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Mavs round one rollercoaster ride ends in win
The Mavs got past Houston and McGrady, but not without having to sweat and work for it. The recap:
- The Mavs went into game 5 giddy after marching into Houston and winning two in a row, and came back to Dallas riding the high. They have a strong game at home, and become the first team in the series to win a home game. Up 3-2, the series travelled back to Houston.
- … but did they get overconfident? With the chance to clinch, Houston dominates at home. Jason Terry gets schooled by Mike James, and the sports talk shows are again fielding calls about Dirk needing to get traded. Gotta love a good old fashioned reactionary. Dirk’s jump shot wasn’t falling, but he did have 5 blocks and a double-double.
- Word comes out that Dirk has bronchitis and is in the process of coughing up a lung. Game 7 in Dallas is stacked up to be a nailbiter… but isn’t. The Mavericks are dominant despite only 14 points from Dirk (alongside 14 rebounds and 3 blocks), and win by 40 to take the series.
Which brings us to the Phoenix series. Nash, the newly minted MVP, has had a week to rest his aches and pains and is probably ready to run and gun. Transition defense for the Mavericks is going to be huge.
Dirk vs. Marion is going to be a tough matchup — Marion is the same type of defender as McGrady, who gave Dirk fits. Smaller, quicker, and athletic. Stoudamire on offense for Phoenix is way too quick for Dampier to cover — it’s mismatch city. I have a feeling Dampier is going to get in a lot of quick foul trouble this series — and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dirk at center a lot in the series.
But what about Steve Nash against the Mavericks defense and offense? Jason Terry is the scoring point guard type that gave Nash trouble when he was in Dallas. I think Terry is going to be the key to the series for the Mavericks — not Dirk. Dirk needs to get back into a shooting groove, obviously, but the Phoenix offense revolves around the Nash engine. If Terry can be a major impedence to Nash while wearing him out on offense, the smooth Phoenix offense could run into some bumps.
The Mavericks will need it to — if the Phoenix offense runs as smoothly as it did against Memphis, the Mavs will be in trouble.
Sun May 8th, 2005 9:27 pm
Filed under Dallas Mavericks, Sports
7 comments
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Personally, I’m hoping that the Suns’ rhythm is off for the first game, at least, after being out for eight days. I’m thinking that taking that first game, even if it’s just because the Suns are off their game, would be a huge advantage.
Very good point! Getting game 1 would steal home court advantage to the Mavs side. In a close game, even being off for the first quarter could decide the game. And a game advantage is huge. I hope they’re rusty, and that they had too much time to go indulge in vices and will show up hungover.
Haha. I figure at least one will be hungover, right? Surely…
We’ll see in just a few minutes, won’t we?
Gar.
Okay.
So why did the Mavs have no energy? Gee, it might have been that rough seven-game series they just slogged through, but shouldn’t they have been a little more pumped after their record-making 40-point smashing of the Rockets? Maybe it was a little damaging to have Steve huzzahed right before the game began, but even that shouldn’t have been enough to “dampier” their gusto like that.
Dammit. They better rest up before Wednesday.
And Dirk… Oh, Dirk. Don’t get me started.
I donno, I donno
I have no answers
I’m worried
Dampier their gusto hehehe I like it
Dirk was better… he shot 50%. That’ll usually get it done.
Tonight! Better! Here’s hoping!
Okay, pow! Post game two!
I TOLD YOU they could do it!
I just wish those announcers and correspondents wouldn’t have harped so much on Dirk v. Dampier. Ugh.