Mavs out of answers, down 0-2 to Nuggets
By Jaime Aron
Jason Terry is the Dallas Mavericks’ mood-lifter, the guy who pumps up teammates and fans every chance he gets.
Yet after enduring a second straight pounding in Denver, Terry couldn’t even fake being positive.
“Not tonight,” he said, declining to be interviewed. “I don’t have anything tonight.”
The Mavericks went into this second-round series convinced they could hang with the Nuggets, pointing to three narrow losses in the regular season as proof of how close they were. Besides, they proudly noted, they were on their best roll of the season, having blown through the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
So far, Denver has toyed with Dallas. Long, strong and athletic throughout their roster, the Nuggets have made the Mavericks look like a club team they’re warming up against on their way to the conference finals.
Both games have played out the same: Dallas playing well early, Denver grabbing control in the second quarter, things tightening up around the start of the fourth quarter. Then Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets kick into an extra gear just as the Mavericks start wearing out, the gap between the teams exposed in a series of defensive stops that turn into electrifying baskets.
Denver is up 2-0 in the series and 6-0 for the season. For Dallas to advance, Dirk Nowitzki and friends must win four of the next five. Game 3 is Saturday in Dallas.
Returning home should help the Mavs, especially since they’ve won 17 of the last 18 at their arena. Of course, the Nuggets were the lone outsiders to win there.
“Do we need a perfect game?” point guard Jason Kidd said. “We’ve had some collapses in the fourth quarter twice now and they capitalized. … I think we do get rattled, but the big thing is we’ve got to take care of the ball.”
The Mavericks cut down their turnovers in Game 2 and were more physical than in the opener. But the result was the same. Now, with three days off before Game 3, Dallas coach Rick Carlisle has plenty of time to find other areas of emphasis.
Better yet for the Mavs, forward Josh Howard has several days to heal the right ankle sprain sustained in Game 1 and that limited him to a few early minutes in Game 2.
“We’ll just see how Mother Nature treats us here,” Carlisle said. “He’s been taking injections and doing everything else, whether it’s his wrist or his ankle or his good ankle. If he can play, he’ll play. I know that because that’s what he’s done all year for us.”
Howard is the most Nuggets-like player in Dallas’ rotation. Without him, the Mavs are left with Nowitzki, Terry … and not much else. No other player is averaging 10 points this series. Kidd has offset 11 assists with 10 turnovers and the role players who came through against San Antonio hardly have been a factor.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, have five guys averaging at least 10 points. Nene set a career playoff high with 24 points in the opener, then topped it in Game 2. Chauncey Billups is averaging only 12 points, but his backup Anthony Carter is chipping in 8 more, making it 20 per game from the point guards.
Denver is 6-1 this postseason, with every win by at least 12 points and the loss by two. It’s impressive to everyone but the Nuggets, who see room for improvement.
“It’s unbelievable to say that, but we do have a window where we can get better,” Billups said Wednesday. “Sometimes we play really hard but not really smart. But I think that comes with experience.”
Denver coach George Karl notes that all his club has done against Dallas is protect home court. He’s falling back on the old line about things changing once someone wins on the road.
“I’m not thinking this is as overbalanced and out of sync as (the scores indicate),” he said.
Then again, Karl also realizes how close he and the Nuggets are to reaching the conference finals; just winning their remaining home games would get Denver there for the first time since 1985. Karl last made it in 1993, while coaching Seattle.
“This is a stage where coaches get excited,” he said. “It’s easy. It’s the best basketball, it’s the best players, it’s the best referees. Every night is a challenge. To have as much success as we’ve had, there’s a reward to that. The reward is having a bigger challenge. The bigger challenge is going to start on Saturday afternoon.”
Do we need a perfect game?” point guard Jason Kidd said. “We’ve had some collapses in the fourth quarter twice now and they capitalized. … I think we do get rattled, but the big thing is we’ve got to take care of the ball.”
MENTALLY SOFT BUT WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM WIFE BEATER
Kidd is far from soft, mentally or physically.
His shooting is soft, and that's why he's gonna retire ringless.
For all of his skills, I believe a PG has to hit better than 40% to be a champion. His fanboys have tried to rationalize his awful shooting for years. Simply ain't good enough.
kidd's shooting has nothing to do with this.
mavs or spurs weren't going any farther.
How the is shooting something that can be described as "soft"?
It will be a whole other series when the Thuggets come into the Temple of Doom known as the AAC
Soft as in weak, poor and not good enough. Got it?
when they doubled and left him open for a set three
It's funny how Sperm Fan thinks Mav Fan cares. We've had three insanely disappointing years in a row. I'm completely satisfied with exiting the second round. They beat the Spurs. Mission accomplished. You can't take that away no matter how much you cry about Manu being out.
That's right. I'll never win because I'm not part of the organization. I'm simply a fan of the sport and it indirectly affects my life.
How I feel about the Mavs doesn't effect whether they win or not.
Even with 37 thousand posts, you are still and IDIOT.
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