Pressure is starting to return to the Mavs

[Mavs<Spurs]

Momentum may be making a move towards the Spurs.

While a game 6 loss eliminates the Spurs, they have faced pressure situations before, including elimination game. With the championship experience that Parker, Manu, Bruce, Tim and Robert have, the Spurs will be more accustomed to delivering under pressure.

From game 5 to game 6, a shift in pressure is starting to take place. In game 5, momentum was clearly on the Mavs side since they had won 3 straight. The Spurs were already facing elimination in game 5. So, there is no increase in pressure for the Spurs. They had to win game 5 or go fishing which is exactly the same situation for game 6. So, the Spurs face no increased pressure.

On the other hand, a shift in pressure does take place for the Mavs. They know that if they do not win it at home, the Spurs will rightly be favored to win game 7 and the series. If game 7 takes place, they will have lost 2 straight games and will be facing the Spurs, the defending world champs, in San Antonio having blown a 3-1 advantage. If it is a close game in the 4th quarter, they will feel more and more pressure because of the consequences of losing game 6.

[BgT]

You are right, Mavs, Stern and refs are facing some increased pressure in Game 6. It will be the toughest game for Spurs to win. And that means a lot considering Game 4.

[efrem1]

Win game 6 and the rout is on in Game 7. Blowout City as Dickie V used to say.

[Mavs<Spurs]

You are right, Mavs, Stern and refs are facing some increased pressure in Game 6. It will be the toughest game for Spurs to win. And that means a lot considering Game 4.


Good thing that Tim and the Spurs > Stern + refs + Mavs

Spurs in 7.

[Parker 09]

Here is an interesting stat i found. Since TD in every year the spurs have won the championship they have been elimintated at the first possible chance.
So any game they were down 3 something they lost unless they won the championship that year.
Well that was a game we could of been eliminated and we are still here, its food for thought

[GermationSensation]

Uh, if a game 7 comes up and that adds pressure to the Mavs because they'd have lost 3 straight how the hell does being down 3-1 after losing 3 straight not add more pressure to the Spurs?

Anyways, tonights game was just another close game that could have gone either way and Dirk had a great chance to win it at the end if he'd known he had enough time to catch it and put it back. Spurs for the 3rd straight game played the best game they could play and still only won by one. The Mavs know they will be the ones getting the home cooking calls and breaks in game 6, just like the Spurs did tonight and Dallas did in games 3-4. They've beaten the Spurs 2 times in Dallas already this postseason and SA is still the team that's one loss away from going home. If Dallas loses game 6 then yea all the pressure is on them but right now? They aren't the ones who have to go on the road and do something they haven't done this series: win.

[2centsworth]

Uh, if a game 7 comes up and that adds pressure to the Mavs because they'd have lost 3 straight how the hell does being down 3-1 after losing 3 straight not add more pressure to the Spurs?

Anyways, tonights game was just another close game that could have gone either way and Dirk had a great chance to win it at the end if he'd known he had enough time to catch it and put it back. Spurs for the 3rd straight game played the best game they could play and still only won by one. The Mavs know they will be the ones getting the home cooking calls and breaks in game 6, just like the Spurs did tonight and Dallas did in games 3-4. They've beaten the Spurs 2 times in Dallas already this postseason and SA is still the team that's one loss away from going home. If Dallas loses game 6 then yea all the pressure is on them but right now? They aren't the ones who have to go on the road and do something they haven't done this series: win.
Dallas has earned my respect. However, every year the spurs play these kind of games. Must wins with high stakes involved. Spurs won't tighten, but there's a very good chance the Mavs will. Especially since they are mostly a jumpshooting team. That rim shrinks under pressure, but we'll see. Their coach was as clutch as they came.

[BgT]

Spurs for the 3rd straight game played the best game they could play and still only won by one.
That's one of the most idiotic statements I've read here in last few days. It can be written only by a Mavs fan. Why? Because only a Mavs fan thinks that basketball = offense. Spurs fans know that basketball = offense + defense.

[GermationSensation]

That's one of the most idiotic statements I've read here in last few days. It can be written only by a Mavs fan. Why? Because only a Mavs fan thinks that basketball = offense. Spurs fans know that basketball = offense + defense.

Uh, against the Mavericks you aren't going to be seeing traditional Spurs defense, which is why Pop has went to small ball, genius. The last 3 games the Spurs have executed Pops plan perfectly, that was the point. Please direct me to where I said anything about basketball = offense. Reading comprehension is fun, try it some time.

[BgT]

Uh, against the Mavericks you aren't going to be seeing traditional Spurs defense, which is why Pop has went to small ball, genius. The last 3 games the Spurs have executed Pops plan perfectly, that was the point. Please direct me to where I said anything about basketball = offense. Reading comprehension is fun, try it some time.
Pop is playing small ball, coz he's getting old. We played almost NO defense, that's why your statement about the perfect game is so idiotic. :lol

[SPARKY]

The air's getting thinner...

[GermationSensation]

Pop is playing small ball, coz he's getting old. We played almost NO defense, that's why your statement about the perfect game is so idiotic. :lol

And again, you are simply missing the point. Of course if you're going by typical NBA standards allowing such a high FG % and almost 100 points isn't typical Spurs basketball but this series isn't typical Spurs basketball and it isn't supposed to be. Shit it isn't rocket science.

[Tigole Bitties]

Um... "the best game they could play" would mean a game where they hit all their free throws (missed 9 last night), grabbed some damn rebounds (Bowen losing a board to Devin fucking Harris?), and didn't give up easy layups down the lane.

Go sing your David Hasselhoff tunes in the shower, Krautboy

[SPARKY]

They won, but they didn't. Oh well, here's to hoping they win, but not really on Friday.

[Parkersgirl9]

I don't know if the Spurs are playing the best they can play right now. It seems like they are just trying to beat the Mavs at thier own pace....

[4001 STEREO SPUR]

Yeah I would concur. There's some pressure building up in Little Big D.

SPURS need to take advantage fo sure!

[mouse]

After the end of the first quarter and the score is 22-15 Mavs? I don't think there will be any pressure left :smokin

[4001 STEREO SPUR]

Yeah, but you're living on Fantasy Isalnd!

[Tonto]

pale face spurs win game 6 or tonto put moccasin deep in coach pops ass



go pale face spurs go
http://www.keyway.ca/jpg/tonto.jpg

[SPARKY]

Things are different when you're no longer the hunter.

Pressure's on.

[strangeweather]

Dallas has earned my respect. However, every year the spurs play these kind of games. Must wins with high stakes involved. Spurs won't tighten, but there's a very good chance the Mavs will. Especially since they are mostly a jumpshooting team. That rim shrinks under pressure, but we'll see. Their coach was as clutch as they came.

Uh, you've been watching the games, right?

[mando6599]

Uh, if a game 7 comes up and that adds pressure to the Mavs because they'd have lost 3 straight how the hell does being down 3-1 after losing 3 straight not add more pressure to the Spurs?

Anyways, tonights game was just another close game that could have gone either way and Dirk had a great chance to win it at the end if he'd known he had enough time to catch it and put it back. Spurs for the 3rd straight game played the best game they could play and still only won by one. The Mavs know they will be the ones getting the home cooking calls and breaks in game 6, just like the Spurs did tonight and Dallas did in games 3-4. They've beaten the Spurs 2 times in Dallas already this postseason and SA is still the team that's one loss away from going home. If Dallas loses game 6 then yea all the pressure is on them but right now? They aren't the ones who have to go on the road and do something they haven't done this series: win.

"Home cooking calls"?? Way to rely on the refs bailing you out again. That's a terrible mantra for any team, Spurs included. Why do we as fans feel that b/c we're home, we should get better whistles for our team? Just go out and play aggressive on both ends of the court and let the chips fall where they may. Like Kenny and Charles said after Game 4, MVP type players such as Dirk and Tim, or even role players such as Stack or Bruce, should be allowed to make the great plays and not let the refs bail them out, on either end of the court. If an NBA game is called as fairly as possible(and that's saying a lot), then the players will get to determine the outcome of the game, not the refs and their whistles. That's the way it should be in any sport.

And I feel that Tim, Manu, Bruce, and Tony sometimes expect too many foul calls to go their way and bark at the refs when staying in the game mentally is more important. We've never won a championship b/c of what the refs called or didn't call, but b/c our stars and role players gave their team a chance to win those championships with great plays. That's what either team will need in the next two games for their respective teams to win.

Oh, btw, Spurs in Seven. GSG!

mando6599

[mavsfan1000]

Josh Howard is due for a big game. The mavs have outrebounded the spurs this whole series. All they have to do is shoot the same percentage as the spurs and they win the game.

[Mavs<Spurs]

After the end of the first quarter and the score is 22-15 Mavs? I don't think there will be any pressure left :smokin

Supposition that this situation takes place.

Besides this same team was down 9 in the middle of the third quarter in game 7 against the Pistons in the Finals. Game 5 in a hostile environment we won on the road in the Finals against the Pistons. We were down at the end of the game, in game 5. So, we have dealt with pressure before.

Plus, remember we are talking about a change from game 5 to game 6.
Game 5 was an elimination game. So that threat was present in game 5 as it was in game 6. Hence, the threat is not a change from game 5 to game 6.

[2centsworth]

Josh Howard is due for a big game. The mavs have outrebounded the spurs this whole series. All they have to do is shoot the same percentage as the spurs and they win the game.
if the refs swallow the whisltes in the 4th and Dallas still wins, I will sing their praises and admit they are the better team.

[CubanMustGo]

Supposition that this situation takes place.

Besides this same team was down 9 in the middle of the third quarter in game 7 against the Pistons in the Finals. Game 5 in a hostile environment we won on the road in the Finals against the Pistons. We were down at the end of the game, in game 5. So, we have dealt with pressure before.

Yeah, but last year we had Horry hitting monster 3's. This year? :depressed


Plus, remember we are talking about a change from game 5 to game 6.
Game 5 was an elimination game. So that threat was present in game 5 as it was in game 6. Hence, the threat is not a change from game 5 to game 6.

Well, I agree with this, anyway. Plus SA got the "Timmay has never won a game down 3-1" albatross from around their necks last night, too.

[2centsworth]

Uh, you've been watching the games, right?
Stack, Dirk, and Terry score most of their points from the perimeter.

[SpursWoman]

Uh, against the Mavericks you aren't going to be seeing traditional Spurs defense, which is why Pop has went to small ball, genius. The last 3 games the Spurs have executed Pops plan perfectly, that was the point.

Right. But it was a plan they haven't played all year long...yet still won by 1 point.

Spurs didn't get to 63 wins playing small-ball. They can only get better....



















I hope. :spin

[u2sarajevo]

Hello. I'm a noob so be nice please. :)

(off topic comment.... what's up with the body-part avatars?)

Pressure is squarely on the Mavs. I don't know how anyone could argue differently. And I'm interested to see how they respond. They don't win game 6 at home and they have to try and finish in a Hornets nest. It doesn't get much bigger than that.

This is some fun Basketball.

[strangeweather]

Stack, Dirk, and Terry score most of their points from the perimeter.
Yeah, but the Mavs have been driving the lane pretty effectively for a lot of this series. BS calls or not, Dirk didn't get all those free throws in Games 3 and 4 out on the perimeter.

[FromWayDowntown]

I don't think the Mavs have any particular pressure on them -- they have plenty of reason to believe that they can win Game 6 and that they should win Game 6. And mouse is right -- if the Mavs are up early in Game 6, any pressure that might exist will be substantially eased.

The Spurs are in a position to exert some pressure and I think the Spurs might be able to play a little more freely and loosely now, since they're playing with house money in a sense -- few could honestly believe (though those few are disproportionately in this forum, I think) that they could come back from 1-3; they've staved off elimination when they could have rolled over and died. If they play well and have a lead in the 2nd half on Friday night, things start to get interesting and the pressure on the Mavericks starts to build. Until those things happen, though, I'm not sure the Mavs necessarily feel any pressure.

Get game 6. Then the pressure mounts.

[Spurminator]

We needed to win Game 5 by a significant margin in order to really put the pressure on the Mavs for Friday. I think the Mavs came out of Game 5 pretty confident that they can still impose their will on the Spurs. I was hoping we would win by 20, to perhaps show that we had them figured out somehow.