That Mavericks Series..

[TheDarkSide.]

Of course i'm still celebrating 5! but this being the toughest series and in the back of my mind..what exactly took us to 7? Was it Carlisle and mavs shooters? Spurs playing "lackadaisical"? Or Kawhi and the bench being passive? Your thoughts.

[spursparker9]

Dallas's defensive strategy that took out the bench scoring and forcing the big 3 to score.

[tmtcsc]

Classic case of taking your opponent for granted. We own the Mavs and everyone knows it, including both teams. The only problem was that they didn't just lie down and die like they were supposed to. It should have been a sweep but the Spurs came out playing as if Round 2 was on their minds and completely disrespected the fact that the Mavs have some talented players on their team.

Dirk was a non-factor for the most part and Vince hit some big shots. If it was played all over again, Spurs sweep.

[Spurs21Fan4Ever]

Pop's rotations and putting Leonard on Ellis instead of Green. Plus Dallas shot flukishly well.

[Emperor]

Should of never went 7 games but it sure did light a fire underneath the Spurs ass so in a way i guess it was good.

[tmtcsc]

Dallas's defensive strategy that took out the bench scoring and forcing the big 3 to score.

I don't agree. I know that theory was being thrown around in the press but our bench and our starters just didn't come to play until it was winning time. The Mavs? C'mon.

[spursparker9]

Pop's rotations and putting Leonard on Ellis instead of Green. Plus Dallas shot flukishly well.

Kawhi seems to have trouble guarding point guards.

Beside Ellis, Westbrook also had his way against Kawhi.

[TheDarkSide.]

I just agree. I know that theory was being thrown around in the press but our bench and our starters just didn't come to play until it was winning time. The Mavs? C'mon.

assuming you meant 'just DON'T agree' Im feeling the same way, seemed pop could've done some adjusting but knew his team just had to get over some jitters and re-focus albeit the hard way.

[Mikeanaro]

Refs helped Mavs enough to steal 2 games they were too physical but no whistles, also Spurs had a slow playoff start if the Miami series was their ¨peak¨...Dallas was their ¨puke¨.

[ViceCity84]

Only team that had depth to match the Spurs and Mavs bench outplayed Spurs bench 1st part of the series.
But when it came to game 7 for all the marbles,the champions rose and pretenders fell hard.

[spursparker9]

Blair was playing well too.

[BatManu20]

Carter's epic travel did.


http://youtu.be/KEtfNM4bcGc

[ThePop]

In reality that series was a miracle shot from being over in 5 games. Mavs played tough but this discussion would be different if it was a 5 game series.

[Baynes]

against OKC was the TOUGHEST series tbh

[Darkwaters]

against OKC was the TOUGHEST series tbh

Agreed. They weren't the second best team in the regular season (behind only the Spurs) without reason. Plus the Ibaka injury was beneficial during the first couple of games. Although, I'm not claiming that that injury changed the eventual outcome of the series.

[florige]

Agreed. They weren't the second best team in the regular season (behind only the Spurs) without reason. Plus the Ibaka injury was beneficial during the first couple of games. Although, I'm not claiming that that injury changed the eventual outcome of the series.

Im glad Ibaka came back, and played good. Our run would had been tarnished had we destroyed OKC without a effective Ibaka.

[Spur|n|Austin]

Rick Carlisle.

[100%duncan]

Rick Carlisle.

[tmtcsc]

assuming you meant 'just DON'T agree' Im feeling the same way, seemed pop could've done some adjusting but knew his team just had to get over some jitters and re-focus albeit the hard way.

Yes, should have read "I don't agree".

[KaiRMD1]

They weren't what the Lakers were last year or the Jazz the year before. They were like the Grizzlies, they were hungry for it but the Spurs woke up at the right time and realized these ol' sports weren't going to be a test round for us.

[spursparker9]

The Mavs definitely surprised me, considered that they were swept 0-4 in the regular reason.

[NickiRasgo]

You also have to consider that Mavs is in momentum before ending the NBA 2013-2014 Regular Seasonas they battling it out with the Grizzlies and Suns for a Playoffs seed while the Spurs is "resting" as the NBA 2013-2014 Regular Season ends. It's also nice that the Spurs peak at the right time. From Mavs Game 7 up to NBA Finals though their first 2 games in the NBA Finals was just ok.

[Mel_13]

Carlisle did a great job. Carter hit an amazing shot.

[Brunodf]

Spurs played like shit for 6 games, Splitter was our best player, Pop was outcoached, Tony was about to be father at any moment, Dallas made every fluke shot they could...

Basically: everything went wrong

[smaka]

But it was a nice wake up series for the Spurs. From Game 7 on, basically everything went Spurs way.

[TampaDude]

Bah...it's over in 5 if VC doesn't hit that bullshit shot.

[chazley]

Yeah, the VC shot made this series look way closer than it actually was. Luckily, that Game 7 was the start of one of the most dominant runs in NBA postseason history, so thank you Rick Carlisle.

[Warlord23]

A combination of things that went well for the Mavs ... Carlisle giving the Spurs a different look on defense that they took a while to get adjusted to, Carter turning back the clock and playing at a high level, a ridiculous game-winner, Devin Harris playing like an all-star, Blair's fat ass outplaying the Spurs' frontcourt in stretches, etc.

Agree that this series woke up the Spurs and set them up for a dominant run. Had the Spurs coasted through the first 2 rounds and been challenged for the first time by OKC, they might not have had the luxury of losing a winnable game or two and still win the series.

[soxxx]

I was definitely concerned when the Mavs got up 2-1. Historically, when a team is up 2-1, they tend to win the series. That game 4 in Dallas was big, had we lost that it would have been over.

Look at game 4, the Spurs blew a 20 pt lead and the Mavs had a chance on the final possession to take a 3-1 series lead.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn4FBIpe6c4

Would have been a damn shame had they won.

[bigfan]

Carlisle did a great job. Carter hit an amazing shot.

This

[spurspokesman]

Carlisle did a great job. Carter hit an amazing shot.

[Strategic]

The ghost of Jason terry.

[spursparker9]

The ghost of Jason terry.

The ghost of Avery Johnson too

[21209]

Very well could have lost this series if not for Dejuan kicking Tiago in the head.

[mavsfan1000]

Very well could have lost this series if not for Dejuan kicking Tiago in the head.
Yep we were hot coming into the playoffs. Spurs survived a scare.

[spursparker9]

Very well could have lost this series if not for Dejuan kicking Tiago in the head.

Dejuan was owning Timmy with his floater tbh.

And even managed to stop Tony.

[TampaDude]

Very well could have lost this series if not for Dejuan kicking Tiago in the head.

Sometimes shit like that is all the luck you need to get through to the title. Remember this little gem?

lnSxGriD6GA

:hat

[Johnny RIngo]

http://s29.postimg.org/k3ddrctvr/spurs_mavs.jpg

Stats seem to indicate that the Spurs outplayed them every game except for the game 2 blowout loss. Seems like we should have beaten them in five.

[spursparker9]

Sometimes shit like that is all the luck you need to get through to the title. Remember this little gem?

lnSxGriD6GA

:hat

:lol Play of the entire playoffs, tbh.

That series was the actual championship series. Utah and Cleveland were jokes.

[TampaDude]

:lol Play of the entire playoffs, tbh.

That series was the actual championship series. Utah and Cleveland were jokes.

Yup...I've been saying for 7 years now that Horry's hipcheck of Nash was the defining moment of the 2007 playoffs.

The suspensions of Stoudemire and Diaw completely squashed any momentum the Suns got by stealing Game 4. That one play changed everything. :toast

[cd021]

Kawhi seems to have trouble guarding point guards.

Beside Ellis, Westbrook also had his way against Kawhi.

definitely better as an off ball defender. Green is the on ball defender.

[cd021]

Yup...I've been saying for 7 years now that Horry's hipcheck of Nash was the defining moment of the 2007 playoffs.

The suspensions of Stoudemire and Diaw completely squashed any momentum the Suns got by stealing Game 4. That one play changed everything. :toast

A bit overstated, people forget that in the following game, Phoenix lead by 17 points entering the 4th quarter but blew an massive lead at home.

[TampaDude]

A bit overstated, people forget that in the following game, Phoenix lead by 17 points entering the 4th quarter but blew an massive lead at home.

That's what happens when you're shorthanded and/or gassed. 2008 WCF Game 1 says hi. :lol

[tmtcsc]

7 years later and I still don't see the big deal here. Spurs needed to foul first of all, Horry may have hip-checked Nash but Nash took it a step further and went all soccer style injury on everyone. I'm probably one of the few people that think we would have one on the road anyways. HOrry was suspended right? Didn't we take 3 games in Phoenix that series?

[Mel_13]

A bit overstated, people forget that in the following game, Phoenix lead by 17 points entering the 4th quarter but blew an massive lead at home.

Max lead was 16 points in the second quarter. It was a six point game at the end of the third.

[TampaDude]

Max lead was 16 points in the second quarter. It was a six point game at the end of the third.

Yup...I just checked that game myself, and you're right. We trailed by 11 at halftime, and then we started bombing 3s like a mofo in the second half just to win by 3.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=270516021

I don't think we win Game 5 if the Suns are at full strength.

[Mel_13]

Yup...I just checked that game myself, and you're right. We only trailed by 11 at halftime, and then we started bombing 3s like a mofo in the second half just to win by 3. I don't think we win Game 5 if the Suns are at full strength.

Championships are hard to come by. That's why I never pay much attention to the "we could/should have more titles". There were Robert Horry moments(two Game 5 shots, one miss and one make) in 2003 and 2005 that could have easily gone the other way and we'd be like Portland, talking about that one time our team won a championship.

[tmtcsc]

Maybe not but I think we come back to Phoenix for game 7. The most improbable Game 7 win the Spurs pulled off was against Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler and David West in New Orleans. That was a great win. Showed some guts in that one. I can't give those soft Phoenix teams any credit, they don't deserve it and they were mental midgets too.

[TampaDude]

Championships are hard to come by. That's why I never pay much attention to the "we could/should have more titles". There were Robert Horry moments(two Game 5 shots, one miss and one make) in 2003 and 2005 that could have easily gone the other way and we'd be like Portland, talking about that one time our team won a championship.

Yup...just look at last year. It's not over until it's over. Both teams are getting paid. Both teams want to win. Be thankful for what you have and don't sweat the "what ifs". :toast

[Mel_13]

Yup...just look at last year. It's not over until it's over. Both teams are getting paid. Both teams want to win. Be thankful for what you have and don't sweat the "what ifs". :toast

Exactly.

Post-Jordan championships:

Spurs: 5
Lakers: 5
Heat: 3
Pistons: 1
Celtics: 1
Mavs: 1
24 other franchises: tied with zero

[TampaDude]

Exactly.

Post-Jordan championships:

Spurs: 5
Lakers: 5
Heat: 3
Pistons: 1
Celtics: 1
Mavs: 1
24 other franchises: tied with zero

Ahhh...nothing like a little perspective... :toast

[cd021]

Max lead was 16 points in the second quarter. It was a six point game at the end of the third.

I must have gotten the game confused then, I could have swearn that we were down at one point against the Suns by as much as that.

[cd021]

That's what happens when you're shorthanded and/or gassed. 2008 WCF Game 1 says hi. :lol

I stand corrected. That Lakers game 1 loss was definitely a product of the game 7, but having our arch rivals down by 20 at home and coughing the game away is still pretty bad.

[Mel_13]

I must have gotten the game confused then, I could have swearn that we were down at one point against the Suns by as much as that.

Yeah, it's not like I knew the score off the top of my head. Had to look it up, of course.

[Strategic]

Spurs needed to foul first of all, Horry may have hip-checked Nash but Nash took it a step further and went all soccer style injury on everyone.
This

[King]

The Spurs had been coasting since the RRT and the Mavs had essentially been in win-or-go-home mode for the past two months. It just took lighting a fire under them.

[Old School 44]

Carlisle. Spurs looking past the first round. Nice series by Monta. Veterans on the team, guys who have seen enough of the Spurs like Dirk, Marion, Vince and Devin Harris. A little Spurs corporate knowledge and emotional chip from Blair.

[TampaDude]

I stand corrected. That Lakers game 1 loss was definitely a product of the game 7, but having our arch rivals down by 20 at home and coughing the game away is still pretty bad.

You know what? That Game 1 was in LA. It was the "broken plane" game, remember? The Spurs had to spend the night on the plane then fly to LA the next day. No wonder they got gassed. :bang

[BuzzerBeater]

Matched up pretty well.

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q266/andygamezusa/SpursMavsefficiencyratings_zpsf204f415.jpg

[scramby eggs]

Pop's rotations and putting Leonard on Ellis instead of Green. Plus Dallas shot flukishly well.

Yep

[wildchild]

Carlisle is probably the second best coach in the league, his defensive schemes had taken all Spurs players out of their rhythm...


Beside Ellis, Westbrook also had his way against Kawhi
The best Pop adjustments in game 5 against OKC were put Leonard on Westbrook to prevent the 1-3 pick and roll, and change the starting lineup.
Kawhi was great defensively those last two games, he didn't allow Westbrook get many looks in paint -holding him to only 2 shots at the rim in game 5- and made him work for every point.

[TampaDude]

Carlisle is probably the second best coach in the league, his defensive schemes had taken all Spurs players out of their rhythm...


The best Pop adjustments in game 5 against OKC were put Leonard on Westbrook to prevent the 1-3 pick and roll, and change the starting lineup.
Kawhi was great defensively those last two games, he didn't allow Westbrook get many looks in paint -holding him to only 2 shots at the rim in game 5- and made him work for every point.

Kawhi was great on both ends of the floor in the Finals against Miami this year, but the key, IMHO, was Pop starting Diaw in Games 3, 4, and 5. The Heat had no answer for that.

[UZER]

Never had an ounce of doubt about mavs series. Even if it went 7, even with Carter's shot.

OKC, was definitely worried. Confident, but worried.