Spurs vs Mavs Previews

[Texas Chili Dog]

And to think Tim Duncan isn't even scoring very much, but yet, Spurs are still dominating.

It's been just the opposite for the Mavs, at least lately. Dirk is scoring points from all over the place, while the rest of the team is slacking for the most part. , Dirk had 42 of the team's 88 points vs the Pistons on Tuesday. He's coming into this game on fire, so hopefully for us that continues.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, Spurs fans.

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

I'd really like to see Tiago on Dirk. He's young and has the speed to stay with him, and his length will give Dirk all kinds of problems shooting.



Yeah, cause Dirk is SUCH a banger. You put someone who's 6'6" 180 pounds on Dirk and what does he do? Shoot fallaway jumpers from the free throw area. I love Dirk's offensive prowess but strength is NOT what's required to defend him. Athleticism and length give him far more problems than size. Tayshaun Prince in his prime would have been the ultimate nightmare for Dirk.

Nobody in this league can guard Dirty dummy, but you think all of a sudden whatever splitner can ???????????? ok............

[Cry Havoc]

Nobody in this league can guard Dirty dummy, but you think all of a sudden whatever splitner can ???????????? ok............

The Warriors did a pretty good job of it with SGs and SFs, or have you forgotten?

[Lukor]

The Warriors did a pretty good job of it with SGs and SFs, or have you forgotten?

Dirk has much less problems with smaller players nowadays.He has refined his offensive game.Idk why there's even a discussion about this,just let Dirk get his and shut down the rest of the Mavs.It worked for the Spurs in the playoffs.

[Sean Cagney]

Dirk has much less problems with smaller players nowadays.He has refined his offensive game.Idk why there's even a discussion about this,just let Dirk get his and shut down the rest of the Mavs.It worked for the Spurs in the playoffs.

This is true here too....

[ezau]

Why the is everyone so worried about Chandler? Splitter destroyed that piece of in this year's Worlds.

[Mr.Robinson]

I see the refs playin a big part in this game. I expect Dirk to get at least 12 free throws. Anything to slow down the Spurs. But it wont work.
Duncan will have a big game. I see him playing at 100% this game. Manu will be the reason The Spurs win. He will take over in the fourth. He is Mr.Fourth Quarter.
This is the game Hill makes a comeback. He killed against the Mavs in the post season.

[Bruno]

Spurs/Mavs game are always fun even if both teams aren't true contenders anymore.

I've watched some Mavs games this year and they are still damn good. Dirk is great and Chandler/Haywood anchor the defense. They biggest weakness is the lack of a legit second offensive option behind Dirk.

[Spursmania]

Why the is everyone so worried about Chandler? Splitter destroyed that piece of in this year's Worlds.

Great point there. I didn't see any of the worlds. But if that's true, my concern of Pop not playing Tiago may go out the window. Videos anyone?

[shelshor]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Fri. Nov. 26
Dallas @ San Antonio: Dan Crawford; Curtis Blair; Matt Boland

[duncan228]

Advanced Scouting: Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs
by Scott Sereday
48 Minutes of

http://www.48minutesof .com/advan...-antonio-spurs

[sefant77]

The Warriors did a pretty good job of it with SGs and SFs, or have you forgotten?

It was double and triple teams with smaller players, not one single SG or SF

And they were able to do that because the rest of the Mavs were bricking like .

[duncan228]

Inside Report: Mavericks-Spurs preview -- Sparring with the Spurs
By Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com

SAN ANTONIO -- The Mavericks would like nothing more than to end the Spurs' current 12-game winning streak with a road victory on the hardwood at the AT&T Center.

After all, the Spurs (13-1) are the same squad that ended the Mavericks' 2009-10 season with a first-round playoff series defeat in six games.

Friday night, the Mavericks (10-4) enter the Spurs' home arena hoping for a bit of revenge, while also looking to bring an end to the Southwest Division foe's best start in franchise history. The veteran-led Mavs also come into the early-season divisional matchup on a hot streak of their own, winning three straight showdowns including a thrilling come-from-behind 111-103 victory in Oklahoma City Wednesday night.

"This team has a bunch of veterans who compete," forward Dirk Nowitzki said, coming off a 34-point effort in the Mavs' most recent win.

Though many of the same faces remain as the Mavericks enter the same arena where their season ended just about six months ago, coach Rick Carlisle says that this year's team is much different than any other he's instructed from the sidelines during his tenure in Dallas.

"The thing that I like about this team is that this is the tightest-knit team since I've been here," Carlisle said after the win in Oklahoma City. "These guys are really close. They never quit on a game. They never quit on a situation. They keep encouraging each other, and we just look for good things to happen."

The closeness of the team and never-say-die demeanor has been on full display during the first two games of a four-games-in-five-nights stretch. The same can be said for the Mavericks' play on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, as the team battled back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to run its record to 5-1 away from Big D.

"One, it's (Carlisle's) personality," sixth man Jason Terry said, crediting his head coach for the on-the-court unity.

"He preaches togetherness regardless of all or any situation," the guard added. "He's always talking about it in shootaround, in practice, pre-game, and I think that's why on the road we're so good."

And Carlisle adds that the team has taken heed to his message, remaining together during the ups and downs of an 82-game season.

"So much of (the team's success) has to do with our efficiency and how we're tied together as a group," Carlisle said.

But now the team collectively faces a new challenge, playing a Spurs squad that's the hottest team in the NBA, leading the division by two games over the New Orleans Hornets and three games ahead of the Mavs.

Still, the Mavericks need no more motivation than to look back to last season's playoff run, when the No. 2-seeded Dallas team fell to a seventh-seeded Spurs squad.

"We had a good run (last season), finished second in the West and then happened to run into a team that's very experienced and was healthy at the right time," Nowitzki said when reminiscing on the playoff defeat.

"I think we'd all agree that if they had stayed healthy the whole year, they wouldn't have been in seventh. We happened to run into them and they played very smart. And when two teams are very close, sometimes just a couple of possessions we weren't smart enough, made some mistakes defensively and that hurt us," the 7-footer explained.

But this season, the Mavericks are one of the top defensive squads in the entire league. And with the addition of center Tyson Chandler, the Mavericks are more equipped to defend the Spurs' Big Three of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

Chandler has also given the Mavericks an offensive punch inside, and the big man is coming off a season-high 17 points and 18 rebounds against Oklahoma City.

"(Wednesday night) was a great example of what he's meant to our team," Carlisle said of Chandler’s play. "Creating possessions for us by just outworking people inside, and he got a lot done around the basket scoring the ball, too. He was great."

"I wanted to make an effort of getting out there, bringing energy, running and making sure that guys are sprinting ahead with me," Chandler explained. "Because of that, we were able to get a lot of activity around the rim."

Now, with the 7-foot-1 new addition coming off his best game in a Dallas uniform, the vengeful Mavericks head into the city by the Riverwalk with nothing short of a win on their minds. But they know it won't be easy.

"It's huge, it's huge for us," Chandler said. "We know that in this league it's tough to get wins and it's very tough to get wins against good opponents...You've always got to have a little extra motivation."

Returning to the scene where last season ended and getting a win should serve as plenty of motivation.

[duncan228]

Chandler’s arrival has toughened Mavs inside
Tim Griffin

...“He makes a big difference for them inside,” McDyess said. “He’s a heck of a shot blocker and an athlete. I think he adds a defensive presence they always needed.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...d-mavs-inside/

*********************

As usual, Spurs expect extra intensity when Mavs visit
Tim Griffin

...“I guess there is because they are a Texas team,” Spurs forward Antonio McDyess said. “It was my first time to experience it last year. I saw the difference in intensity on the court in the whole game. Every game seemed like a playoff game to me.”

...“It’s a rivalry,” Spurs guard George Hill said. “Any time Dallas or Houston comes to town, the fans are a little rowdier. It’s just like if the Lakers came in. The fans are (excited) and we are a little hyped-up to show we’re the best of Texas.”

...“It’s definitely on after last year,” McDyess said. “With our record, they definitely want to take the throne from us. We’ve won 12 in a row, so they definitely want to break that streak. It’s going to be a tough game. They always come in here and play us hard. We’re expecting that.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...en-mavs-visit/