I don't think Duncan is going to let that streak end this year. :)Quote:
SNumber: 10-0. There's some history working against Dallas here. That is Duncan's all-time record in first-round series in which he has played.
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I don't think Duncan is going to let that streak end this year. :)Quote:
SNumber: 10-0. There's some history working against Dallas here. That is Duncan's all-time record in first-round series in which he has played.
who on the mavs side is going to gaurd parker?
Nobody.Quote:
Originally Posted by weebo
Team-by-team look at the West playoffs
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
No. 3 San Antonio Spurs
What I like: Snagging the No. 3 seed in the West on the final day of the regular season to set up a rematch of the '06 second-round epic with Dallas was the best available scenario for San Antonio.
So the Spurs will actually be pleased to see their old rivals from North Texas on Saturday for Game 1, strange as it'll undoubtedly seem to be facing the Mavs so early.
San Antonio actually might be the only team on the NBA map that still retains the sort of respect for Dallas that it had for the Mavericks back in 2006. That's probably because, to this day, the Spurs still don't have a consistent answer defensively for Dirk Nowitzki.
The positives of the matchup, though, are undeniable. Travel will be easy for the Spurs' vets. Dallas has as much (or more) trouble guarding Tony Parker as San Antonio has with Nowitzki. And all this means that San Antonio is out of L.A.'s bracket until the West finals.
You might say that's just delaying the inevitable, since Tim Duncan (knee) is still ailing and with Manu Ginobili out for the rest of the season thanks to persistent ankle trouble, but the Spurs don't do surrenders. Certainly not when they have what might be their deepest supporting cast in the Duncan era and not after San Antonio just escaped landing in L.A.'s bracket and opening the playoffs on the road in Portland.
What I don't like: The overriding source of distress, of course, is the state of Tim Duncan's knees. Having Ginobili out and Duncan at a reduced capacity heaps a ton on Parker, who has been advised by his bosses that they need him scoring big throughout the playoffs to have any chance of hanging around.
The secondary source of concern is the real possibility that the Mavs, no matter how favorable it seemed for San Antonio to land this matchup, have a better shot at beating the Spurs in their current state than their potential first-round foes in the other bracket. I would have picked San Antonio to beat Portland or Houston in a series, even without Ginobili, because I believe in the Spurs' veteran know-how that much, especially against playoff neophytes. But this is a little bit different.
Happy as the Spurs were to get this draw compared with the other options, Dallas has been to South Texas too many times to be unsettled by the crowds down there. Comfortable might be stretching it, but this will be a setting and an opponent that the Mavs know infinitely well. Which should only enhance their chances.
No. 6 Dallas Mavericks
What I like: What's even better than the history that tells us the Mavericks are one of just two teams this decade to win a playoff series against the Spurs when Duncan is playing?
The strong finish.
It's been awhile since we've seen one from the Mavs.
"I think the last two years," Mavs sixth man Jason Terry says, "we kind of lost steam going into the playoffs."
Not this time. Presumed to be locked in a battle with Phoenix for the No. 8 spot in the West, Dallas instead wound up surging into the No. 6 slot and a playoff reunion with the Spurs. The Mavs thought for sure that they were headed to Denver to start the playoffs against a team that oozes athleticism and swept the teams' four meetings this season, so they're as pleased with Wednesday's late shuffle of the seeds as anyone. They didn't want to deal with Denver's athleticism so soon.
What I don't like: You could argue that the Mavs haven't entered a playoff series with as much confidence as they have right now since the Finals in 2006 after toppling the Spurs and Phoenix back-to-back. That kind of self-belief was clearly not there in the first round against Golden State in 2007 and again in 2008 when Dallas was ousted in the first round by New Orleans.
However ...
You can't ignore the issues that had Dallas near the No. 8 spot for the bulk of the season until the late push. Three biggies:
1. Josh Howard's uncertain health is the biggest worry. He's been a huge spark in April, playing with more energy and passion than the Mavs have seen since he made it to the All-Star Game in 2007. But it's also evident that he's bothered by the ankle injury, which Howard says will likely require offseason surgery. He'll be monitored on a day-to-day basis throughout the playoffs.
2. The Mavs' 32-9 home record -- 32-5 since starting out 0-4 at home this season -- is not as gaudy as it looks. Their play at home has been lackluster more often than not. And San Antonio is more capable than most teams of capitalizing, even without Ginobili.
3. How do we know? The Mavs' vulnerability was exposed in a road loss to the Spurs in February with both Duncan and Ginobili sidelined.
Spurs-Mavericks series breakdown
Steve Aschburner
SI.com
OVERVIEW: Neither team is what it was three years ago, when the Spurs and Mavs squared off in a conference semifinal series that went to seven games, plus five extra minutes, before visiting Dallas eliminated the defending champions en route to its own Finals trip. Manu Ginobili won't be around this time, Dallas swapped out Devin Harris for Jason Kidd and a lot of the principals are three years older. But the history and the passions run hot.
***
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
1. Howard's production. Dallas' Josh Howard has talked about how he "gets it'' now, meaning that he accepts his responsibility for the team's successes or failures based on how he plays. He is a much-needed third scoring option (behind Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry) for the Mavs, as much for how (slashing, opportunistic baskets) as for how much. But he still can be maddeningly inconsistent. After three straight postseasons in which he boosted his scoring from its regular-season rate, Howard went backward last spring, dropping from 19.9 points to 12.6 in the first-round exit against New Orleans.
2. San Antonio's support system. Tim Duncan is as inevitable as death and taxes, Tony Parker gets neglected too often in the debate about best point guards, and the Spurs' record does drop off considerably when Ginobili's not around. But no San Antonio team accomplishes anything without key bench players stepping up in the postseason to help the stars. The Robert Horry-Brent Barry-Malik Rose roles likely will get filled in one way or another this spring by Roger Mason, Matt Bonner and Drew Gooden. Does "Big Shot Rog" have a ring to it?
3. Dirk in rhythm. Dirk Nowitzki's name won't be included on many MVP ballots this year -- they only have space for five nominees -- but it's hard to imagine Dallas without the 7-foot sharpshooter. He has averaged 30.3 points in April, and his season-ending streak of 25 games with at least 20 points is the NBA's longest of 2008-09. He'll want to come up big in this series, at least, because the Mavs around him could look entirely different if they make another premature playoff exit.
***
UNDER THE RADAR: Michael Finley actually had a few people feeling sorry for him in 2006 when he switched teams via the amnesty clause that Dallas owner Mark Cuban invoked and wound up leaving the Mavs just as they were taking San Antonio's regular place in the Finals. But a year after Dallas collapsed against Miami in the championship round, Finley won a title with San Antonio. And here we are now, Finley's 36 and he's coming off another solid year, hitting two huge shots in the final week (one to beat Sacramento, one to force overtime in Wednesday's victory against New Orleans). He's not the player he was in his prime in Dallas, but San Antonio's system doesn't require that.
***
PREDICTION: Spurs in 7. The Mavs weren't thrilled to win 50 games and still not have home-court advantage in the first round. Then again, they had been so spooked by the prospect of facing the Lakers this weekend that getting San Antonio -- normally quite a booby prize -- seems like a lucky break. That said, the Spurs are riding even higher, with their victory in game No. 82 nailing down the division title and a possible four games in San Antonio versus Dallas. That edge, stubborn Spurs pride and the Mavs' maddening inconsistency should swing it.
A couple from The Wall Street Journal.
2009 NBA Playoffs: The Daily Fix Preview
by David Roth
The San Antonio Spurs always seem to save their best ball for the postseason, but they’ll bring a little extra for the sixth-seeded Dallas Mavericks because — how to put this kindly — the two teams freaking hate each other. But the Mavericks have played well enough against the Spurs this year so that, strange as it may seem, they’ve gotten the match-up they wanted.
*********************
The Count: Celtics and Spurs Play a Man Down
By Carl Bialik
Two NBA playoff teams — defending champion Boston and last year’s West finalist, San Antonio — begin play tomorrow without stars. Just how much weaker are the Celtics without Kevin Garnett and the Spurs without Manu Ginobili? Advanced stats don’t always agree, though the general conclusion is that Boston has suffered a bigger blow.
With Kevin Garnett mostly on ice since mid-February, Boston’s defense has slipped.
With Garnett, the Celtics were the second most dominant team in the NBA this season, by point differential, Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus points out. Without him they were a second-tier playoff team. “The Celtics missed Garnett’s defense in virtually every area,” Pelton writes. “Opponents shot better on both twos and threes, grabbed far more offensive rebounds, and turned the ball over less frequently. Surprisingly, the biggest difference at the defensive end was in forcing turnovers — not exactly Garnett’s specialty.”
Indeed, Garnett’s steals aren’t off the charts — yet another reminder that defensive value is more difficult to measure in the box score. His scoring and other numbers also understate his value. According to Basketball Prospectus, if Garnett played 48 minutes of every game with four average teammates, they would win 64% of his games, based on his box-score stats this season. That’s far better than, say, Mardy Collins’s 37%, but it lags far behind MVP candidates LeBron James and Chris Paul, whose so-called per-minute win percentages are above 83%.
More-advanced analysis comparing Boston’s defensive efficiency with and without Garnett helps his case. According to 82games.com, Boston gave up 7.3 more points per 100 possessions when Garnett was off the floor this season — including his time on the bench before he went down to injury.
Ginobili, meanwhile, had a per-minute win percentage of 68% this season — better than Garnett’s, based on box-score stats. David Berri, also relying on his formula based on box-score stats, said Ginobili’s early exit may have cost the Spurs at least six wins this season and his unavailability for the playoffs changes San Antonio from “possible contender to a likely early vacation.”
But outside the box score, there is evidence that Ginobili is a defensive liability. Overall the Spurs were slightly better at outscoring opponents without him on the court than with him. Pelton corrects that stat for home/road and opponent quality and finds a more-logical conclusion, that San Antonio is better with their third-leading scorer on the court. Yet Ginobili’s value, even after these corrections, doesn’t approach Garnett’s.
After the hell of a collapse in the post-ASB part of the season, TD looking terrible, Manu getting KO'd, the defense seemingly getting worse before our eyes... it's hard to be optimistic right now.
Maybe once this series starts, I'll start to believe again.
But right now, I can't help but see this as a matchup of a couple of teams that are probably not going to win the next round. The opposite of that epic 2006 series where there was no real loser... there might not be a real winner in this one.
San Antonio still has Parker ... Spurs in seven
Tim Cowlishaw
Dallas Morning News
As the Mavericks fought their way to the regular-season finish line, they finally got what they wanted. But teams have been known to pay dearly for wanting to face the San Antonio Spurs in the postseason.
For sure, it's better than starting off in the No. 8 spot and facing the Los Angeles Lakers. That's instant death.
And I think Denver would be more troubling for Dallas for a few reasons, one of them being the Nuggets surely wouldn't lack confidence after sweeping the Mavericks 4-0 this season.
So if you are going to finish around the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture, the Spurs are the division winner you want to play.
But I still think San Antonio wins this series in seven games and sends the Mavericks out of the playoffs in the first round for the third year in a row.
It doesn't have to go that way. There are some definite things to like in the Mavericks' favor.
That list has to start with the absence of Manu Ginobili, who is out for the rest of the season. Ginobili has been such an integral part of the Spurs' last three championships that it's impossible to think about them winning another without him.
The Spurs were 32-12 when Ginobili played this season and 22-16 without him. In other words, the Spurs were close to the Lakers' level with him, somewhere around the staying-at-home Phoenix Suns without him.
I can't say his absence completely tilts this series in the Mavericks' favor. It helps, of course. But one of the reasons the Spurs lost games without Ginobili was resting Tim Duncan on the second nights of back-to-back games.
There aren't any back-to-backs in the playoffs.
And the Spurs have won big games without Ginobili, none of them bigger than the season-ending overtime comeback win over the New Orleans Hornets that won San Antonio the division.
I think the Mavericks can go into this series with confidence they certainly wouldn't have had playing the Lakers and probably wouldn't have had against Denver. Most of the key members of the Mavericks other than Jason Kidd were part of the nucleus that knocked off San Antonio in the second round in 2006.
And the Mavericks split the season series with San Antonio. Both teams won in the other's arena, so I don't think the home-court advantage is huge for the Spurs in this series.
Coach Rick Carlisle was obviously pleased that his team reached the 50-win plateau with that final victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. He believes his team has developed a certain toughness over the course of the season.
That seems to be the case, but I'm not sure it can hold up to the toughness the Spurs have been bringing to the postseason for years.
The Mavericks really struggle to deal with Spurs point guard Tony Parker, and while Duncan no longer plays at an MVP level, he can be the best player in this series just as easily as Dirk Nowitzki can.
I don't know that Bruce Bowen at 37 can play anything close to the defense on Nowitzki that he did in the playoffs three years ago, and I'm not sure he will even guard him. But coach Gregg Popovich's teams usually find a way to cause problems with their defense.
I didn't think they could do it to New Orleans all-world point guard Chris Paul after he had carved up the Mavericks last year, but the Spurs did.
This should be an outstanding series, with two good coaches and prideful but older teams that want to prove they are still relevant in today's league. Both have been winning 50 games a year all decade, but the Spurs have been piling up championships while the Mavericks failed in their one trip to the Finals.
It won't be a major surprise to anyone if the Mavericks get it together and win this series. But if there's a way to win at least one round without Ginobili, the Spurs will find it.
And I think Parker's ability to shred the Mavericks' defense is it.
Although the series will be a challenging on, I must echo the sentiment that I am glad the Mavs traded Harris and Diop (twice). They still have some length and athleticism on the bench, but Parker should have his way in the lane.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks
By Loren Jorgensen
Deseret News
The season series: tied, 2-2
The stars: Two of the top power forwards of the last decade will do battle: San Antonio's Tim Duncan (19.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg) against Dirk Nowitzki (25.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg).
The telling stat: Duncan has won four NBA titles, tying him with Shaquille O'Neal for most by an active player.
The scoop: These two Lone Star State rivals last met in the playoffs in the 2006 Western Conference finals, with the Mavs upsetting the Spurs in the seventh game in San Antonio. Since then the Spurs have earned another NBA title, while the Mavs haven't won another playoff series.
This is a series where both aging teams had to play well down the stretch to get where they are. Despite star guard Manu Ginobili being out with an injury, the Spurs won their last four games to earn the Southwest Division title.
The Mavs, meanwhile, looked like they were in a battle with the Suns for the final playoff spot in the West until the final few games of the season. But not only did they make the playoffs, they climbed past Utah and New Orleans to earn the No. 6 seed with their strong play down the stretch.
A key battle here will be at point guard where Tony Parker (22 ppg, 6.9 apg) would seem to have an advantage over aging star Jason Kidd (9.0 ppg, 8.7 apg). If Kidd can keep this matchup close, it will be a huge advantage to the Mavericks.
Dallas' second best scorer, Jason Terry (19.6 ppg), comes off the bench to give his club some instant offense. That's the same role Ginobili has played over the years, but he's out of commission, giving the Mavs an advantage here.
Nowitzki and Duncan are still two of the best players in the game and outstanding competitors. They will make sure this is one of the best first-round series out there.
The prediction: Spurs in 7.
San Antonio Spurs carry memories of 2006 and Dallas Mavericks’ second-round win
Randy Galloway
SAN ANTONIO — It’s not about then. It’s all about now. But tonight, in an arena on the outskirts of this city’s beautiful downtown, an arena far removed from Mark Cuban’s "dirty" little river, don’t dare think the then-factor has been forgotten. Certainly not here.
The NBA officially lists this 7 p.m. tipoff as Game 1, Mavericks-Spurs, best-of-seven, 2009.
A quick survey, however, tells me that anyone locally who bleeds silver-and-black (and that’s everyone in these parts) totally disputes that notion.
In those fanatical heads, this is Game 8, best-of-14.
It’s 2006 all over again, the continuation.
Go back three years. The playoffs. Best of times, absolute worst of times for the Dallas Mavericks.
Second round: Outlasted the Spurs in seven games in one of the best playoff series in NBA history. Game 7 here was an all-time classic. Trade uniforms, and make it like Celtics and Knicks playing that exact Game 7, and to this day the NBA Channel still would be showing weekly reruns.
In 29 years of franchise existence, there has never been a bigger postseason moment for the Mavs. And it was only the second round.
It’s funny — a weird kind of funny — that the Spurs, as a franchise and as a fandom, still have that series lodged in stomach pits, sitting there three years later like bad taco meat.
The very next season, it was the Spurs who continued their storied championship history, winning a fourth NBA title. But not even that erased the bitter memory of Second Round ’06.
Obviously, history has been awful since then for the Mavs. They went on from Santone to beat the Amare-less Suns in the Western Conference Finals, but while on the way to a first NBA championship, the Miami Meltdown was also an instant classic. A classic Finals’ choke.
More disgrace came the next year in the first-round ouster by the eighth-seeded Warriors. And last season, the better team simply prevailed in the first round. That was the Hornets.
So ...
That brings us to the now-factor. A hostile and heated now-factor.
They know in San Antonio that losing to the hated Cubans in ’06 cost a fifth title. Because they know in San Antonio the Spurs wouldn’t have choked against Miami. They could live with it locally if it had been anyone except the Mavericks and their mouthy owner. That’s why, three years later, they still can’t stomach it.
Mr. LeBreton wrote on these pages Friday that what happened in ’06 are tired, well-traveled story lines.
Maybe so, Gil. But not in this town, my man. Not at all here.
In a bit of irony, the Mavericks are in sort of a no-win situation, perception-wise, starting tonight.
If they win this series, the Spurs have the excuse of no Manu. Mr. Ginobili has been reduced to an injured spectator, removing one of the best players in the world from the floor.
But if the Mavs lose this series, beaten by a Manu-less Spurs, oh, wow. More catcalls, particularly since word has filtered throughout this region that this is the playoff matchup the Mavs had "wished" for.
Coach Rick Carlisle would drink the dirty river water before allowing such words to leave his lips, and no Mavs player has come close to uttering such a public comment. It’s a D-FW media theme, although it’s true.
I’d say, however, it’s true for any team in the Western Conference. The absence of Manu combined with Tim Duncan’s cranky knees, and the Spurs, despite their royal pedigree and best playoff coach in the business, are regarded as a limping target.
But consider the opposition. Over the last two years, and now more than ever, the Mavericks have been reduced to mutt status around the NBA. Another 50-win season, and no one notices.
Of the eight playoff teams in the West, the Mavs are by far the least respected even after Utah and New Orleans crashed in the regular-season stretch.
Dave's 2 Sense: 5 Reasons Spurs Win in 5
by: David Chancellor
WOAI.com
Prediction: Spurs will in five. Come playoff time, everybody has a prediction. Here's mine: Spurs beat the Mavericks in five games. 6 or 7 is the trendy pick, so why do I think the series won't be that close? Here are my five reasons the Spurs win in five games.
1. Tony Parker...
Dallas has no answer for him. Reread that, and believe it. NO ANSWER. Parker averaged 29.5ppg against Dallas this season. He scored 37 points twice. Parker won't say it, but he will always carry the chip on his shoulder from the summer of 2003. The Spurs courted Jason Kidd, and Parker stewed. I think he finds extra motivation in proving the Spurs ended up with the better end of the deal.
2. Better coach...
I can't say it any better than Gil Lebreton did in the Star Telegram. "Other than the late Red Auerbach, San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich might be the best postseason coach in NBA history."
3. The Schedule...
The Spurs might be the first team in history to win a 1st round series, even before it began. The minute Michael Finley's three against New Orleans went in, the Spurs knew the playoff road got shorter. No long flight to Portland. Not sure who was more excited? The team, or the media that usually follows the Spurs during the playoffs. Combine that with no back-to-backs, and Tim's knees aren't nearly the issue they were during the regular season.
4. Deceiving Record…
Let's not forget who Dallas was this season. A team that started 2-7. A team that was fighting off Phoenix for the 8th seed just a few weeks ago. Nice finish for Dallas, but this is not the powerful franchise it was in 2006. Neither are the Spurs, but the Mavs have fallen further--faster.
5. 2006 Payback...
If you don't know what I'm talking about, then turn in your Spurs jersey now, and find a hobby for the next few weeks. Except for .4, I can't think of a more negative moment in Spurs history than the 2006 series against Dallas.
Confident Mavs look to carry strong finish into playoffs
By Jeff Caplan
Pro Basketball News
Based on their peculiarly inconsistent play and some disturbingly disheartening performances, old man Jason Kidd and the over-the-hill Dallas Mavericks were left for dead months ago.
And the deal that brought the 36-year-old Kidd back to his roots and shipped enticing, young point guard Devin Harris to New Jersey? Panned incessantly from coast-to-coast, and then further mocked every time audacious Mavs owner Mark Cuban opened wide and said he'd do the deal again, and again, and again.
Now on the precipice of Saturday night's first-round opener, stunningly enough at the hobbled San Antonio Spurs and not at the Los Angeles Lakers after a late escape from the dreaded eighth spot, could Kidd, Cuban and the Mavs be on the verge of getting the last laugh?
"I think we're as confident as we've been all season," said Dirk Nowitzki, who quietly put together one of the finest seasons of his career, having averaged 25.9 points, fourth in the league. "It's been a tough up-and-down year, but we've really played well as of late. Hopefully, we can carry that over into the playoffs."
The Mavs did finish the first 82 playing some of their best ball, even if they still had trouble keeping the passion levels high game-in and game-out (see near loss to Miami at home on April 1, loss at Memphis on April 3 and a near-horrific loss at home to Minnesota on April 13).
Still, wins over Phoenix, Utah, New Orleans and Houston in the final six games pushed the Mavs into the sixth seed and created a renewed buzz in apathetic Big D.
Josh Howard's strong play since his recent return from a chronic left ankle problem clearly juiced the club. The lanky, 6-foot-7 Howard is a serious matchup problem for the Spurs and his numbers prove it. He averaged 20.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in the three games he played.
"J-Ho has been big in this stretch run for us," Kidd said. "When we're healthy and he's out on the court for us you can talk about his offense, but if you look at what he does for us defensively he's big for us."
Added Nowitzki: "Josh has been great. His energy on both ends of the floor is what we'd been missing."
The Mavs might not admit it outright, but facing the third-seeded Spurs, who are also concerned about Tim Duncan's sore knees, is the matchup they hoped would come their way. The Mavs and Lakers are the only teams this decade to defeat the Spurs in the playoffs.
Dallas rode its classic, seven-game series win to the 2006 Finals.
"Getting past them was a stepping stone," said Jason Terry, the favorite to finish as the league's top sixth man. "It did give us confidence knowing we could take down a powerhouse, because that's what they are."
Getting back to Kidd, this series is highly significant for him, and not just because he becomes a free agent. Remember, it wasn't long ago that the Spurs tried to lure Kidd to San Antonio when speedster Tony Parker was just another unproven kid.
Since Kidd's been back in Dallas, it hasn't exactly been a daily parade. Kidd and his new teammates struggled to mesh after the trade, were trounced by Chris Paul and the Hornets in the first round and Avery Johnson was fired.
Rick Carlisle entered and implemented a motion offense that never clicked. He fell back on old schemes from Johnson's playbook and, finally, after half a season, put the play-calling in Kidd's hands. The Mavs' scoring immediately increased, even if they continued to throw in some clunkers against woeful teams.
Kidd capped the regular season with a rare triple-double to sink the Rockets and set up the Spurs matchup.
"Over the last couple of months, he's played as well as he has since he's been here," Nowitzki said. "He's leading the troops on both ends of the floor and making big shots for us. It just seems like he's a lot more comfortable than he was when he first got here.
"It's all about him running the show."
Parker no doubt remembers the Spurs' pursuit of Kidd. When the Mavs made the deal 14 months ago, Parker, calculatingly no doubt, made this comment: "To be honest with you, I'm really happy for that trade. Devin Harris, most of the time, he played good against us. So I thought it would be good for us. No disrespect to Jason Kidd, he's a great point guard, but..."
Parker's burned the Mavs this season, averaging 31.3 points on 51.5-percent shooting, and 7.3 assists. Still, the rivals split the season series 2-2, in large part because Kidd played some his best basketball in those games.
Kidd averaged 13.0 points against the Spurs, his highest point production against any West team, plus 8.8 assists and 7.3 rebounds. He hit 51.3 percent of his shots, well above his season average, including 45 percent from beyond the arc (9 of 20) where he often finds himself unguarded.
The series outcome could hinge on Kidd's play in San Antonio. His home and road statistics against the Spurs are glaring. In Dallas, Kidd averaged 20.5 points on 16 of 25 shooting, and nine assists.
In San Antonio, he dropped to 5.5 points on 4 of 14 shooting, and seven assists. As a team, the Mavs were disappointing, if not completely frustrating, on the road at 18-23. They'll have to win one, and likely two, on the Spurs' floor to avoid a third consecutive one-and-done.
"We're a veteran ball club and we understand how important it is to win at home and we're confident at home," Kidd said. "We've got to find a way to win on the road in the playoffs."