Upon further review:

[LB7]

Fair enough

[texas84]

Both of us have our biases. I admit that I see everything as much through Spurs fans colored glasses as you do through Mavs colored glasses. That's why we can both see the same thing and come to different conclusions. We can both agree, that, in general, neither of us enjoys seeing 82 free throws shot in a single playoff game.

Props to you all for playing a very good game. Props to you all for being up 2-1 and grabbing hca.

Your a good man (or woman). People like you make posting here fun and enjoyable instead of a beating of just smack talk.

I have a biased: agreed. You have a bias: agreed. We both have fun watching this series no doubt tho, win or lose.

I completely agree with the low post option. Mavs fans sort of hoped Dampier would be a low post presence and drop about 12 a night, but he's not an offensive presence at all (except on rebounding). Yall have Duncan, and he is a good one, a real good one.

But when I think jump shooting team, I think the old Mavs and the Suns of this year (sans Amare). These Mavs don't settle for jump shots anymore. They drive and score or get to the line. Thats my view.

[Slinkyman]

calls didn't go our way, so what life goes on. I'm thankful this was game 3 and not game 6 or 7 because we're still in control right now. We win tomorrow and it's a 3 game series with 2 games left at home, nothing to worry about.

[nobodi_home]

Very true. Regarding the Brent Barry foul (so-called, a'hem), when you get a ref suck-butt like Hubie Brown to swallow his adam's apple and admit the call looked pretty questionable, that is significant, cuz Cousin Hubie has his nose up the ref's butt from start to finish, every time they mistakenly allow this airhead to broadcast.

These games, and the questionable calls therein, make a strong case for COACH REVIEW, PLAY REVIEW, call it what you like-- as they do in football. Coaches should be allowed to throw their red flag out on the court and demand a replay-review for critical plays, when a bad call could completely skew the outcome. That Dictator Stern refuses to allow this doesn't speak well for the NBA Prez, nor for the game at large. Play Reveiw is badly needed.

Game 3 at Dallas is about as much proof as one would need, but even if the comments here about the bad calls are right, SAS still could have pulled this one out of the rabbit hat had Manu not muffed that pass, and a respectable play created by the coaching staff. That whole last play looked pretty goofy, and I've seen it a half dozen times and it still looks very strange. Was this the best Pop could cook up?

Why the didn't they work up something for Van Exel, Finley, Barry to gun a basket. Steve Nash may be the MVP this year, but San Antonio's Brent Barry beats his socks off when it comes to 3 pointers. This was the moment for Brent and they ignored it. And other options, but what the , when you fumble the ball, you lose. That's not to say the refs did a good job, which as many posters here have argued about, but I think that crap put out by the WOAI motormouths after the game (bad calls cost Spurs the game) is carrying too much weight. I agree, the refs did a ty job, but the Spurs did a ty job, too. Who shall we blame that on? Can't blame the refs for the rebounds Rasho didn't get cuz Pop kept him on the bench the whole game.

As for Mark Cuban, who the cares about this kook? He can take his vidoe tapes and stick 'em up his butt. Non factor!!! Dictator Stern doesn't care about Cuban's tapes, nor anything else Cuban does or says. Spurs fans should do the same, just ignore him.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Your a good man (or woman). People like you make posting here fun and enjoyable instead of a beating of just smack talk.

I have a biased: agreed. You have a bias: agreed. We both have fun watching this series no doubt tho, win or lose.

I completely agree with the low post option. Mavs fans sort of hoped Dampier would be a low post presence and drop about 12 a night, but he's not an offensive presence at all (except on rebounding). Yall have Duncan, and he is a good one, a real good one.

But when I think jump shooting team, I think the old Mavs and the Suns of this year (sans Amare). These Mavs don't settle for jump shots anymore. They drive and score or get to the line. Thats my view.

Well, I will give you and your team credit. No matter what happens (even if we come back and win the series- big if), this Mavs team is a lot better than the Mavs team before.

There are several reasons. First, your defense has improved a great deal. Second, you are scoring much more in the paint than you used to. Or put another way, you all rely on perimeter shooting significantly less than you used to. Third, (and this is related) your shot selection has improved a lot. By not taking as many quick 3's and maintaining better floor balance, you have cut down on the easy transition baskets of opponents. This forces them to have to face your half court defense.

Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Devin Harris and even Marquis Daniels all do get to the rim every game. They have a good mix of drive and shoot the open jumpshot. They do put pressure on the other team's defense by not settling for a jumpshot. We saw that in games 2 and 3 especially.

Really, my exaggeration is frustration due to the lack of a good low post scorer. First complaint: It is annoying that someone with Dirk's ability allows much smaller defenders to guard him. He needs to be able to post smaller players up. I know that this is not Dirk's main offensive weapon and I know that he is one of the very best 3 point shooters and shooters in general in the game. However, it seems to me that his height advantage is greatly minimized by not taking smaller defenders to the low block and punishing them (like sir charles says). Second complaint: Not only does Dirk not post up, there is nobody on your team that can post up regularly (or at least we don't see them doing it) in the low block.

What I said is definitely an exaggeration. The above frustrations explain the exaggeration. It seems to me that there are two rules which normally hold if you want to be the champs. First rule is the two man rule. If you want to be the champs, you need two elite players. An exception is the Pistons. Second rule, you need a power forward who can score on the block (Sheed can do it - although he tends to fall in love with the 3 too much for my taste). If you have the best player of all time (the goat), then this rule does not apply.

I bring all of this up because I think that field goal efficiency is extremely important and has a statistically significant correlation to winning percentage. I believe that normally if you have a great low post player (as well as drivers) you are going to get higher percentage shots than you otherwise would.

I appreciate the good basketball conversation. For me, it's a lot more enjoyable to have this kind of dialogue then engage in a smack talk debate.

You're a good man, Charlie Brown. Hope Dirk recovers soon. If he can't go, that might actually give you all the needed push after two wins over the Spurs (prevent complacency). We both know that a team teams to relax when they know the opposition does not have its best player playing. I think that at home, this is particularly true as the home town fans boost the club and especially the role players.

I would say good luck in game 4, but I think that at this point we need it more than you.

[toosmallshoes]

The refs are ing us. Sometimes getting violated in that way will make you cry like a baby. Just ask anyone who's spent time in a state prison for posession of half a gram of mary jane or some such thing. I don't see any mavs fans complaining about the officials (except for that one block on Manu... damn whiners). We're complaining about the officials because dirk scored 1/4 of his team's points at the line. He broke his personal record for free throws in a game during a playoff game!!!! That is some pussy . And the Mavs shot 50 free throws in a playoff game. That's so sick it should make anyone who is not a Mavs fan want to puke in his mom's face on Mother's Day. And that's pretty sick. If the officials want to make this a free throw contest let's just get it out of the way and start the game with a "best of 50" between Dirk and Manu or something. It's the playoffs. Put those whistles away.

[mFFL03]

The Spurs are too good at finishing at the rack to get calls in this league now. If you go to the basket like Duncan, Manu or Parker and get bumped but make the shot 80% of the time they don't call anything. If you throw your body into the defender and then miss the shot badly (like Dirk did last night, over and over) they seem to give you that call everytime.

They also have no clue how to officiate post players anymore, since big softies like Nogameski have made them nearly exctinct. Duncan gets held and grabbed by the Mavs untalented group of scrubs and gets no whistles, virtually everyime down the court.

That's the new NBA rules...

I'm sorry....."throw your body into the defender and then miss the shot badly"?

Watch Duncan, he does the same thing....ONLY WITH HIS ARMS. He knows when he can't do something, so he looks for the foul to bail his ass out. Go on, look at the replays when he gets "fouled" does it really look like he is trying to make a shot?

and as for Dirk doing the same thing? well sometimes he does. But he does get that contact, but he doesn't look for it first like duncan does. Sometimes you'll see dirk blow past you or do a spin move, or shoot over the guy.

TRUST ME. I've seen 75 games of my MAVS, don't watch your little Spur 20 Game season and expect to know everything about your team.

[Louae]

If you really did rewatch these plays, you would clearly see Parker stepped on a Mavericks foot and that is what caused the fall. This thread is some serious bull .

Parker tried to pass between defenders and when Howard tried to stick a hip out to slow him down, Parker tripped over his leg. that was clearly a foul.

[VinnyTestesVerde]

I suggest the Mav staff considering getting Dirk one of these for his drives to the paint.

For a mere $799.00 plus $23.00 shipping, I suggest that Dirk invest in one of these lovely Wikco ankle machines.

[Jimcs50]

calls didn't go our way, so what life goes on. I'm thankful this was game 3 and not game 6 or 7 because we're still in control right now. We win tomorrow and it's a 3 game series with 2 games left at home, nothing to worry about.

Dallas is in control. they hold serve, they win the series. Spurs need to win 3 of 4 games...let's be realistic here.

That being said, SA can win the series, but they need to stop doing what they have been doing, it ain't working. Spurs need to get bigger, and rebound the ball, and stop penetrations to the basket. If they do that, they will win the series. This is nothing new to SA, this has been their trademark in the Duncan era. Defend, defend, defend....win ugly.

[Fabbs]

Excellent TexasBalla1001. Can someone now photoshop it into one of the game photos. Like the Flailin Frauline on the floor out of bounds scam play.

[Winnipeg_Spur]

Watch Duncan, he does the same thing....ONLY WITH HIS ARMS. He knows when he can't do something, so he looks for the foul to bail his ass out. Go on, look at the replays when he gets "fouled" does it really look like he is trying to make a shot?

Duncan has a of a lot more "And 1s" than Dirk this series so I think it's fair to say he is trying to make a shot when he is fouled (not only is he trying, he is quite successful at making shots as he's fouled).

TRUST ME. I've seen 75 games of my MAVS, don't watch your little Spur 20 Game season and expect to know everything about your team.

I have no idea what you mean by "Spurs 20 Game Season," I'm pretty sure they play 82 games like everyone else...

Anyway, I didn't mean to be singling out Dirk or anything, from what I've seen of the Mavs I don't think that's the way he usually plays anyway. I just don't like the way the refs seem less inclined to call fouls when the shot goes in. This happens every game, for each team, so this isn't some Spurs, Mavs specific problem, I just thought there were some good examples of this in the last game.

[fyatuk]

An offensive foul should never be called if the contact is with a secondary defensive player who has established a defensive position within a designated "restricted area" near the basket for the purpose of drawing an offensive foul.

The "restricted area" for this purpose is the area bounded by an arc with a 4-foot radius measured from the middle of the basket.

EXCEPTION: Any player may be legally positioned within the "restricted area" if the offensive player receives the ball within the Lower Defensive Box.

This has been pissing me off regularly. It is a NO CHARGE zone, not an AUTOMATIC BLOCK zone. If it would be a charge, but is in the restricted area, it should be a NO CALL.

It's so stupid the way they call it.

[Rydia]

Alright guys...i tried reasoning...i even tried getting a little philosophical with you...but at the end of the day, i've realized you can't talk logically to a crying infant child.

So..........
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come on....you HAVE to admit the when Dirk went down they called a foul right away. What's crazy is that it took him almost two minutes to figure out WHO to call it on...IF YOU SEE A FOUL YOU SEE IT!!!! Don't pull crap like this. Little baby Dirky the Jerk gets to break his leg by himself and Timmy get's in trouble for it.

Nice screen name....no wonder why you are crying....you need to come up with something good...

pathetic- you are scared and you should be! We are gonna get ya!!!

Did you know you are on the SPurs board???

[Shank]

It was a foul.

[velik_m]

It was a foul.

It was not a foul.

[Shank]

There was contact. It was a foul.

[velik_m]

contact != foul

[Jimcs50]

The Spurs got the stops, but the refs put Dirk on the FT line for the 2nd straight game to determine the game. That is really the worst piece of officiating back to back that I have ever seen in my 30+ yrs of watching the NBA or any sport for that matter.

1. The so-called blocking foul by TD which led to 3 pts for Dirk after Finley's technical, was absolutely the worst charge/block call I have seen this year. TD was outside the circle by 2 ft, had position and was standing straight up. The ref blew the whistle and TD pumped his fists in the air, thinking that he got the call, which he knew that he did. Then the ref points to the floor, like he was pointing to the half circle, and Finley gets called for delay of game and the technical.

2. The last Dallas possession by Dallas in regulation was played beautifully by Bowen defensively, and again, for the 2nd straight game, Dirk is given an opportunity to tie/win the game at the line, instead of having to make a shot from the floor, as SA had to do when TD missed at the buzzer. Bowen did not foul Dirk, everyone agreed with this who saw the replay.

Bowen got so pissed, he went right up to Stern and told him that the call was terrible, like he should be ashamed of himself for putting the fix in.

Stern has put the fix in, there is no doubt about it. The refs can not be this bad, no way, no how.

[LEONARD]

LMAO...I love it...

"The Fix"...

[Jimcs50]

LMAO...I love it...

"The Fix"...

How else can you explain the calls?????? Stevie Wonder could have seen those two calls better.

[Winnipeg_Spur]

Mav fans are happy to see the integrity of the game completely destroyed just to watch their team get beat in the finals.

[NoMoneyDown]

How else can you explain the calls?????? Stevie Wonder could have seen those two calls better.

[LEONARD]

How else can you explain the calls?????? Stevie Wonder could have seen those two calls better.

Bad calls both ways and whiny Spurs fans that aren't used to losing...simple...

Mav fans are happy to see the integrity of the game completely destroyed just to watch their team get beat in the finals.

I'd rather see the Mavs get beat in the finals than the Spurs...

[NoMoneyDown]

I'd rather see the Mavs get beat in the finals than the Spurs...

Yeah, at least you could then say your team actually accomplished something for a change.