his team’s new acquisitions in the second half, the San Antonio Spurs turned to theirs with the trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker struggling.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich’s faith was aptly rewarded.

Antonio McDyess hit open jumpers, scoring 10 points while holding Dirk Nowitzki (17 points) to just 10 shots. Richard Jefferson took turns defending Nowitzki, Butler and Kidd while attacking the rim aggressively. DeJuan Blair added rebounding and energy. And George Hill’s newfound jump shot and poise carried the team to an improbable victory.

Keep reading → (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2010/04/25/san-antonio-spurs-92-dallas-mavericks-89-george-hill-and-dejuan-blair-earn-their-playoff-stripes/#more-7905)

[m33p0]

this was a huge character win for the pack.

[L.I.T]

1 more game.

But damn, you have to think of the Spurs Medium 3 + Blair play like this consistently, they could have a long run in them.

That being said...someone else on the bench as to step up. Bogans will be needed to play spot minutes and Bonner needs nut up and at least give them a couple of jumpshots a game.

Btw, I think RJeff has pretty much exceeded expectations that were based on his regular season play. He's been an efficient scorer the last few games, been rebounding well and playing inspired (for him defense).

[NFGIII]

A poster (Phoebus) over at HOH stated - what folds faster - a card table or a Cuban-owned team?

I don't know about you but that there was funny!

Take this in 5!

:flag:

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

1 more game.

But damn, you have to think of the Spurs Medium 3 + Blair play like this consistently, they could have a long run in them.

That being said...someone else on the bench as to step up. Bogans will be needed to play spot minutes and Bonner needs nut up and at least give them a couple of jumpshots a game.

Btw, I think RJeff has pretty much exceeded expectations that were based on his regular season play. He's been an efficient scorer the last few games, been rebounding well and playing inspired (for him defense).

Hell to the yes. He's actually earning his paycheck now, just like Dice. Great to see! :toast

[EricB]

RJ bagged some clutch jumpers again tonight.

Didn't seem affected by the pressure.

Complete opposite from the regular season...

[L.I.T]

Hell to the yes. He's actually earning his paycheck now, just like Dice. Great to see! :toast

Yup.

The one thing that has really struck me in the first four games of this series is that the Spurs are now legitimately six players deep in terms of dynamic two-way players. When Hill/RJeff/Dice are on they bring very different dimensions to the team. Dice's ability to get open and behind the defense to get cheap points off of dunks and layups is great to see.

I would have to look at the numbers in past (to see if it ever has happened before in the playoffs), but I am absolutely shocked that the Spurs were able to win a game when the Big 3 only put up 31 points. And no matter how we've been dumping on the Mavs, this is a quality opponent.

Blair has had two solid games in a row. At this point in his career, 10-15 minutes of serious wrecking ball action is impressive.

[TDMVPDPOY]

ghill v predator lol

[Manufan909]

“It was just Dirk being Dirk, me being me, so that’s not good,” Blair joked.

LOL WUT? That is a good thing, Blair. Dirk being a little bitch and you being a man Chuck Norris would respect is a goddamn great thing.

Pop has to find more time for Blair, this can't be stressed enough. And I hate that I didn't hear Shoening (I know I prob misspelled his name) interview Blair as the impact player of the game. Hill is just doing what he's obviously supposed to (so glad he was allowed to take over btw), but this was Blair's FOURTH PO GAME. Against arguably the Spurs biggest adversaries, and in spite of Blair lending credence to the haters (no D, missing shots against taller players) the first couple games, he once again imitated the Kool-Aid man and jizzed all over Dirk, Haywood, and Kidd.

[duncan228]

Mavs/Spurs Game 4 Recap (http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2010/04/mavsspurs-game-4-recap/)
By George, I think Hill’s got it.
by Adam Sweeney
SLAM

Tim Duncan had to wait on his thirty-fourth birthday to blow out the candles but his teammates showed up to the party with plenty of gifts, none better than a 92-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to give the Spurs a 3-1 lead in the series heading back to Dallas.

The Big Fundamental was late to the Playoff party, failing to score a single point in the first half. That wasn’t an issue thanks to George Hill. In case you haven’t noticed, the new guard for San Antonio, both figuratively and literally, is coming into his own. George Hill has been the X-factor in the series and displayed an outside touch to go with his speed. Remember the threes Bruce Bowen used to get thanks to the defense’s focus on Tim Duncan? They’re still here and Hill hit five of them in a monstrous display.

Hill’s performance was timely, as I had spoken with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich before the game, asking him to offer his thoughts on Hill’s improvement throughout the series.

“George is a really important piece of the puzzle on the offensive and defensive end,” said Popovich. “He’s played a lot of minutes and worked through some bumps and bruises really well. He continues to gain confidence. He’s a pretty young kid and hasn’t had much experience on this level. He’s handled it well.”

The second year starter was understandably the most visibly excited player on the court with Butler looking the most frustrated. There’s no replacement for composure in big games. Dallas had none of that left in the tank.

If you want a little insight into why the Spurs are one win away from the second round, here it is. San Antonio can win without a big game from Tim Duncan. Dallas cannot win without one from Dirk Nowitzki.

Much was made about the psyches of Caron Butler and Shawn Marion after their Game 3 benchings, one real and the other perceived, by Rick Carlisle. The results, like their efforts throughout the series, were mixed.

I’m not going to say Caron Butler was pressing but he had the look of Tiger Woods’ publicist the day after Thanksgiving. Great emphasis was placed on how Caron Butler would respond to his Game 3 benching. I’m not sure going 3-9 from the floor with two fouls in the first quarter was exactly what they wanted. Okay, Hell no it wasn’t what they wanted. On top of that, the Caron Butler show prevented Dallas from getting any sort of team rhythm in the first quarter. Their first half run was made with him on the bench and he shot his team in the foot in the third quarter. Butler finished with a +/- of -15. Hey, big guy. The offense runs through Dirk, not you.

Even with his Game 4 performance, we officially need to give Shawn Marion a new nickname. The Matrix just doesn’t work for him anymore. How about Flubber because his shot and play is bouncy and all over the place? Or we could keep with the Matrix film saga and call this part of his career Matrix: De-evolutions. He did help Dallas build a lead in the first half…before disappearing from the AT&T Center in the second half. I rest my case.

On a day when Ray Allen missed three straights free throws in the Playoffs for the first time since 2005, Nowitzki equaled the unimaginable feat by only shooting ten times the entire game. A lot of that happened because Antonio McDyess was in his grill most of the game, clearly frustrating Dirk to the point that he kept pleading his case for foul calls with the officials. But as the leader of the team in a pivotal game it is your job to get more looks. I’ve said before that Dallas can’t win with Dirk being the lone scorer but they also can’t win without him in attack mode.

Now that we’ve broken it down like Allen Iverson’s jumper and personal life, let’s hand out some Game 4 awards.

The young Lil’ Wayne Award

It’s story time. Once upon a time there was a rap franchise called Cash Money Records. Master P got most of the run but the real talent in the crew belonged to Lil’ Wayne. George Hill is, as Marcellus Wiley would say, that dude today. I’m not screaming for him to take Tony Parker’s job but he came into his own today. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, the Spurs aren’t rebuilding, they are reloading.

The Stats Speak Volumes Award

Here’s the story of the third quarter. The Mavs are held to 11 points, go scoreless for 6 minutes and are outscored by 18. In fact, George Hill had as many points in that quarter as Dallas. That’s sick. Like being a fan of Jersey Shore sick.

The less buckets = more “Buckets” Award

Correct me if I’m wrong but Rodrique Beaubois does still play for the Mavs, right? Would it have killed Rick Carlisle to put him in to see if he could stop the bleeding in the third quarter? No, you’re right. It’s probably better to let Caron Butler shoot again…and again.

The lone gunman theory Award

There was no JFK-esque conspiracy as to why the Mavericks lost their momentum. I don’t want to do it but how can you not blame Caron Butler for this one? Maybe he forgot he has an All-Star on his team to help the cause. That is the only excuse I can think of.

The Kobe did It better than you, and Michael did it better than Kobe Award

With 3:13 to go in the third quarter, Richard Jefferson popped an off balance jumper and got the foul. He went with the quickness to the Michael Jordan turned Kobe Bryant fist pump…and then proceeded to miss the free throw after. Easy there, RJ. Let’s finish our dinner before we ask for dessert.

The pardon me, your bias is showing Award

With nine minutes left and Manu Ginobili stepping to the free throw line, the Spurs fans started to gently chant “MVP.” Umm, not today. Ginobili is as tough as any player in the game but he’s not LeBron. He wasn’t even the MVP of this game. Try again. If Manu is the league MVP then I’m dating the Miley Cyrus.” Neither choice seems well thought out.

The Spurs were a deceptive seventh seed heading into the Playoffs. Now we see them for who they really are, a Western Conference champion contender that just needed time to get healthy. Dallas has also been exposed. Today, we saw a group of skilled Mavericks players, not a team. One thing’s for sure. They will exit as a team filled with unrealized promise and a load of underachievement if they can’t run off three improbable straight victories. Dallas Mavericks basketball, it’s fantastic…ally underwhelming! As for San Antonio, they keep rolling on the river.

[Cry Havoc]

The Kobe did It better than you, and Michael did it better than Kobe Award

With 3:13 to go in the third quarter, Richard Jefferson popped an off balance jumper and got the foul. He went with the quickness to the Michael Jordan turned Kobe Bryant fist pump…and then proceeded to miss the free throw after. Easy there, RJ. Let’s finish our dinner before we ask for dessert.

:lmao

RJ played well but this is hilarious.

[duhoh]

:lmao

RJ played well but this is hilarious.

agreed :lol:lol:lol