Now It's The Spurs Turn To Sweat

[duncan228]

Now It's The Spurs Turn To Sweat (http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-100427/daily-dime)
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

A four-point game from Tim Duncan can be dismissed as an aberration. Especially when you win anyway.

What happens, though, when Duncan follows up the four points with a mere 11 points in what was supposed to be his bounce-back game?

The San Antonio Spurs are about to find out. It's their turn to be subjected to some uncomfortable skepticism after the No. 2-seeded Dallas Mavericks, facing the humbling prospect of a first-round elimination Tuesday night, responded with a 103-81 rout that couldn't have played out much better in hope-building terms for the Mavs.

The reality is that Dallas still trails this series, 3-2, and can't extend it any further without finding a way to win Game 6 back in San Antonio. It's likewise important to note that Duncan was rested for the entire fourth quarter in Game 5, when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich preferred the idea of starting Game 6 preparations for the likes of Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker as opposed to letting Duncan try to pad his modest totals of 11 points and six boards.

The Spurs, though, will be facing undeniable pressure all their own to close the Mavs out at home Thursday night, after Dallas hit the visitors with an active and effective defensive display that led to numerous opportunities to push the ball, setting up Caron Butler to finally join this series at last with a career playoff-high 35 points.

And because Dallas quickly rebuilt its lead in the third quarter after the Spurs had sliced a 17-point deficit to seven at halftime, several key Mavs also came away with some bonus rest in the fourth quarter: Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and, most crucially, 37-year-old point guard Jason Kidd.

"They definitely don't want to come back here," Nowitzki said of a potential Game 7 on Saturday.

"You know they're going to be ready. Both teams got enough rest to really throw everything out there."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, however, was predictably peeved that his team didn't respond to the Mavericks' inevitable first punch.

He didn't go back to the "played like dogs" slam he introduced after the Spurs dropped Game 1, but 18 turnovers and San Antonio's third-quarter capitulation had Popovich lamenting the waste of "a wonderful opportunity" to finish off a Mavs team that had clearly been shaken by two narrow losses in San Antonio.

"Mostly it was the case of they came with the mental and physical toughness," Popovich said, "and our starting group wasn't very good in either category. As a group, just the mental approach to the game, that was disappointing."

It remains to be seen whether the Mavs can reproduce the D that generates this kind of tempo on the road, where they so quickly lost their poise in the series-changing third quarter of Game 4. But Dallas did enough to at least generate some fresh doubts about the South Texans.

The big knock against the Spurs going into these playoffs was the concern about their vets being able to stay fresh enough to deliver consistently through a seven-game series. Those doubts were largely hushed when San Antonio reeled off three straight wins against its longtime rivals, but Manu Ginobili's mere seven points in 18 minutes -- on top of Duncan's two straight quiet games since turning 34 on Sunday -- would suggest that he's still getting used to playing with that broken nose he sustained in Game 3.

"The series isn't over, even though a lot of people are assuming that it is," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said.

*********************

TUESDAY'S BEST

Caron Butler, Mavericks
With their backs up against the wall, it was Butler, not Dirk Nowitzki who saved the season for Dallas by scoring 35 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 103-81 win against the Spurs.

TUESDAY'S WORST

Tim Duncan, Spurs
Where's the O, Timmy? For the second straight game, Duncan has struggled to put the ball in the basket, finishing with just 11 points on 3-for-9 shooting against the Mavs. The future Hall of Famer scored just four points in Game 4.

[SpursTillTheEnd]

kinda nervous for this game i hope we step it up

[duncan228]

Fast Breaks: Mavs-Spurs, Game 5 (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/frank_hughes/04/28/spurs.mavs.breaks/index.html#)
Frank Hughes
SI.com

Facing elimination, the Mavericks got excellent production from an unlikely source, shooting guard Caron Butler, whose 35 points helped drive them to a 103-81 victory over the Spurs. The Spurs still lead the series 3-2, meaning Dallas needs more games like Tuesday's to avoid a first-round upset.

The Butler did it. After getting benched in the second half of Game 3 because of poor shooting and too many turnovers, Butler carried the Mavericks with a playoff career-high 35 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three steals. Butler was aggressive from the very start, taking shots with no hesitation en route to 12 first-quarter points, getting to the rim and setting the tempo for a fast-paced game that allowed the Mavericks to control the game almost from the opening tip. With Butler hitting 12-of-24 shots, Dirk Nowitzki essentially got the game off -- which the Mavericks hope means he can come back with a big outing in Game 6 on Thursday.

The Mavericks were the more physical team. They seemed angry about the hole in which they found themselves. They displayed a nasty attitude. And the Spurs did not punch back. It started with Eduardo Najera throwing a little shoulder into Tony Parker. Then Brendan Haywood got into the act. Then Shawn Marion gave Parker a nudge. And finally Najera took a Flagrant 1 foul -- a game after getting a Flagrant 2 -- for hitting Parker in the face on a drive to the basket. Don't expect to see San Antonio so laisse faire in their own building -- not after Gregg Popovich gets done showing them the game tape.

Jason Kidd looked like he was still in high school. The 37-year-old point guard looked like the Kidd of old, seemingly young, fresh legs enabling him to push the ball up the court on nearly every Dallas possession. It helped that San Antonio shot only 36 percent for the game, giving the Mavericks lots of opportunities to get out and run. But even after 15 years in the league, Kidd looked like the fastest player on the court. He had 10 points, seven assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 31 minutes, controlling most of the game.

Dallas changed its starting lineup. After Erick Dampier picked up five fouls in 19 minutes in Game 4 and got banged with a $35,000 fine for complaining about the officiating, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle removed Dampier as a starter and inserted Haywood, who came from Washington in the same trade as Butler. Haywood was not overwhelming -- he had eight points, eight rebounds and just two fouls in 30 minutes -- but he did control the paint, for the most part, and gave Dallas an interior presence that Dampier does not always provide. Haywood's night would have looked far better had he not missed six of 12 free throws.

Is it time to start Tony Parker? This is a difficult decision for Popovich, who has started George Hill at point guard and procured a 3-2 series lead. But Parker was the one player who made a difference for San Antonio, his flurry at the end of the first half responsible for San Antonio trimming Dallas' 17-point lead to seven. When Parker started the second half on the bench, that was when Dallas went on a 10-0 run to give the Mavericks a sizeable lead again, which they maintained the rest of the game.

[MateoNeygro]

Come on Spurs we have to win game 6. I def do not want the Spurs to play a game 7 in Dallas.

[Capt Bringdown]

Hoping we can keep Father Time at bay, but with the way this season has gone it wouldn't surprise me don't make it out of this series.
A lot of hope, some promising moments but...


A four-point game from Tim Duncan can be dismissed as an aberration. Especially when you win anyway.

What happens, though, when Duncan follows up the four points with a mere 11 points in what was supposed to be his bounce-back game?

[timvp]

This is going to be a long wait until gametime on Thursday ...................................

[Ice009]

"Mostly it was the case of they came with the mental and physical toughness," Popovich said, "and our starting group wasn't very good in either category. As a group, just the mental approach to the game, that was disappointing."


Tony Parker is the only guy on the team that has come with the Mental and Physical toughness for all 5 games. I know he had a couple of lapses at the end of game 4, but other than that he's been consistent. He's not backing down from any physical play either.

If Pop wants that mental and physical toughness from the start of the game maybe it would be best to look at starting TP.

[TampaDude]

I hope we play Game 6 with the same sense of urgency the Mavs had in Game 5. If we do, we win easily. If not, we're not winning the West playing like we did last night, regardless of opponent.

[will_spurs]

Honestly I'm not too worried. They just took a day off, and as Stein points out it is a confidence building win for the Mavs... in my view it's more a lure sent by Pop to make the Mavs think that they've unlucky all along. The intensity will be there in Game 6 and Dallas won't be ready after the fake rhythm of Game 5.

[easy7]

Peter Holt wanted another game for revenue, nothing to see here, series end Thursday,

[duncan228]

Mavs/Spurs Game 5 Recap (http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2010/04/mavsspurs-game-5-recap/)
‘Now it’s a series.’
by Maurice Bobb
SLAM

Who killed the Spurs last night in a must-win for the Mavs? The Butler did it. Caron Butler that is. It took a while but the UConn product finally put his stamp on this series. Butler connected on 12-24 shots from the field on the way to a career Playoff-best 35 points and 11 rebounds to stave off elimination on their home court with a 103-81 victory over San Antonio last night, making it a series at 3-2.

“Now it’s a series,” Butler told the AP. “We have to go to San Antonio and bring the same energy and play with the same tenacity and disposition as we played with for 48 minutes here. We got to bring it some way, some how.”

Uh, no shit, Sherlock. If you don’t bring it, you’ll join the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls in planning your summer vacations.

Butler got some assistance from the other new kid on Dallas’ block, Brendan Haywood, who added 8 points, 8 rebounds and 4 “not in my house” blocks.

Tony Parker led all Spurs with 18 points and 6 assists. The Spurs didn’t get much from Tim Duncan, who finished with only 11 points and 6 rebounds in 24 minutes of play. With only 18 minutes of action, Manu Ginobilli added seven points. And Richard Jefferson? He finished with…wait, why the hell am I even mentioning this guy? He went back to being a complete non-factor with his four points. Greg Popovich could have called up his buddy Ice Man to come in and deliver more than that.

GAME RECAP

Butler saw the green light from the opening tip and never slowed down. Even when he went right at Timmy for a dunk and the Big Fundamental got a piece of it, the ball still went in. Butler finished with 12 points for the quarter to put the home team up 27-21 and by then, it was apparent the Spurs were in trouble with their four turnovers and bad shot selection. Ginobilli only connected on one basket and Duncan finished with 5 points for the period.

In the second, Parker went to work. The Frenchman went off for 13 points in the quarter. But the Spurs can’t win if the Big Fella only gets two points for the entire 12 minutes of play. Butler continued to be aggressive with 7 points, but JJ Barea’s contribution off the pine—6 points, 2 assists and 1 rebound—really gave Dallas a boost. Dirk Nowitzki had a quiet 10 points up to this point, but was clearly deferring to Butler’s hot hand.

After the half, Ginobilli’s two quick turnovers were the sign of the times to come for the Spurs. The visitors only managed 18 points the entire way to dig themselves an 18-point hole by the end of the period. Butler continued to shine with 11 points and Haywood hit 4-6 freebies from the charity stripe. Overall, the Mavs went to the line eight times and connected on 12-15 attempts. Not a bad percentage from the line.

By the final period, the Spurs had already waved the white flag with none of their star players on the court to make any kind of run. Dallas got nine points from sparkplug Jason Terry and Butler put the icing on his Playoff cake with five additional points.

Truthfully, this game was about as fun to watch as watching an old lady throw breadcrumbs to birds in the park. The Spurs need to rest up for Thursday’s Game 6 matchup and bring it like they did in Game 4 or this thing might be dunzo for Pop’s bunch. Normally, I’d say the pressure is on the Mavs to avoid elimination, but with the way San Antonio played last night, I’d say the worry warts are working overtime for the white, black and silver. We already know Manu and Timmy are going to rebound, but the key is going to be the artist formerly known as Richard Jefferson. If he doesn’t break out offensively, look for Caron to have another stellar night on O.

Prediction: Mavs take Game 6 by 6 points to make things very interesting.

[Budkin]

Bullshit, the Mavs are still down 3-2 and have to win in San Antonio... ain't happening this year.

[z0sa]

The only team that could possibly scare me more than the Mavericks out West is LA. If any team can pull off this upset, the Mavs can. They aren't afraid of the Spurs even after losing 3 straight.

Spurs need to go into Game 6 like it's our season on the line. I'm confident they will.

[MateoNeygro]

Spurs do need to bring some intensity and urgency from the tip and for the entire 48 minutes. The close out game is the hardest and I hope we pull it off in game 6. I don't think I could handle a game 7.

[m33p0]

sweat? all they need is a wake up call. Tim may have relied on his teammates too much that he forgot that he's supposed to be leading them.

[bus driver]

as long as RMJ doesnt play i like our chances

[DesignatedT]

Our turn to sweat? uhhh okay? Although i know losing game 6 and going back to dallas would suck majorly.... we are still not the ones on brink of elimination. Win or lose thursday we still have another game.... It is very much still the mavs turn to sweat.

[tmtcsc]

Playing like "dogs" again and allowing the Mavs back in the series with a blowout win was very disappointing.

I hope we bring everything we've got on Thursday and close this out. Timmy and Manu are due for better games and it looks like Tony is ready to drive and score. They really can't stop him.

The Spurs have been a mystery all year long. Some nights they play great and other nights they just play horrible. I won't be surprised whatever happens on Thursday. We better not count on a win just because we are at home. We won 2 very close games here at home by slim margins. If Dallas gets hot, we can't afford to have to play catch-up again. We need to start out strong and finish strong.

We should be taking the ball right to the rim against Haywood. Get their bigs in foul trouble.

[noles1983]

we were up shit creek without a paddle last game as soon as blair picked up all those fouls early. I think he is a big key to us winning game 6. If he stays out of foul trouble he will give us alot of 2nd chance points we didnt have last game. His boards are critical

[Brazil]

Tony Parker is the only guy on the team that has come with the Mental and Physical toughness for all 5 games. I know he had a couple of lapses at the end of game 4, but other than that he's been consistent. He's not backing down from any physical play either.

If Pop wants that mental and physical toughness from the start of the game maybe it would be best to look at starting TP.

I tend to agree, starting Hill was the correct move to do. Nevertheless after 5 games both team have made some adjustments, I think the mavs will stick with their game 5 strategy and lineup for game 6, now it's maybe time to make a significant adjustment like starting Hill and TP and let Manu off the bench. Manu is struggling mainly due to, I suppose, his nose issue but we also can give some credit to the mavs for defending him better, moving him against the mavs second unit is not a silly idea.

Now it's a risky move why would pop change what has worked so far, we lead this serie and we are playing at home a logical move could be maintaining the actual dynamic. Tough call for Pop.

[elbamba]

Spurs just need to limit turnovers and they will control this game. I hope it becomes a run away blow out after a good first half. I think the Mavs will come out strong. Spurs will take a timeout and close the gap before taking a small lead in at half time.

Spurs come out of halftime and jump ahead early and blow it open 5 minutes into the Fourth.

[boutons_deux]

Giving away Game5, the Spurs are under enormous pressure to win Game6, since going back to Dallas would very probably mean Dallas becoming 9th team to come back from -1-3.

[elbamba]

Manu is still the key. He is certainly affected by the nose. His play has been noticably bad since game 4.