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Did they forget about who is going to stop Ducan. What is your prediction duncan228 on the series
No. 3 SAN ANTONIO SPURS (54-28) vs. No. 6 DALLAS MAVERICKS (50-32)
Brian Mahoney
Season series: Tied, 2-2. The highlight was the Spurs’ 133-126 double-overtime victory in Dallas on Dec. 9, and San Antonio’s other victory was a 93-76 home rout in a game that neither Tim Duncan nor Manu Ginobili played. Josh Howard averaged 20.7 points in the three games he played, missing one of Dallas’ losses. Dirk Nowitzki had a pair of 30-point games for Dallas.
Storyline: The state and division rivals meet in the postseason for the first time since the Mavs beat the Spurs in a thrilling Western Conference semifinal in 2006, winning Game 7 in overtime in San Antonio. The Spurs are playing without Ginobili but still managed to win its last four to clinch the Southwest le. Dallas also finished strong to vault all the way to the No. 6 seed.
Key matchup I: Tony Parker vs. Jason Kidd. Kidd no longer has the speed to defend quick point guards. Chris Paul dominated him in last year’s playoffs, and Parker torched the Mavs for 31.3 points per game this season, including a pair of 37-point nights. So Dallas may need another solution for San Antonio’s All-Star.
Key matchup II: Michael Finley vs. Josh Howard. If Howard’s ankle is healthy enough, the Spurs will struggle to find anyone athletic enough to defend him. Finley averaged 14.5 points and made 11 of 24 shots in two wins against his former team but was a combined 3-for-14 for eight total points in the losses.
X-factor: Jason Terry. If Ginobili were playing, this would have been a matchup of the NBA’s two best sixth men. Now there’s no doubt Terry is the top game-changer off the bench in the series.
Prediction: Mavericks in 6.
Did they forget about who is going to stop Ducan. What is your prediction duncan228 on the series
Apparently Duncan is irrelevant to this bag.
Mavs go into playoffs at their best
By Jaime Aron
DALLAS — Players say it all the time: They want their team playing its best going into the playoffs.
Well, the Dallas Mavericks certainly are. And they have about as good of a first-round matchup as they could get.
So maybe Jason Terry is on to something when he keeps insisting "the best is yet to come."
Terry has been using that line for days, even proclaiming it to a sellout crowd before the season finale Wednesday night. He was right in the short term, with a bunch of things falling into place and the Mavericks winding up with 50 wins and the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, neither of which seemed likely just a few weeks ago.
"We've continued to gradually build," coach Rick Carlisle said. "We've just really become a fighting team the last couple of months. That helped us."
Dallas will open the playoffs Saturday night in San Antonio, taking on a Spurs team that just won the division and will be looking to add 2009 to its collection of NBA les in odd-numbered years (1999, 2003, '05 and '07).
But the Spurs will be without Manu Ginobili, which means they're a very different club. While the Mavericks also are different from the bunch that won a Game 7 in overtime in San Antonio three years ago, Terry and Dirk Nowitzki are still around and they'll make sure their team is not intimidated by having to win at least one road game to win the series.
"You always want to steal the first one, then go from there," Nowitzki said. "We'll just see what kind of defense they throw at us and what kind we throw at them. It's a game of adjustments after that."
This has been a season of adjustments for Dallas.
Coach Avery Johnson was fired last April following a second straight first-round ousting and a third straight playoff series loss. Players welcomed the change, but started 2-7 overall and 0-4 at home under Carlisle.
So Carlisle scrapped the Princeton-style offense he installed in training camp and went to a variety of what Johnson ran. After falling into another rut in late January, he made another switch -- letting Jason Kidd run the offense.
Things finally began to improve, especially at home. The Mavs are 15-1 at home since the All-Star break.
Yet they also tend to have some real clunkers on the road. There was a blowout loss in San Antonio when the Spurs were without Ginobili and Tim Duncan, then another in Oklahoma City on a night the lowly Thunder were without their top two scorers. Team owner Mark Cuban followed that loss with a threat to get rid of anyone who wasn't trying hard enough. They were better for a while, but still lost at Memphis two weeks ago, when the Grizzlies were long since eliminated and Dallas needed every win it could get.
The main reason the Mavs are rolling into the playoffs is Josh Howard returning to the lineup and to his All-Star form of a few years ago.
After missing 11 games in November-December and 11 more in March, all because of an aching left ankle, Howard understood the only cure is offseason surgery. Knowing he'd have to tolerate pain no matter how hard he tried, he's decided to go all out and endure the consequences.
Howard is back to flying toward the rim in the half-court offense and in transition, becoming the go-to guy for Kidd that was expected when Dallas traded for the point guard last season. He's once again the team's best defender on the perimeter and he's no longer stirring up off-court controversies like advocating marijuana on local radio or saying the national anthem isn't for him because he's black.
His impact is easy to measure: Since he rejoined the lineup March 31, Dallas is 7-2 overall, 6-1 in the games he's played.
"His energy on both ends of the floor is what we were missing," Nowitzki said. "Hopefully his ankle responds the right way. We've got a couple of days off now, then let it rip this weekend."
Carlisle's lineups have changed frequently all season, with Howard's health giving the rotation an extra twirl. The upside is that Carlisle has a better feel for when to start Antoine Wright or J.J. Barea at shooting guard, and knows he can rely on Brandon Bass and James Singleton as backups. Ryan Hollins has become an energy guy at center, but Carlisle lately has opted to go with smaller lineups when he takes out center Erick Dampier.
Terry comes off the bench, too, although he hardly seems like a sub considering he averages nearly 34 minutes and 19.6 points. Nowitzki averages 25.9 points, third-best in his career and fourth-most in the NBA.
"Right now, we're a confident group," Kidd said. "We're playing well. We're playing together."
Carlisle proudly notes that Dallas is the first team to start 2-7 and finish with 50 wins. This is the ninth straight year the Mavericks have reached that standard of excellence.
However, Dallas is the only team to have such a long stretch of 50-win seasons without winning multiple NBA les. That's right, not just a championship, but several. The Mavericks have reached the finals only once and blew their chance for the championship by letting a 2-0 lead slip away against Miami in 2006.
They haven't won a postseason series since, but the last few weeks sure have felt like it. Dallas went 4-1 in games against playoff teams to move out of the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
"We've banded together," Terry said. "I think that's made us tougher mentally. I think we're prepared. We're a playoff-ready team. I keep saying it, but the best is yet to come."
Hmm, aren't we a team, and the Mavericks, too. There is no Lebron, Kobe, or Wade on either team. This series will be decided by such intervening factors as coaching, additions to either team since they last met, bench points, players who had not mattered until now (think Udoka, Mason, ... ?). This will be an interesting series, one that will yield many surprises.
I'm counting on it.
Actually SpurYank I have a feeling this series might well be decided more by substractions (Harris) than additions...
Kidd ha little chance of stopping Parker but at the same time, he has shown that he can still play the game, even post triple doubles once in a while. His 3-point shot has become a weapon for the Mavs. This series is going to be tightly contested.
My prediction is Duncan won't be stopped. We got a taste of what he still can do last night. The fire is back.
Duncan said the '06 Mavs series was one of the best he'd ever played in, and the loss hit him hard. Game 7, his court, overtime. It left a bad taste in his mouth and I think he'll take advantage of the opportunity to get rid of it.
The core of the Spurs are battle tested. It's been a rocky season but I believe we'll see them come together now. 'Win or go home' brings out the best in a Champion. Duncan, and the Spurs, are Champions. I expect to see the poise and execution they need to win.
thanks for posting this,
Yes spurs are missing Manu, but the Mavs are missing Avery and by that I mean someone that knows the spur's system. Thats what enabled them to beat us a few years ago.
I don't think they are a bad match up for us, yes we don't have anyone to defend Dirk, but he is not playing MVP level of basketball.
Josh Howard is not 100% healthy and if he is Bruce is going to be on him.
Jason kid is too slow for TP
Spurs in 5.
I think this could be a great matchup for Gooden. The Mavs only ever put one bigman on the court at one time that can score. The other serves as a defender and rebounder. Put Gooden on that guy, and let another bigman defend Dirk, and it'll cover his defensive weaknesses. Then he can go to work on the offensive end.
San Antonio (3) vs. Dallas (6)
Key to series: The benches. There are a lot of miles on the starters for both teams. Drew Gooden gives the Spurs some toughness which they lacked.
San Antonio 54-28
Dallas 50-32
Season Series: Tied 2-2
Head-to-head:
(at) Dallas 107, San Antonio 102
(at) San Antonio 93, Dallas 76
San Antonio 133, Dallas 126
Dallas 98, (at) San Antonio 81
Playoff Gambling Trends: Both teams are probably thinking that this is good way to start the series. San Antonio used the final week of the season to figure out a way to get by without Manu Ginobili (out for the season). Dallas would be comfortable in a half-court that saves Jason Kidd’s legs. Both teams are long in the tooth and will need to be replenished next season.
How San Antonio wins: Tim Duncan sucks it up for one last championship run, Tony Parker makes life miserable for Jason Kidd and the Spurs force the ball out of Dirk Nowitzki’s hands as much as possible.
How Dallas wins: The Mavs collapse on Duncan defensively, taking their chances that the SA perimeter is fatally injured by the loss of Ginobili. Parker has a tough time getting to the rim.
Prediction: San Antonio in 6
The Mavs are in big trouble
Oh yeah! Lets kick the mav's asses and continue the drive for our 5th le. Our Slam Duncan has waken! Lets go spurs!! Lets go pinoy spurs fans!
Preview: Spurs vulnerable vs. Mavs, but not doomed
By Tony Mejia
Pro Basketball News
The San Antonio Spurs are more vulnerable now, certainly. Manu Ginobili, out with a stress fracture in his lower right leg, will be missed. Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley are a year older.
But you're a fool if you believe the Spurs to be a paper No. 3 seed. A fool beyond redemption.
San Antonio has managed to hold on to its mystique even as cir stances conspire to tear it away. Because Ginobili's ankle has suc bed to the stress of playing basketball year-round for far too long, the likelihood of the Spurs continuing their run of les in odd years ('99, '03, '05, '07) looks bleak. The Lakers, now at full stength, appear far too imposing.
That said, the Spurs remain interested in making their run. Given their accomplishments over the past decade and the caliber of their personnel, players and coaches alike, you might want to give them the benefit of the doubt before painting them with the incapable brush. Already, they're serving up reminders that writing them off wouldn't be wise.
Since learning Ginobili won't be back for the postseason, San Antonio has won five of six games. On Wednesday night, it looked destined for a No. 5 seed, down two possessions against New Orleans with just over 30 seconds to go.
Fate then intervened, getting a major assist from the Spurs, who, as they've been known to do, bent fate to carry out their will. A smart basket here, a deflection and near-steal there. The ball ended up in James Posey's hands instead of Chris Paul's, a free throw was missed, and a crack of the door was left open.
Gregg Popovich, left with 7.6 seconds to draw up the game-tying play, drew up a deliciously devious play to get a 3-point shot from Roger Mason or Finley, neither of whom panicked in executing flawlessly. Finley gets a look, sends the game to overtime and the Spurs ultimately sew up another Southwest Division le, albeit an unlikely one.
They'll open the 2009 postseason at home, same as they've done every year since 1999, Duncan's second in the league. That's a major victory right there.
Their first-round opponent is another resilient bunch, in-state rival Dallas, a team that won't dwarf the Spurs athletically. That, too, is a major victory.
Although the Mavericks are a cerebral, veteran-laden team currently playing it's best basketball of the season, they offer San Antonio a number of olive branches in what promises to be a compe ive series. For one, travel to Dallas will be a lot easier than having to cruise all the way out to Portland. Houston got stuck with that chore.
Another major edge is that Tony Parker avoided fellow road-runner Chris Paul, instead drawing Jason Kidd, who he has a chance at wearing down over a lengthy series.
Over the years, San Antonio has seen so much of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Erick Dampier that the Spurs coaches know every one of their tendencies and weaknesses. Although the Mavericks have responded wonderfully to new coach Rick Carlisle, particularly lately, Popovich has to be psyched that he's got a team he knows so well to try and take apart with his short-handed roster. He already knows what should work and what won't.
April may have dealt the Spurs a nasty surprise with Ginobili's news to start the month, but this middle portion, Wednesday specifically, has cushioned the blow. Finishing up 5-1 without Manu and securing a top-four seed, not to mention a division le, helps keep the faith.
Popovich has been asked about his team from putting its head down without its most dynamic scorer.
"That's not how the team is built," was his simple response.
He's been proven right. Pop's guys have gone out and created a few breaks for themselves. If history is any indication, they'll take advantage.
HISTORY: The Spurs and Mavericks are old pals, splitting four regular season meetings. They've played twice since the All-Star breaking, splitting those as well, with Dallas holding the most recent win, overcoming 37 points from Parker in a 107-102 win. The teams have played each other in the postseason three times this decade ('01, '03, '06), with San Antonio winning the first two showdowns and Dallas prevailing a few years ago, winning an epic overtime game in San Antonio that ultimately prevented a potential three-peat. Mark Cuban remains a villified figure in the city for talking smack about San Antonio's beloved River Walk during that series, calling it an "ugly-ass, muddy-watered thing." Michael Finley, a Mavericks legend with over 600 career starts in a Dallas uniform, will be on the Spurs side of this playoff rivalry for the second time.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Duncan has been nursing sore knees for the better part of 2009, taking days off here and there to ease the burden. It's time to see if there's a payoff. Duncan has played in just two back-to-backs since the All-Star break and can go forward safe in the knowledge that there won't be another one. He played 34 minutes in the overtime win over the Hornets and came up with his best effort in over a month, finishing with 20 points, 19 rebounds, six assists and displaying a healthy amount of juice down the stretch. To say his effort was encouraging would be an understatement, as it's worth mentioning that the Spurs had lost five consecutive times when Duncan played 34 or more minutes. Popovich will have to walk a fine line to keep him fresh and productive.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Somehow, this series will find a way to go seven games. The core personnel is intimately familiar with one another, and there are matchups on both sides that can be exploited. Dirk Nowitzki had some of the best efforts of his career in that 2006 playoff series against the Spurs, and you can expect Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka to try and slow him despite a size disadvantage. The Spurs will play through Duncan as often as possible, hoping he can draw double teams and create space for Tony Parker to work with and open shots for others on the perimeter.
KEY MATCHUP: Parker was pleased when Devin Harris was shipped out of town, even though it brought Kidd to the Mavericks. He even said so at the time of the trade, glad to be rid of one of the few guards fast enough to hang with him. Kidd is a capable defender and can wear you down with his size, but from a speed standpoint, is left to eat Parker's dust. In his last three games against Dallas, Parker has shot 42-for-82, averaging 34.3 points, 8.7 assists and just two turnovers. Kidd, who has been brilliant with his leadership, floor game and an improved 3-point stroke down the stretch, will have to be active throughout this series to hold his own, not to mention guarantee himself that contract he wants that will allow him to stay put.
LIKELY STARTERS:
Spurs -- F Michael Finley, F Tim Duncan, C Matt Bonner, G Tony Parker, G Roger Mason.
Mavs -- F Josh Howard, F Dirk Nowitzki, C Erick Dampier, G Jason Kidd, G Antoine Wright.
COACHING EDGE: Popovich is a master, but he's got strong compe ion in the Xs and Os department in Dallas' Carlisle. After using the first 50 or so games to get the talent he wanted in and carve out a strong rotation, he proved a lot of people wrong by guiding the Mavs to this point. Carlisle won 50 games with his third different franchise when the Mavs beat the Rockets in the regular season finale, and can hold his own with anyone in the coaching department.
THE SPURS WILL WIN IF: Duncan can stay in the 35-minute range and keeps from wearing down while providing San Antonio with his usual contributions on both ends of the floor. Parker's production is a given, so if the Spurs can get their two remaining All-Stars to be catalysts, they've got enough of a supporting cast to advance. With Duncan unable to deliver consistently over 40 minutes at a time, Drew Gooden will have to fill in the gaps and make a difference.
THE MAVS WILL WIN IF: Jason Terry continues to deliver in clutch situations, as it's up to him and to a lesser degree, J.J. Barea, to help take some pressure off Kidd. Nowitzki needs to deliver a few big nights, but the only way Dallas wins this series is if it can get enough quality guard play to offset Parker and keep the Spurs from comfortably digging in on defense.
REQUIRED READING: Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News; David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.
PREDICTION: San Antonio in seven. It's so difficult to eliminate a Spurs team with homecourt advantage, having happened only twice in the past seven years, a period spanning 16 seperate series. Dallas was the last to do so, but will find the task more difficult with Kidd trying to check Parker instead of Harris. Ultimately, that will provide the difference in a Game 7.
mavs in 6.
sorry spurfan, but you guys aint what you used to be
For Mav fans:
Neither are the Mavs.
Spurs in 6.
Why I'm scared...
Most seasons going into the "second season", we've had at least an idea that the spurs could easily dictate a series with their defense. Because the defense has not been consistant this season, it gives me great disgust to say that I don't like the tempo in which this series will be played. This is gonna be an up and down series with multiple games in the 100s for both teams and I dont think we can beat Dallas over seven games with that format.
Tony will be Tony but Bruce must be Bruce. Whether he's playing dirk or terry. His defense will dictate the tempo in the ballgame. If the spurs can somehow slow the game down, they're chances of winning will be much greater.
Mason has to be ginobili. Not with super manu intangibles, but with his offense. He must provide that offensive punch that we got used to seeing earlier in the season or the Spurs will be in danger of going on long dry offensive spells much to their demise in 2008.
Tim has to impose his will as much as his knees will let him. Diop is no longer in the middle, so Tim must destroy Dampier, repeatedly.
We need Gooden to be our Nazr. Rebound and provide a smidge of offense. Drew Gooden is capable of going off. If he does, the Spurs will be in great shape. Also, keeping Brandon Bass in check on the boards will be his number one priority.
Who's running the backup point? Vaughn can not keep up with Barea. I fear this matchup because I know the mavs are at a huge advantage in this area.
The success of this series will also go to the team that can do a better job shutting down the perimeter shooters. Dallas has deadly shooters that can kill you on the run. The Spurs have to step up their Transition D to make sure dallas doesn't score 10 points in 35 seconds as they can. On the flip side, Matt Bonner must find his touch once again. His shooting will be crucial when dallas decides to make a priority out of keeping tony out of the lane. Note to Matt: don't think, just shoot.
Protect the house. Dallas is putrid on the road. The spurs cannot allow dallas to steal one because the AAC, in all its rediculousness, will not be an easy place to pull out a win.
No series prediction here. The spurs will need all hands on deck for this one. Any kind of championship moxy the Spurs have left will be shown in this series. The only question is, will it be enough?
Believe?
From an X's and O's standpoint, I think we are going to have all kinds of matchup problems against the Mavs. That said, I absolutely despise Cuban, so all I can do is believe and hope that gay bas mopes his way out of town. I don't even care if the Spurs get swept in the 2nd round, just beat the effing Mavs!
Of course Dirk just hit a bunch of bull shots to be 4th in the league in scoring.
NBA Playoff Preview - San Antonio vs. Dallas
By John McMullen, NBA Editor
(Sports Network) - The three-six matchup in the Western Conference quarterfinals will be a Texas-sized showdown between San Antonio and Dallas with the opener slated for Saturday at 8 p.m. (et).
The Spurs were able to win the Southwest Division on the final day of the regular season thanks to a clutch three-pointer at the regulation buzzer from Michael Finley, then surging ahead in overtime to beat New Orleans.
Trying to win the NBA le for a fourth time in seven years, San Antonio guard Tony Parker is looking forward to the postseason again. The Spurs though will be without a main cog, as star swingman Manu Ginobili is out due to a stress fracture in his leg.
"We've had a lot of injuries. With Manu (Ginobili) being out half the season, it was a tough season," said Parker. "There were a lot of ups and downs but at the end of the day we got that third seed and that's what we wanted."
The Spurs are facing a familiar foe in the sixth-seeded Mavericks. The division rivals will be meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time since 2001, with the Spurs holding a 2-1 lead in the three previous meetings, although Dallas won the most recent series, a seven-game thriller in 2006.
Dallas surged to the sixth seed following a home win over Houston on the final night of the regular season.
The Mavs are now three years removed from their NBA Finals collapse against the Miami Heat and no longer considered a serious le contender.
It's been a steady if not precipitous decline for Mark Cuban's franchise since bowing to Miami. The following year, the team sprinted to the finish line with 67 wins but were stunned in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. Last year, the New Orleans Hornets did the dirty work, bouncing Dallas in the first round yet again. Now the Mavs will hope to avoid a third consecutive first- round exit.
A late season spurt helped Dallas reach the 50-win plateau for the ninth consecutive season but its 50-32 mark is the worst record the team has posted in those nine seasons.
The clubs split the four-game seasons series this year with the highlight being the Spurs' 133-126 double-overtime victory in Dallas on December 9.
MATCHUPS:
POINT GUARD: The Parker-Jason Kidd matchup at the point figures to be the most compelling of the series. The two point stars are on opposite career paths but both are playing well coming into the series.
Parker is coming off the best season of his career, leading the Spurs in scoring and assists at 22.0 ppg and 6.9 apg. He's one of the quickest players in the league with the ball and has improved his jump shot over the years, making him a tough check for anyone, nevermind an aging player like Kidd. In fact, Parker lit up the Mavs to the tune of 31.3 points per game this season, including a pair of 37-point nights.
Kidd isn't exactly chopped liver, however. The veteran recorded 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds Wednesday in the Mavs win over the Houston Rockets, giving him his third triple-double of the season and the 103rd of his career. J-Kidd was one of only three players in the NBA this year to notch three-or- more triple doubles, joining LeBron James (seven) and Chris Paul (six). Overall, Kidd scored 9.0 ppg and dished out 8.7 assists but shot just 41.6 percent from the floor.
EDGE: SPURS
SHOOTING GUARD: With Ginobili on the sidelines, San Antonio needs Roger Mason to deliver some scoring and he has been doing that lately but needs to show more consistency on a game-to-game basis.
Either way, Mason should be able to contribute more offense than his counterpart for Dallas, Antoine Wright. Problem is, Jason Terry will often come off the bench for Rick Carlisle and light it up.
EDGE: SPURS
CENTER: Polar opposites here. Spurs center Matt Bonner is a perimeter center that can stretch the defense with his outside shot but offers little help on the boards or the defensive end.
The Mavs' Erick Dampier, on the other hand, is a plodding pivot that can be a presence on the glass and a deterrent to anyone with a desire to drive the lane. His offense leaves a lot to be desired, however.
EDGE: MAVERICKS
SMALL FORWARD: Finley, a former Maverick, is the veteran starter for the Spurs. He's no longer a big-time scoring threat (9.7 ppg) but can still fill it up from beyond the arc, nailing 131 three-pointers this season and shooting a solid 41.1 percent from long range.
The athletic Josh Howard should have a big edge. Howard missed 30 games this season with a balky ankle but was very productive (18.0, 5.1 rpg) when on the floor and scores with consistency from inside and out. He averaged 20.7 points in the three games he played against San Antonio this year.
EDGE: MAVERICKS
POWER FORWARD: Balky knees and all, Tim Duncan is still Tim Duncan. The veteran All-Star is certainly slowing down and Gregg Popovich often rested him on the second day of back-to-back games but that's never an issue in the postseason. Duncan is still a nightly double-double guy at 19.3 ppg and 10.7 and a solid presence on the defensive end.
The Mavs, meanwhile, have their own All-Star at power forward in Dirk Nowitzki. The German star still fills it up to the tune of 25.9 ppg and 8.4 rpg. The former MVP finished the season with 26 double-doubles and tied a career-high for 30-point games in a season with 26. Two of Nowitzki's 30-point outings came against the Spurs and Dallas was 19-7 when Dirk notched 30-plus points, so he needs to get off a few times in the series.
EDGE: SPURS
BENCH: Last year's Sixth Man of the Year, Ginobili, is not available for the Spurs. His heir apparent, Terry, will be ready for the Mavs.
San Antonio doesn't have many offensive options off the bench now, save veteran forward Drew Gooden. Popovich has already indicated that rookie guard George Hill will not be much of an option.
Terry has been money all year, netting 19.6 points per game, second on the team to Nowitzki. Meanwhile, guard Jose Juan Barea and forward Brandon Bass have also given Rick Carlisle effective minutes on a nightly basis down the stretch.
EDGE: MAVERICKS
PREDICTION: If you are looking for an upset in the first round, you have to look long and hard at this series. The Mavs have played very well late in the season while the Spurs are without their finisher, Ginobili.
I still think a veteran-laden San Antonio club, with all its championship experience, will have enough to oust Dallas in a Game 7 set for the Alamo City. But, anytime you are in a do-or-die situation and staring at Nowitzki and Terry on the opposite bench, things could go wrong.
The Spurs have advanced past the first round of the playoffs in every season since 1999-2000.
SPURS in 7
Western Conference playoff preview: No. 3 San Antonio vs. No. 6 Dallas
By Sean Deveney - SportingNews
Frontcourt: The Spurs' frontline has been held together by chicken wire and bubble gum all season. PF Tim Duncan is still an All-NBA player, but his knees are hurting, and he's getting by on guts just now. Before this season, sharp-shooting C Matt Bonner made just nine starts in four years in the NBA—he made 67 starts this year. And 36-year-old Michael Finley is the starter at small forward. Yet, this team won 54 games. The Mavericks are anchored by PF Dirk Nowitzki, and he will be a puzzle for the Spurs. Nowitzki's ability to play on the perimeter means the Spurs can't put Duncan or Bonner on him, but Nowitzki has five inches on Finley. C Erick Dampier might not play very much if Bonner can make his 3-pointers, but the real key figures to be Mavs SF Josh Howard, whose ankle injury has bothered him all year. Howard needs to provide some support for Nowitzki. Edge: Mavericks.
Backcourt: Dallas PG Jason Kidd is 36 and has lost a step, but there are two things he can do that might prove useful in this series. The first is nothing new: Kidd can post up the much smaller Tony Parker. The second is very new: Kidd can make 3-pointers, having shed his rep as a bad shooter while making 40.6 percent of his 3s this year. Kidd will have to exploit Parker on the offensive end, because when it comes to defending Parker, Kidd has little chance. Parker has become an elite point guard, too quick and smart to contain. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle will probably use SG Jose Barea or SG Antoine Wright on Parker when possible. The Spurs' Roger Mason Jr. has cooled off since his hot first half, but he is still a dangerous 3-point shooter. Edge: Spurs.
Bench: The loss of Manu Ginobili is a crushing blow for the Spurs, but they've rallied and managed to hold up without him over the last five games of the season. They'll count more on Ime Udoka, they'll need some scoring from Drew Gooden, and we may see more of Bruce Bowen. The Mavs have stocked up on bench bruisers like James Singleton and Brandon Bass, but the guy the Spurs have no answer for is Jason Terry (19.6 points per game). Edge: Mavericks.
Go-to guy: Mason has been an excellent last-second option for the Spurs, and with the threat of a Duncan jumper or Parker penetration, he figures to be left open for his share of clutch field-goal attempts. Nowitzki is a proven go-to guy, too. Edge: Even.
X-factor: Howard's ankle could decide this series. If he's playing up to par, and if he can perform well in the second half of games (which has been a problem), then the Mavs might have too many weapons for the Spurs to handle. Over Howard's last seven games, he's averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds.
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's hot? Parker is hard enough to handle, even when he is just playing at his usual level. But he has picked it up down the stretch, averaging 24.6 points and 7.3 assists over his last 25 games.
Who's not? He can still make an open 3-pointer, but Bowen—a fixture in the Spurs starting five for the last seven seasons—has seen his minutes cut and averaged just 2.7 points this year. Still, he could be a factor in this series, because he's been known to irritate Nowitzki.
Outlook: These two teams know each other well, and last time they played in the postseason, the Mavs took a thrilling overtime Game 7 victory on their way to the Finals. It's a good, comfortable matchup for both teams. Losing Ginobili hurts the Spurs, but having Parker (and the home edge) helps. Spurs in 7.
I don't think Duncan is going to let that streak end this year.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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