Clutch20
05-08-2006, 10:11 AM
Here are some interesting quotes made by Mav players as posted by Ft. Worth's Star-Telegram. The Star-Telegram seems to be at odds with the DallasMorningNews and never misses an opportunity to take a dig at Mark Cuban's hometown newspaper!
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/14527702.htm
Star search
By JEFF CAPLAN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Star-Telegram/Jeffrey Washington
SAN ANTONIO -- Constructed better than ever to clamp down in tight playoff games, the Mavs found themselves in position to win a grueling Game 1, yet still wound up one defensive stop short of the defending champions.
Bruce Bowen hit the pivotal 3-pointer with 2:14 left to put the Spurs ahead for good and his aggressive defense on Dirk Nowitzki extended to the Mavs' failed final attempt.
The supposedly travel-weary Spurs, who had just 36 hours to regroup after knocking out the Kings in Sacramento on Friday night, never wilted.
Instead, Tim Duncan scored 31 points, the Spurs rallied from eight down in the third quarter and defensively choked off the Mavs in the final 4:08 to grab a 1-0 series lead with an 87-85 victory in front of 18,797 at AT&T Center.
"They deserved to win," Mavs coach Avery Johnson said. "We're disappointed that we lost, we make no excuses and we'll get back to practice and look to bounce back in the next game."
Game 2 is in San Antonio on Tuesday night.
Tied at 84-84 with 3:28 to play, the Mavs missed their last five shot attempts and managed to hit just two of four free throws.
The Spurs' only bucket in that span, Bowen's bomb, came off a tipped rebound that left the Mavs out of position.
"When Bruce hit that 3, that was it," the Mavs Josh Howard said. "We need to get the loose balls, the rebounds."
With 13.9 seconds left and going for the tie, Nowitzki stumbled as he tried to dribble around Bowen. His deflected pass ended up in Jerry Stackhouse's hands, but his contested 3 as the clock expired had no chance.
"If it somehow had a little more on it, then maybe we have a whole different feeling than we have right now," Stackhouse said. "We felt like we came in here with the right attitude and the right energy. We just had a few mental mistakes in the end."
But, the game was really lost at the free-throw line where the Mavs hit 19 of 28 (67.9 percent), while the Spurs, a poor foul shooting team this season, made 22 of 30 (73.3 percent).
Stackhouse, Howard and Nowitzki fueled the Mavs in an energetic first half. The three combined for 40 points as Dallas led 52-46 at halftime. Stackhouse finished with a team-high 24 points and was the only consistent Mavs scorer in the second half.
Howard's aggressive first-half penetrations dissipated and Nowitzki found no room to operate against Bowen, uncharacteristically throwing up three airballs.
Howard scored just three points in the second half, Jason Terry struggled and Nowitzki finished with a 2006 playoff-low 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting, 3-of-11 in the second half.
"I'm not going to get any open looks in the series, I already know that," Nowitzki said. "I had some good shots in the first half that I made. I have to make them in the second half when it counts."
Duncan scored 20 points in the opening 18 minutes and saddled Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop with two fouls each in the first quarter.
The Mavs scored 29 points in the first quarter and led for nearly all of the second and third quarters before Duncan made it 73-72 in the fourth. That's when the typical Spurs defense outdid the Mavs' improving defense, holding Dallas to 13 points in the quarter.
"You should want their defense to get better," Johnson said, "and accept that more as a challenge, and we just didn't get it done."
RESTED ENOUGH
The Spurs never showed any signs of being tired after the quick turnaround, even leading by as many as five points in the first quarter.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
The Mavs thought Game 1 on the Spurs' home court was there for the taking. But they didn't close out the deal, missing their last seven field-goal attempts.
DUNCAN-ESQUE
Don't tell the Mavs that Tim Duncan hasn't been playing like himself this year. He once again came through against the Mavs, scoring 31 points in 41 minutes.
Jeff Caplan, (817) 390-7760 [email protected]
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/14527702.htm
Star search
By JEFF CAPLAN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Star-Telegram/Jeffrey Washington
SAN ANTONIO -- Constructed better than ever to clamp down in tight playoff games, the Mavs found themselves in position to win a grueling Game 1, yet still wound up one defensive stop short of the defending champions.
Bruce Bowen hit the pivotal 3-pointer with 2:14 left to put the Spurs ahead for good and his aggressive defense on Dirk Nowitzki extended to the Mavs' failed final attempt.
The supposedly travel-weary Spurs, who had just 36 hours to regroup after knocking out the Kings in Sacramento on Friday night, never wilted.
Instead, Tim Duncan scored 31 points, the Spurs rallied from eight down in the third quarter and defensively choked off the Mavs in the final 4:08 to grab a 1-0 series lead with an 87-85 victory in front of 18,797 at AT&T Center.
"They deserved to win," Mavs coach Avery Johnson said. "We're disappointed that we lost, we make no excuses and we'll get back to practice and look to bounce back in the next game."
Game 2 is in San Antonio on Tuesday night.
Tied at 84-84 with 3:28 to play, the Mavs missed their last five shot attempts and managed to hit just two of four free throws.
The Spurs' only bucket in that span, Bowen's bomb, came off a tipped rebound that left the Mavs out of position.
"When Bruce hit that 3, that was it," the Mavs Josh Howard said. "We need to get the loose balls, the rebounds."
With 13.9 seconds left and going for the tie, Nowitzki stumbled as he tried to dribble around Bowen. His deflected pass ended up in Jerry Stackhouse's hands, but his contested 3 as the clock expired had no chance.
"If it somehow had a little more on it, then maybe we have a whole different feeling than we have right now," Stackhouse said. "We felt like we came in here with the right attitude and the right energy. We just had a few mental mistakes in the end."
But, the game was really lost at the free-throw line where the Mavs hit 19 of 28 (67.9 percent), while the Spurs, a poor foul shooting team this season, made 22 of 30 (73.3 percent).
Stackhouse, Howard and Nowitzki fueled the Mavs in an energetic first half. The three combined for 40 points as Dallas led 52-46 at halftime. Stackhouse finished with a team-high 24 points and was the only consistent Mavs scorer in the second half.
Howard's aggressive first-half penetrations dissipated and Nowitzki found no room to operate against Bowen, uncharacteristically throwing up three airballs.
Howard scored just three points in the second half, Jason Terry struggled and Nowitzki finished with a 2006 playoff-low 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting, 3-of-11 in the second half.
"I'm not going to get any open looks in the series, I already know that," Nowitzki said. "I had some good shots in the first half that I made. I have to make them in the second half when it counts."
Duncan scored 20 points in the opening 18 minutes and saddled Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop with two fouls each in the first quarter.
The Mavs scored 29 points in the first quarter and led for nearly all of the second and third quarters before Duncan made it 73-72 in the fourth. That's when the typical Spurs defense outdid the Mavs' improving defense, holding Dallas to 13 points in the quarter.
"You should want their defense to get better," Johnson said, "and accept that more as a challenge, and we just didn't get it done."
RESTED ENOUGH
The Spurs never showed any signs of being tired after the quick turnaround, even leading by as many as five points in the first quarter.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
The Mavs thought Game 1 on the Spurs' home court was there for the taking. But they didn't close out the deal, missing their last seven field-goal attempts.
DUNCAN-ESQUE
Don't tell the Mavs that Tim Duncan hasn't been playing like himself this year. He once again came through against the Mavs, scoring 31 points in 41 minutes.
Jeff Caplan, (817) 390-7760 [email protected]