Big Props to the Mavericks

[Fabbs]

While granted, it's only regular season, what is Averys career record up to?
He got the record for NBA coaching history best 82 game start.
He must be up to 100 games now.

[CubanMustGo]

BTW, you think that B2B @ Phoenix is a cakewalk?

Spurs have:

Seattle - 11th (Suck - 12 -25 on the road)
Orlando - 13th (Suck - 9 - 30 on the road)
@ Minnesota - 16th (Suck - 24 - 15 @ home and Garnetts got knee issues, now)
Utah - 17th (Can lose this B2B & still win HCA 18 - 20 on the road)
@ Houston - 19th (Suck) (Must Win if going to end tied Rockets 15 - 23 @ home)

Not much of a stretch for the Spurs to win out (and they have the luxury of dropping EITHER the Minnesota or Utah games - if Dallas drops either @ Clips, GS, or Phoenix, Spurs can lose both.)

In case you haven't noticed, Suns haven't been playing .500 ball recently (8-9 in last 17). So, yeah, if Dallas keeps playing at the level of the last couple of games it should be a cakewalk. The Amare situation has just destroyed the Suns' rhythm.

Don't forget SA SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS on the back end of B2B's. I'm sorry, but they do. So pencil in a loss there (which you already have) and now there is very little margin for error.

[v2000]

1st, HCA is overrated; but the Spurs won't lose it nonetheless. (Mavs fan still haven't had the lesson wrenched through Spurs fan heart in '95, and again in '01 & '03 - HCA means nothing).

I used to go on Lakers boards and I sound EXACTLY like you; proclaiming a important victory for the Spurs in a regular season game; that this meant the Spurs WERE competing and at least the equal of the Lakers. Then, in the playoffs, Phil would pull out a completely different defense on the Spurs, shut them down and take them out. It took a couple of season for Pop to catch on, and start coaching an ENTIRE season, not just a game at a time.

What good is HCA, if in the 1st game in Dallas, Pop runs something at Avery he ain't ready for, and the Mavs lose that game. If you have put all you eggs in that advantage, and it is unceremoniously wrenched away in 48 minutes, it IS demoralizing, and you have essentially lost the series after a single game. The three most humiliating series the Spurs have ever played began IN SAN ANTONIO! Once to Houston, twice to the Lakers.

How'd that HCA work out for Phoenix last season?

You thing in an important playoff game, Gino & Tony sit for 5 minutes of a 4th quarter in which the Spurs are trailing? You think in an important game, with that game on the line, Pop gives Tim the ball in the high post and says "make something happen"? What, exactly, did Pop show Avery there about how he will REALLY draw up a last minute play?

Am I saying Pop wanted to lose this game? No, he would have rather won. Did the Spurs play hard? Yes, absolutely; but what they didn't do, was play a game specifically planned and schemed to beat the Mavericks.

Next time, they will.

sure, it may not make a HUGE difference in the playoffs, but it was an important game in determining who has HCA. if you think the Spurs honestly dont care whether they get it or not, you are probably wrong. ALL teams want HCA. if they didnt want it, they can just tank the rest of the game to let their players get some rest.

Ginobili was sitting because he was hurt, and Parker was sitting because he was shut down, while Van Exel was lighting us up. If it werent for NVE, the game wouldnt have been nearly as close. he kept you all in the game.

giving Timmy the ball in the final moments isnt such a bad idea, i mean this is his team, and he is BY FAR the best player on the team, and he should have been able to outplay whomever the Mavs threw at him. aside from that, Howard had Ginobili defended VERY well, and the Mavericks zone made Parker useless.

also, Phoenix had, and still has NO defense. its obvious why they didnt win. the Mavs offense is just as potent, but their defense is FAR superior.

now, its true that HCA can be rendered useless if you dont take advantage of it, but it can also be a great asset if you take care of business at home. it can get your players a great mental boost, while draining the opponent. but DON'T say that HCA means nothing, because you KNOW that without it, you would not have beat the Pistons last year.

[v2000]

BTW, you think that B2B @ Phoenix is a cakewalk?

Spurs have:

Seattle - 11th (Suck - 12 -25 on the road)
Orlando - 13th (Suck - 9 - 30 on the road)
@ Minnesota - 16th (Suck - 24 - 15 @ home and Garnetts got knee issues, now)
Utah - 17th (Can lose this B2B & still win HCA 18 - 20 on the road)
@ Houston - 19th (Suck) (Must Win if going to end tied Rockets 15 - 23 @ home)

Not much of a stretch for the Spurs to win out (and they have the luxury of dropping EITHER the Minnesota or Utah games - if Dallas drops either @ Clips, GS, or Phoenix, Spurs can lose both.)

first off, the Mavs are a MUCH better b2b team than the Spurs. second, the Suns have been crappy as of late, as the other poster noted, and they still play no defense. they should be able to get a W there.

[101A]

... you would not have beat the Pistons last year.

I don't Know that at all. The better team wins a 7 game series, regardless of HCA. There were 2 road victories in that series; NEITHER team held serve.

[spur219]

I seriously think Pop didn't go all out on his coaching. That way in the playoffs he could catch Avery and the Mavericks with something they haven't seen before and something they are not ready for. As a coach I know that is what I would do.

[leemajors]

i don't think there is too much pop could do that avery hasn't seen or could anticipate. pop said himself there aren't any secrets, it just comes down to excecution - dallas executed well and we didn't.

[mavsfan1000]

Forget homecourt advantage man. It's not happening for Dallas. They will have to win in the playoffs on the road.

[SequSpur]

ftm

[SpursWoman]