Spurs vs Mavs Previews

[duncan228]

Game is Friday, 7:30 CST.


Dallas (10-4) at San Antonio (13-1) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010112624)
Tipoff: 8:30 pm EST Fri Nov 26, 2010
TV: KTXA, KENS
By Santosh Venkataraman

The San Antonio Spurs look like a much-improved team with the best start in franchise history as they ride a 12-game win streak. They were already good enough last season to eliminate the Dallas Mavericks.

The Southwest Division rivals meet for the first time since the Spurs knocked the Mavericks out of the playoffs when they play Friday night at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio (13-1) is enjoying its longest win streak since a 13-game run Feb. 13-March 13, 2007. The franchise record for consecutive wins is 17, set Feb. 29-March 31, 1996.

“I don’t even notice it,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “Every game is a game and we don’t even think about it. We’ll lose our share, it will end like every other streak.”

San Antonio has recorded 11 straight 50-win seasons and Dallas 10 in a row. Those are the second- and third-longest streaks in league history since the NBA went to an 82-game schedule in 1967.

The Spurs and Mavericks have met five times in the playoffs in that span, including each of the past two seasons. San Antonio has won three of those series, beating Dallas in six games in the first round in 2010.

The Mavericks (10-4) won three of four from San Antonio in the regular season and took four of their last seven road meetings before dropping all three visits in last season’s playoffs.

While San Antonio won 50 games and Dallas 55 a season ago, the Spurs have gotten off to the better start. San Antonio rallied from 21 points down for a 113-109 overtime victory at Minnesota on Wednesday.

Manu Ginobili scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter as the Spurs put together a 65-point second half after scoring 41 at the break.

“We were down 20, nothing was falling, we’re not playing with the kind of aggressiveness and energy that you need to overcome a deficit like that,” said Ginobili, averaging a team-high 20.8 points. “I thought it was going to be a loss. Then slowly, very slowly, we started to recover.”

An injured Ginobili missed the five-game series loss to the Mavs two seasons ago, but he averaged a team-high 19.0 points last time. Dirk Nowitzki averaged 26.7 points on 54.7 percent shooting to lead Dallas in last season’s playoffs.

Nowitzki enters as the NBA’s second-leading scorer at 26.4 points per game, shooting a career-high 53.6 percent. He was the catalyst in Wednesday’s 111-103 victory at Oklahoma City with 34 points after scoring 42 the night before in an 88-84 home win over Detroit.

Tyson Chandler had season highs with 17 points and 18 rebounds Wednesday in his biggest game since coming over from Charlotte in the offseason.

“He’s been amazing, just his positive energy,” Nowitzki said. “He’s always the first one off the bench when he’s not on the court. He’s vocal in the locker room and he’s been amazing to have around.”

Chandler is a major reason why Dallas is allowing 92.4 points per game for the fourth-best mark in the league. San Antonio has the second-best offense with an average of 108.0 points.

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Injuries

Dallas
B Haywood Thigh

San Antonio
J Anderson Foot

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Team Stat Leaders

Points
Dirk Nowitzki Dal 26.4
Manu Ginobili SA 20.8

Rebounds
Tyson Chandler Dal 8.5
Tim Duncan SA 9.4

Assists
Jason Kidd Dal 9.5
Tony Parker SA 7.7

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

And to think Tim Duncan isn't even scoring very much, but yet, Spurs are still dominating.

And dang, I wish James Anderson would come back. He was already averaging 7.0 pts a game.

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

I predict Spurs by 7. It will be a close showdown in Texas, but Mavs will eventually melt down.

[timtonymanu]

Gonna miss this game unfortunately.

Hopefully the Spurs prove me wrong and win against Dallas. I can't stomach our win streak ending because of the Mavs.

[jestersmash]

And to think Tim Duncan isn't even scoring very much, but yet, Spurs are still dominating.

And dang, I wish James Anderson would come back. He was already averaging 7.0 pts a game.

That doesn't mean anything. It's not as though if Duncan scores 25 points per game all of a sudden that the Spurs team scoring average will increase by 25 points per game. It's not additive.

Duncan isn't scoring much by design - he's our 3rd option at best right now. As such, he doesn't take as many field goal attempts per game.

If he starts taking more FG attempts per game, guess what happens? Other players on the team will necessarily have to take less FG attempts per game. That part is additive.

You can have Ginobili and Parker score 20 PPG each and Duncan score 13 PPG.

Or, you can have Ginobili score 16 PPG (on less FG attempts), Parker score 16 PPG (also on less FG attempts) and Duncan score 20-21 PPG (on more FG attempts).

As long as the spurs win, the balance among FG attempts by itself makes little difference. The entire point of designating Duncan as our 3rd/4th option is to minimize his wear and tear. For him to score, he has to thrash with bodies in the paint far too often. Pop has decided that he'll take his chances with Ginobili and Parker taking more shots and obviously it's been effective. Our record is testament to that.

[jestersmash]

Oh and strictly speaking one should really look at points scored per possession.

If you have the ball, take a shot, get fouled, and go to the foul line and make 2 free throws - you've used a "possession" for your team even. This scenario would not be reflected in FGA alone.

[ManuTastic]

Who guards Dirk?
Dice?

[duncan228]

Friday: Mavericks (10-4) at Spurs (13-1) (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/25/friday-mavericks-10-4-at-spurs-13-1/)
Jeff McDonald

...Mavs have won three straight regular-season meetings, but Spurs won first-round playoff series last season in six games. … Blair had 27 points and 23 rebounds in last regular-season tilt with Dallas but has struggled to stay on floor of late.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/25/friday-mavericks-10-4-at-spurs-13-1/

[milkyway21]

Mavs will try to prove something and end the Spurs winning streak.

WIN this one Spurs.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all.

[milkyway21]

Mavs will try to prove something and end the Spurs winning streak.

WIN this one Spurs.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all.

[Xevious]

Mavs by 20+.

I just have a feeling this is going to be the one that snaps the streak. The Mavs are going to come in with a lot of energy and the Spurs are never really going to be in the game.

I hope I'm wrong.

[duncan228]

GameDay: Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/112610dnspomavscap.3e6933c.html)
Eddie Sefko

...The Mavericks have won three consecutive regular-season games against the Spurs, including one in San Antonio.... Dirk Nowitzki is on one of his signature sizzles. He's had 34 points or more in three of the past four games and is averaging 33 points.... Brendan Haywood (right thigh) said he expects to be available.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/112610dnspomavscap.3e6933c.html

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Chandler helping Dallas Mavericks build chemistry (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/112610dnspomavslede.3e5dbd3.html)
Eddie Sefko

Part of becoming an elite team is thinking like one.

A big step toward having that mentality is being a good teammate -- a role reached only when you are genuinely rooting for your teammate while you are on the bench and he is taking some of your playing time.

That's when you know you have a team that is in it to win it.

The Dallas Mavericks may not be there just yet, but that's OK. It's a long season.

The foundation they are laying in the early portion of the marathon suggests they have a fighting chance to get there, and a major reason why is Tyson Chandler.

Keep Reading... (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/112610dnspomavslede.3e5dbd3.html)

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/112610dnspomavslede.3e5dbd3.html

[spurtech09]

gonna be a close game but spurs will win.....book it

[duncan228]

Hit the link for the ESPN NBA Tonight Studio with Kevin Conners and Chris Mullin video about the match-up.


Role reversal, the 3-ball for division foes (http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4671830/role-reversal-and-the-3-ball-for-division-foes)
By Jeff Caplan
ESPN

Weird doings are going down with the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks.

The Spurs won championships boring legions of NBA fans with defense and fundamental offense. So what in the name of Gregg Popovich is going on this season with the Spurs second in the league in scoring, fast-breaking and 3-point-shooting their way to 108.0 points a game? As for that agitating defense the Spurs are so known for? Well, they can still lock down, but the quickened pace is making for more possessions and the Spurs are giving up an unheard of 98.9 points a game.

It has added up to a 12-game win streak an NBA-best 13-1 record.

"They've got a bunch of guys that can score, spread the floor, shoot and they play regular Spurs defense still," Dirk Nowitzki said. "They look really, really good."

Meanwhile, the Mavericks (10-4) enter Friday night's anticipated first matchup of the season in San Antonio practically having traded places with their rivals. Put the 'D' in Dallas because the Mavs rank in the top eight in scoring defense (92.4) and field-goal percentage defense (43.8).

The Spurs, possessing an interesting mix of young players surrounding the original Big Three plus a rejuvenated Richard Jefferson, have made a living beyond the 3-point arc. They're second in the NBA in 3-point percentage (43.0), third in 3s made per game (9.0) and sixth in 3s attempted per game (20.9). Five Spurs are shooting the long ball better than 39 percent, led by Matt Bonner, who has hit 20-of-32.

The Mavs aren't shy with the long ball either, not by a long shot. They're 10th in both attempts per game (19.0) and 3s made per game (6.6).

In the last two games alone, Dallas has launched 47 from beyond the arc and has made just 15 (31.9 percent). But, the key for the Mavs has been timing. Wednesday at Oklahoma City they made 4-of-8 in the final period after entering the fourth quarter having made just 5-of-19. A night earlier against Detroit, the Mavs made 2-of-3 in the decisive fourth quarter after having made just 4-of-17.

Jason Terry, stone-cold throughout Wednesday's comeback win at Oklahoma City, bounced in 3-pointer that gave the Mavs a 93-90 win. Nine 3s (albeit on 27 attempts) boosted the Mavs to 111 points, just the fourth time in 14 games they've scored in the 100s.

"That was huge. It was that kind of night for me, though, personally," Terry said. "I haven't shot the ball particularly well the last two games, but just hanging in there, my teammates picked me up, talking to me, and to hit a timely basket like that, it's huge for your confidence."

Jason Kidd, equally cold, suddenly swished just his second 3-pointer on nine attempts to make 98-93. Nowitzki is also resurrecting his 3-point shot, having made 6-of-8 in the last two games after making just 2-of-11 in the first 10 games.

A shootout in San Antone. It's not only possible, it's likely.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4671830/role-reversal-and-the-3-ball-for-division-foes

[Borosai]

Good game! Spurs won by 9.

[xellos88330]

Who guards Dirk?
Dice?

I would like to see what Tiago can do against Dirk. He has the mobility and length.

Then again, Tiago plays very physical and the refs tend to not let anyone get physical with the German.

[EricB]

Duncan, Dice and Jefferson on Dirk. Mix it up.

Be aggressive against Chandler get him out and get to the bucket. Don't settle for outside shots.

A good test but not a panic if they lose game.

[spurs1990]

The Spurs have everything goes against them in this game:

1) Coming off an overtime road game
2) Exhausting effort to rally from 20 pts down in said game
3) Playing their most heated rival
4) Playing the team they upset in previous playoffs
5) Playing against a talent and depth filled roster
6) Riding a huge winning streak meaning a loss is overdue

In other words if they pull out a win, you can officially say this team is the real deal. Special.

[awktalk]

I would like to see what Tiago can do against Dirk. He has the mobility and length.

NOT this. Splitter may officially be 6'11" but until he bulks up with some muscle, he will never be able to D-up Dirk. If he gets any minutes on him, his +/- will be negative double digits. Dude plays like he's 6'6" 180lbs. He needs to hit the weight room.

[LeCrab]

NOT this. Splitter may officially be 6'11" but until he bulks up with some muscle, he will never be able to D-up Dirk. If he gets any minutes on him, his +/- will be negative double digits. Dude plays like he's 6'6" 180lbs. He needs to hit the weight room.
lamar odom from team usa says hi

[Vito Corleone]

Now that the cluster; known as Longhorn football is over, I can concentrate on Spurs basketball. Really does it matter if the Spurs win this game, Here is the deal, San Antonio is going to win 40 games, they are going to lose 20 games. All that really matters is what they do with that other 22 games in their schedule.

My hope is they will protect their home floor, win the ones they are supposed to, and snag a couple they are supposed to lose.

All that matters is that they continue to build on their great start with good team work.

[mystargtr34]

NOT this. Splitter may officially be 6'11" but until he bulks up with some muscle, he will never be able to D-up Dirk. If he gets any minutes on him, his +/- will be negative double digits. Dude plays like he's 6'6" 180lbs. He needs to hit the weight room.

So he needs to get stronger to guard Dirk? In what way will Dirk exploit Tiago's size?

[Rapper]

Big game

[Gutter92]

we lose by 10+ this game and that one dude gets to keep his testicles

[Cry Havoc]

I'd really like to see Tiago on Dirk. He's young and has the speed to stay with him, and his length will give Dirk all kinds of problems shooting.


NOT this. Splitter may officially be 6'11" but until he bulks up with some muscle, he will never be able to D-up Dirk. If he gets any minutes on him, his +/- will be negative double digits. Dude plays like he's 6'6" 180lbs. He needs to hit the weight room.

Yeah, cause Dirk is SUCH a banger. You put someone who's 6'6" 180 pounds on Dirk and what does he do? Shoot fallaway jumpers from the free throw area. :rolleyes I love Dirk's offensive prowess but strength is NOT what's required to defend him. Athleticism and length give him far more problems than size. Tayshaun Prince in his prime would have been the ultimate nightmare for Dirk.

[Texas Chili Dog]

And to think Tim Duncan isn't even scoring very much, but yet, Spurs are still dominating.


It's been just the opposite for the Mavs, at least lately. Dirk is scoring points from all over the place, while the rest of the team is slacking for the most part. Hell, Dirk had 42 of the team's 88 points vs the Pistons on Tuesday. He's coming into this game on fire, so hopefully for us that continues.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, Spurs fans. :toast

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

I'd really like to see Tiago on Dirk. He's young and has the speed to stay with him, and his length will give Dirk all kinds of problems shooting.



Yeah, cause Dirk is SUCH a banger. You put someone who's 6'6" 180 pounds on Dirk and what does he do? Shoot fallaway jumpers from the free throw area. :rolleyes I love Dirk's offensive prowess but strength is NOT what's required to defend him. Athleticism and length give him far more problems than size. Tayshaun Prince in his prime would have been the ultimate nightmare for Dirk.

Nobody in this league can guard Dirty dummy, but you think all of a sudden whatever splitner can ???????????? ok............:lol

[Cry Havoc]

Nobody in this league can guard Dirty dummy, but you think all of a sudden whatever splitner can ???????????? ok............:lol

The Warriors did a pretty good job of it with SGs and SFs, or have you forgotten?

[Lukor]

The Warriors did a pretty good job of it with SGs and SFs, or have you forgotten?

Dirk has much less problems with smaller players nowadays.He has refined his offensive game.Idk why there's even a discussion about this,just let Dirk get his and shut down the rest of the Mavs.It worked for the Spurs in the playoffs.

[Sean Cagney]

Dirk has much less problems with smaller players nowadays.He has refined his offensive game.Idk why there's even a discussion about this,just let Dirk get his and shut down the rest of the Mavs.It worked for the Spurs in the playoffs.

This is true here too....

[ezau]

Why the hell is everyone so worried about Chandler? Splitter destroyed that piece of shit in this year's Worlds.

[Mr.Robinson]

I see the refs playin a big part in this game. I expect Dirk to get at least 12 free throws. Anything to slow down the Spurs. But it wont work.
Duncan will have a big game. I see him playing at 100% this game. Manu will be the reason The Spurs win. He will take over in the fourth. He is Mr.Fourth Quarter.
This is the game Hill makes a comeback. He killed against the Mavs in the post season.

[Bruno]

Spurs/Mavs game are always fun even if both teams aren't true contenders anymore.

I've watched some Mavs games this year and they are still damn good. Dirk is great and Chandler/Haywood anchor the defense. They biggest weakness is the lack of a legit second offensive option behind Dirk.

[Spursmania]

Why the hell is everyone so worried about Chandler? Splitter destroyed that piece of shit in this year's Worlds.


Great point there. I didn't see any of the worlds. But if that's true, my concern of Pop not playing Tiago may go out the window. Videos anyone?

[shelshor]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Fri. Nov. 26
Dallas @ San Antonio: Dan Crawford; Curtis Blair; Matt Boland

[duncan228]

Advanced Scouting: Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/advanced-scouting-dallas-mavericks-san-antonio-spurs)
by Scott Sereday
48 Minutes of Hell

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/advanced-scouting-dallas-mavericks-san-antonio-spurs

[sefant77]

The Warriors did a pretty good job of it with SGs and SFs, or have you forgotten?

It was double and triple teams with smaller players, not one single SG or SF :rolleyes

And they were able to do that because the rest of the Mavs were bricking like shit.

[duncan228]

Inside Report: Mavericks-Spurs preview -- Sparring with the Spurs (http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/inside_report_mavericks_spurs_preview_sparring_wit h_the_spurs_2010_11_25.html)
By Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com

SAN ANTONIO -- The Mavericks would like nothing more than to end the Spurs' current 12-game winning streak with a road victory on the hardwood at the AT&T Center.

After all, the Spurs (13-1) are the same squad that ended the Mavericks' 2009-10 season with a first-round playoff series defeat in six games.

Friday night, the Mavericks (10-4) enter the Spurs' home arena hoping for a bit of revenge, while also looking to bring an end to the Southwest Division foe's best start in franchise history. The veteran-led Mavs also come into the early-season divisional matchup on a hot streak of their own, winning three straight showdowns including a thrilling come-from-behind 111-103 victory in Oklahoma City Wednesday night.

"This team has a bunch of veterans who compete," forward Dirk Nowitzki said, coming off a 34-point effort in the Mavs' most recent win.

Though many of the same faces remain as the Mavericks enter the same arena where their season ended just about six months ago, coach Rick Carlisle says that this year's team is much different than any other he's instructed from the sidelines during his tenure in Dallas.

"The thing that I like about this team is that this is the tightest-knit team since I've been here," Carlisle said after the win in Oklahoma City. "These guys are really close. They never quit on a game. They never quit on a situation. They keep encouraging each other, and we just look for good things to happen."

The closeness of the team and never-say-die demeanor has been on full display during the first two games of a four-games-in-five-nights stretch. The same can be said for the Mavericks' play on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, as the team battled back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to run its record to 5-1 away from Big D.

"One, it's (Carlisle's) personality," sixth man Jason Terry said, crediting his head coach for the on-the-court unity.

"He preaches togetherness regardless of all or any situation," the guard added. "He's always talking about it in shootaround, in practice, pre-game, and I think that's why on the road we're so good."

And Carlisle adds that the team has taken heed to his message, remaining together during the ups and downs of an 82-game season.

"So much of (the team's success) has to do with our efficiency and how we're tied together as a group," Carlisle said.

But now the team collectively faces a new challenge, playing a Spurs squad that's the hottest team in the NBA, leading the division by two games over the New Orleans Hornets and three games ahead of the Mavs.

Still, the Mavericks need no more motivation than to look back to last season's playoff run, when the No. 2-seeded Dallas team fell to a seventh-seeded Spurs squad.

"We had a good run (last season), finished second in the West and then happened to run into a team that's very experienced and was healthy at the right time," Nowitzki said when reminiscing on the playoff defeat.

"I think we'd all agree that if they had stayed healthy the whole year, they wouldn't have been in seventh. We happened to run into them and they played very smart. And when two teams are very close, sometimes just a couple of possessions we weren't smart enough, made some mistakes defensively and that hurt us," the 7-footer explained.

But this season, the Mavericks are one of the top defensive squads in the entire league. And with the addition of center Tyson Chandler, the Mavericks are more equipped to defend the Spurs' Big Three of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

Chandler has also given the Mavericks an offensive punch inside, and the big man is coming off a season-high 17 points and 18 rebounds against Oklahoma City.

"(Wednesday night) was a great example of what he's meant to our team," Carlisle said of Chandler’s play. "Creating possessions for us by just outworking people inside, and he got a lot done around the basket scoring the ball, too. He was great."

"I wanted to make an effort of getting out there, bringing energy, running and making sure that guys are sprinting ahead with me," Chandler explained. "Because of that, we were able to get a lot of activity around the rim."

Now, with the 7-foot-1 new addition coming off his best game in a Dallas uniform, the vengeful Mavericks head into the city by the Riverwalk with nothing short of a win on their minds. But they know it won't be easy.

"It's huge, it's huge for us," Chandler said. "We know that in this league it's tough to get wins and it's very tough to get wins against good opponents...You've always got to have a little extra motivation."

Returning to the scene where last season ended and getting a win should serve as plenty of motivation.

[duncan228]

Chandler’s arrival has toughened Mavs inside (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/26/chandlers-arrival-has-toughened-mavs-inside/)
Tim Griffin

...“He makes a big difference for them inside,” McDyess said. “He’s a heck of a shot blocker and an athlete. I think he adds a defensive presence they always needed.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/26/chandlers-arrival-has-toughened-mavs-inside/

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As usual, Spurs expect extra intensity when Mavs visit (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/26/as-usual-spurs-expect-extra-intensity-when-mavs-visit/)
Tim Griffin

...“I guess there is because they are a Texas team,” Spurs forward Antonio McDyess said. “It was my first time to experience it last year. I saw the difference in intensity on the court in the whole game. Every game seemed like a playoff game to me.”

...“It’s a rivalry,” Spurs guard George Hill said. “Any time Dallas or Houston comes to town, the fans are a little rowdier. It’s just like if the Lakers came in. The fans are (excited) and we are a little hyped-up to show we’re the best of Texas.”

...“It’s definitely on after last year,” McDyess said. “With our record, they definitely want to take the throne from us. We’ve won 12 in a row, so they definitely want to break that streak. It’s going to be a tough game. They always come in here and play us hard. We’re expecting that.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/26/as-usual-spurs-expect-extra-intensity-when-mavs-visit/