duncan228
11-15-2007, 11:27 AM
http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/Spurs_advance_111407.html
Champs offer the Mavs a chance to measure up
Art Garcia | Mavs.com
The rivalry may be the best in the NBA. But what does that really mean Thursday night when the defending champion San Antonio Spurs visit American Airlines Center for the first time this season?
The winner isn’t going to be crowned. The loser isn’t going to pack it up. Squeaker or blowout, we’re going to go through this again with the Mavericks trek down to the Alamo City in early December. And two more times after that.
And let’s not get started with Western Conference finals talk.
“It’s easy to focus for those type games,” Jerry Stackhouse said. “Not that we should be getting ahead of ourselves at all, but that’s kind of the way it is.”
Despite injuries, suspension and shuffled lineups, the Mavs come in at 5-2 and 3-0 at home. Dallas has won the last three and four of five against its Southwest Division neighbor.
Just as they’ve been for the last decade, the Spurs (7-1) are a model of consistency. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has employed the same starting lineup for all eight games. The three Spurs averaging in double figures shouldn’t come as a shock – Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“They’re the defending champions, four-time champions, they’re the best in the league,” Mavs coach Avery Johnson said Wednesday after practice. “They’ve been one of the best teams in teams in the league, even during some of the years when they didn’t win a championship.”
He added: “They’re the cut-and-dry favorites. All of us are chasing them. We won’t win a championship tomorrow, but we need to come out physical.”
The Mavs and Spurs are the only two teams in the NBA to win at least 50 in each of the last seven full seasons. Taking the the first two weeks of this season into account, San Antonio is 420-162 since the start of 2000-01. The Mavs are 412-169.
“They’ve been really consistent,” Johnson said of the team he won a title with as a player in 1999. “We just happen to be in that era where we have a chance to see how solid they are.
“A lot of what other teams try to do, they started a lot of it. We knew we had to have a post-up game, for example, because they have a post-up game and you just can’t shoot jump shots.”
Johnson compared this kind of game to his days in San Antonio when Michael Jordan’s Bulls or the Shaq-Kobe Lakers would come to town.
“It’s human nature,” he said. “Guys should be excited, but at the same time, when that game is over with, we’re going to play Memphis on Saturday.”
Any time these I-35 rivals hook up, the obvious player matchup to focus on is the MVP one. Dirk Nowitzki claimed the league’s top individual honor last season – the first ever such award for a European – while Duncan has a pair of those trophies on his shelf.
It may surprise some to learn that the MVP power forwards are the third-leading scorers on their respective teams. Yes, third. Jason Terry leads Dallas in scoring, with Josh Howard a close second.
How can that be?
“Deep benches and other guys stepping up,” Devin Harris explained. “If one guy is struggling, we have other guys who can pick it up. That’s what we have.
“It’s going to take 12 guys to get it done. Those guys aren’t going to have a perfect game every time. When they’re facing double and triple teams, they have teammates that can get the job done.”
San Antonio beat the Lakers by 15 on Tuesday with Duncan scoring just five, and he played 30 ˝ minutes. On the same night, Nowitzki flirted with a triple-double: 21 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
“That supporting cast is key,” Johnson said. “Dirk has done everything. He won the MVP. He’s been to All-Star Games. All he’s looking for is to win a championship.
“Last night it was more like a triple-double. I think we’re going to need more of Dirk’s games like last night if we’re ever going to be really, really good.”
So again: What does Thursday night on national TV mean?
“It’s a good chance to see where we are,” said Harris, who is often compared to Parker. “We haven’t put together a string of games. Hopefully this can spark us for one of those runs.
“Obviously, they’re the defending champions, so we definitely want to measure up to see where we are. They always play us tough, so it’s always a good matchup, even if it’s the regular season.”
Champs offer the Mavs a chance to measure up
Art Garcia | Mavs.com
The rivalry may be the best in the NBA. But what does that really mean Thursday night when the defending champion San Antonio Spurs visit American Airlines Center for the first time this season?
The winner isn’t going to be crowned. The loser isn’t going to pack it up. Squeaker or blowout, we’re going to go through this again with the Mavericks trek down to the Alamo City in early December. And two more times after that.
And let’s not get started with Western Conference finals talk.
“It’s easy to focus for those type games,” Jerry Stackhouse said. “Not that we should be getting ahead of ourselves at all, but that’s kind of the way it is.”
Despite injuries, suspension and shuffled lineups, the Mavs come in at 5-2 and 3-0 at home. Dallas has won the last three and four of five against its Southwest Division neighbor.
Just as they’ve been for the last decade, the Spurs (7-1) are a model of consistency. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has employed the same starting lineup for all eight games. The three Spurs averaging in double figures shouldn’t come as a shock – Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“They’re the defending champions, four-time champions, they’re the best in the league,” Mavs coach Avery Johnson said Wednesday after practice. “They’ve been one of the best teams in teams in the league, even during some of the years when they didn’t win a championship.”
He added: “They’re the cut-and-dry favorites. All of us are chasing them. We won’t win a championship tomorrow, but we need to come out physical.”
The Mavs and Spurs are the only two teams in the NBA to win at least 50 in each of the last seven full seasons. Taking the the first two weeks of this season into account, San Antonio is 420-162 since the start of 2000-01. The Mavs are 412-169.
“They’ve been really consistent,” Johnson said of the team he won a title with as a player in 1999. “We just happen to be in that era where we have a chance to see how solid they are.
“A lot of what other teams try to do, they started a lot of it. We knew we had to have a post-up game, for example, because they have a post-up game and you just can’t shoot jump shots.”
Johnson compared this kind of game to his days in San Antonio when Michael Jordan’s Bulls or the Shaq-Kobe Lakers would come to town.
“It’s human nature,” he said. “Guys should be excited, but at the same time, when that game is over with, we’re going to play Memphis on Saturday.”
Any time these I-35 rivals hook up, the obvious player matchup to focus on is the MVP one. Dirk Nowitzki claimed the league’s top individual honor last season – the first ever such award for a European – while Duncan has a pair of those trophies on his shelf.
It may surprise some to learn that the MVP power forwards are the third-leading scorers on their respective teams. Yes, third. Jason Terry leads Dallas in scoring, with Josh Howard a close second.
How can that be?
“Deep benches and other guys stepping up,” Devin Harris explained. “If one guy is struggling, we have other guys who can pick it up. That’s what we have.
“It’s going to take 12 guys to get it done. Those guys aren’t going to have a perfect game every time. When they’re facing double and triple teams, they have teammates that can get the job done.”
San Antonio beat the Lakers by 15 on Tuesday with Duncan scoring just five, and he played 30 ˝ minutes. On the same night, Nowitzki flirted with a triple-double: 21 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
“That supporting cast is key,” Johnson said. “Dirk has done everything. He won the MVP. He’s been to All-Star Games. All he’s looking for is to win a championship.
“Last night it was more like a triple-double. I think we’re going to need more of Dirk’s games like last night if we’re ever going to be really, really good.”
So again: What does Thursday night on national TV mean?
“It’s a good chance to see where we are,” said Harris, who is often compared to Parker. “We haven’t put together a string of games. Hopefully this can spark us for one of those runs.
“Obviously, they’re the defending champions, so we definitely want to measure up to see where we are. They always play us tough, so it’s always a good matchup, even if it’s the regular season.”