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So timvp is calling Jan @ 11-5, like Boutons_,
very pessimistic in t_pork's treasured opinion.
I just got back from watching a pre-screening of the game tonight. Here is what's going to happen:
1st Quarter
The Spurs started off pretty strong to open the game. The crowd was into it and it looked like the Spurs brought their A game. About the middle of the first quarter, the Mavs started making a run. By the end of the first quarter, Dallas was up a couple points.
2nd Quarter
The Mavs scored the first basket of the quarter, but then San Antonio went on a run. They captured the lead and got up by a decent amount. But after an AJ timeout, the Mavs came roaring back and by halftime the game was tied.
3rd Quarter
Neither team did much scoring early in the period, but then the Spurs got an offensive rhythm going. Duncan got rolling and the Spurs knocked down a couple threes. However, the Mavs came back at the end of the quarter to cut the Spurs' lead to four points.
4th Quarter
The Mavs come at strong in the fourth and erase the Spurs' lead. Pop puts his big guns back on the court, which leads to a couple minutes in which the Spurs are in control. However, with six minutes to go in the game, that's when the Mavs take over. They blitz the Spurs with their energy until Jason Terry nails the dagger. Mavs won by 9 points.
The good news is that this is the part of the story where the Spurs start to turn it around. From this game to the end of January, the Spurs lose only two games.
Use this information wisely.
Thanks.
So timvp is calling Jan @ 11-5, like Boutons_,
very pessimistic in t_pork's treasured opinion.
So are you going to apologize again when the Spurs win tonight?
Somebody send a memo to Nbadan that THIS is how you do predictions.
Sorry, I didn't read this before starting the "1st qtr." poll.
We shall see.
I expect to see Dallas, as Cleveland did, calling out the Spurs' plays and going to standing in the spots/lanes where the cutters are supposed to go. The problem with Pop's training ground for coaches and players is that, more and more, teams know what is coming.
Expect the Spurs to run high screen rolls and zone some after getting frustrated with Dallas' corporate knowledge of the Spurs' system.
The Mavericks are hot, the Spurs are in a slump. F. Elson, the only player who seemed to play decent on Dirk in the first game of the season is out.
This is a very safe prediction, and probably an accurate one, LJ, and I respect that a great deal.
Here's mine: Spurs by 14 in a blowout win.
No game-winning shot by Bonner?
Bonner = DNP-CD
that's what sucks, right? I wish finley gave us this kind of edge on them the same way AJ affects us.
Maybe cause Finley didn't play long enough under Avery?
What did he play, half a year, and all Avery did was run Maverick's stuff.
I can live with them losing tonight. Although not visiting this board for a couple days waiting for it to come back from the brink of anarchy, will suck.
Good call.
I don't know why Spurs fans are all acting shocked about the loss. I'm actually surprised that the Spurs made it a game. I've watched the Mavs a lot lately and they are just a deadly fourth quarter team. They remind me of the 2000-2002 Lakers in the regard.
Dirk hit the go ahead three with 5:30 to go in the game and they never trailed again. I thought I'd be with 6:00 to go.
The Mavs are clearly the better team and they are only getting better. The Spurs are declining as age is catching up to them.
For the Spurs to win in a playoff series against the Mavs, they'd have to either:
1) Make a move for a perimeter player who isn't soft and can rebound and get to the line (Corey Maggette would fit that role perfectly). They need more easy points offensively and need a guy to rebound defensively other than Duncan.
2) Make a radical lineup change. Pop won the 2003 championship when he benched Steve Smith and went with the youth. Problem is the Spurs don't have a Stephen Jackson this year ... unless you think Jackie Butler or James White can fit the mold.
3) The Big Three and a bigman play out of their minds. I'm talking about playing near perfect basketball. Duncan would have to dominate, Manu would have to play like he did in 2005 and Parker would need to play the playoff series of his life. On top of that, the Spurs would need Horry, Oberto, Elson or Bonner to have a big series.
If the Spurs played at this current level or even a couple notches above, they'd get swept or lose the series in five. Dirk is too good and AJ is one of a coach.
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Besides losing, what really bugged me about the game was how the Mavs fans cackles(at least in the area I was sitting) totally drowned out the Spurs fans' rooting.
There is something seriously not right when I am by far the most vocal person in my section.
And although I didn't get to hear, I bet people cheered for Avery again too, didn't they?
You were dead on LJ.
Let this serve as a reminder to our team..
If the spurs play the mavs in the playoffs, no doubt they'll be beaten by them.
From this moment on, the spurs must build up to the playoffs.
Dallas right now is at it's best. Hopefully the Spurs can do the same around playoff time when it really counts.
I worry though..
The mavs are built to beat the spurs.
Sorta like the way the Spurs were built to beat the lakers in 2003.
The Mavs fans were louder than the Spurs fans in stretches of the game. And I hate that in the Spurs arena. It was the same thing in a few playoff games last year. How can 16,000 Spurs fans let about 1,000 Mavs fans drown them out?Besides losing, what really bugged me about the game was how the Mavs fans cackles(at least in the area I was sitting) totally drowned out the Spurs fans' rooting.
There is something seriously not right when I am by far the most vocal person in my section.
And although I didn't get to hear, I bet people cheered for Avery again too, didn't they?
yeah the season is lost.
I agree.
Who are you agreeing with?
I know, right!
Holy that was close to exactly. Both teams were bricking in the third quarter but the Spurs pushed it back up to 10 with two threes. But then the Mavs came back and cut it to three at the end of the quarter. The Mavs score the first four points of the fourth quarter to take the lead. Then Pop put Duncan back in and the Spurs get up to up by four. The Spurs kept the lead until the 6th minute mark when Dirk hit a three and the Mavs never trailed again. When the Spurs cut into the lead it was Jason Terry who hit the big shot with 1:44 to go.
The 9 point loss wasn't close enough. Don't give him any credit
3rd quarter small ball KILLED us.
I am re watching the game now.
Two notes:
*Bill Walton keeps calling Fabri " Fabulous Fabricio" - seems like a big fan
* Cuban looks extra awful with facial hair. He is so lame. The shirt he was wearing, " I went to the San Antonio Riverwalk and all I got was a rash."
What was funny was that the broadcasters were so intent on bringing us the wardrobe story. It took them three attempts to do it in the midst of their game calling, but they did it.
RayRay,
The Mavs are quite good, but I do not believe that they have peaked yet.
- Devin has made steady progress throughout the year -- AJ is a great teacher, and we can see the subtle improvements that he is making.
- Josh is dominating at home and learning to be a major contributor on the road; although he had by his standards a slow start, he finished with 18/12.
- Damp is gaining confidence in his ability to catch and more players are attempting to involve him in the offense.
- Anthony Johnson was the backup point for Indy last year and arguably the best player in their last playoff series; yet, he has not learned to push the ball as a Western point guard and has not fit into our offense yet.
- Croshere was a serviceable backup PF for Indy last year but has not learned to make even a small contribution yet for the Mavs.
- Buck is performing well below his standards of last year in Denver; only during the last two games have we seen him get accustomed to Avery's system.
George is the only new face who has learned to work well within the system. When (if) Johnson, Croshere, and Buck (all of whom were rotation players on playoff teams last year) learn to thrive off the bench and not lose ground against opponent bench players, the Mavs will be peaking and very formidable.
John
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