Official Game 7 GDT: Mavs v. Spurs - Page 2 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

big_pth · 05-22-2006, 11:49 AM

No predicitions here...Mavs need to play well and jump out fast to a lead. Keep the pressure on them and play with their heads in the game. JET should have a big game, he loves this stuff.
LET'S GO MAVS!!!!

fluid.forty.one · 05-22-2006, 11:51 AM

i have to freaking work tonight so i will miss history in the making.

mavs by 8.

big_pth · 05-22-2006, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

i have to freaking work tonight so i will miss history in the making.

mavs by 8.

I know that feeling...Good Luck

digit · 05-22-2006, 12:27 PM

The Clips and the Mavs will meet in the WCF. Well, actually I don't care about the other match-up...so, the Mavs will meet either the Clippers OR the Suns.

Spurs...you are dismissed...

DirkGoesNuclear · 05-22-2006, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavsFanFinley

I thought it was a rule or something that the refs names weren't released until right before the game. On the DMN blog David Moore posted that Dick Bavetta was on his flight from Dallas to SA and would call game 7. Someone (long time poster) on the Spurs board said it would be him and Danny Crawford.

I thought the league office have been know to send decoys. Bavetta might be one.

Drbio · 05-22-2006, 12:30 PM

The Power of Father Guido Sarducci says the Mavs win in 7. Never question the power of Guido.

Nemesis · 05-22-2006, 12:35 PM

Who cares who is officiated the fucking game!

digit · 05-22-2006, 12:39 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailyd...-060521/dalsas
DAILY DIME: SPECIAL EDITION
Mavs at Spurs, Game 7ESPN.com

We asked a handful of ESPN's NBA writers, editors and commentators to forecast Game 7 between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs:
Ric Bucher, ESPN The Magazine: It will come down to the wire, as it has in five of the series' first six games. As long as Manu Ginobili is healthy and available at the end, the Spurs complete their epic comeback. If he isn't, the Mavs win for the third time in four visits to that muddy thing they call the Riverwalk.

Scoop Jackson, ESPN.com: While the Spurs have found a way to win the last two games, I see the spirit of Avery Johnson coming through his team and making them believe that they are supposed to win this game. Dallas with the upset.

Chris Palmer, ESPN The Magazine: Can the Spurs get the Big Three to show up on the same day? If yes, it's back to the conference finals. But the Mavs will push it early and often and Jason Terry will drill an 18-footer at the buzzer to win it. Mark Cuban will storm the court. Mavs by 1.

Chris Sheridan, ESPN Insider: Well, we've learned how Tim Duncan really hasn't lost a thing, and we've learned how valuable Jason Terry is to the Mavs' offense. What we're about to learn is how the Mavs perform under pressure in the final two minutes of a be-all, end-all game, because I can't see any way that this one does not come down to endgame execution. I think the Spurs will have the edge there, and I expect them to win.

Greg Anthony, ESPN: The Spurs have played like champions the last two games and should advance. However, the matchups that have caused so many problems throughout the series return for Game 7, and Dallas, I believe, can pull the upset.

John Hollinger, ESPN Insider: San Antonio has the home-court advantage and the championship know-how, but through six games of this series, Dallas has been the better team. I'm guessing this one will go down to the wire just like the last four, but with Jason Terry back in the lineup, Dallas looks poised for the upset.

Marc Stein, ESPN.com: I'll go out on a limb and say this one's going to be close. The Spurs simply haven't shown any spurtability against the Mavs, so I doubt they can win comfortably even though we're obviously due for a runaway. What I don't doubt is San Antonio's ability to squeak through. A comeback from 3-1 down in a playoff series is one of the few things we haven't seen from the Spurs in the Duncan Era, but that changes now. Reason being: Dallas might be better-equipped than the Cavs or Clips talent-wise to win a Game 7 on the road, but the Mavs also faced the toughest emotional recovery from Game 6 of those three teams.

Eric Neel, ESPN.com: Dallas shouldn't be worried about losing Game 6, they should be worried about the way they lost it. They were handing out offensive boards like candy at the end, and Dirk, great as he's been this year, simply did not assert himself. And that was at home, in front of a crowd that loved them. Spurs by single digits.

B.J. Armstrong, ESPN: Continue to watch the Spurs focus on the effort and not the results. Spurs advance.

Ken Shouler, ESPN.com: Low scores don't favor the Mavs, as their three losses in the series show. I expect the Spurs to win because of the defensive tilt of the series now and because it will take a monumental effort for Dallas to upset the Spurs on their home court.

Tim Legler, ESPN: The Dallas Mavericks will be relying on the return of Jason Terry to provide the leadership and floor spacing they lacked in Game 6. They will need a big game out of Dirk Nowitzki. The Spurs should get Tim Duncan 8-to-10 touches on the low block every quarter. I expect Manu Ginobilli to be the difference-maker as the Spurs move on.

Chris Broussard, ESPN The Magazine: While Tim Duncan will bring his A game, this is Dallas' year and their quickness at the guard spots with Harris and Terry will break down the Spurs defense. Dirk will match Duncan - though he'll do his damage from the perimeter -- and the Mavs wil prevail. Yeah, I said it!

bernardos70 · 05-22-2006, 12:41 PM

It's about trust
Mavs counting on each other in series finale
By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

NBAE/BILL BAPTIST VIA GETTY IMAGES
Avery Johnson put his trust in point guard Devin Harris more in the playoffs and has been rewarded with stellar play.
More photos

SAN ANTONIO -- Once, Avery Johnson could hardly stand talking to David Robinson.

The heart and soul of the San Antonio Spurs were the closest of friends, but there was a time when Johnson didn't understand Robinson. He didn't understand why Robinson couldn't reconcile his Christian beliefs with the cutthroat nature of playoff basketball.

The breaking point came when Houston defeated San Antonio in the 1995 Western Conference Finals. Johnson mercilessly called out Robinson in front of the entire team, saying the franchise center would never lead the Spurs to the title.

The Little General and the Admiral drifted apart.

"We were really angry after our loss to Houston," Johnson said. "That was just tough on everybody. Not pointing the finger at David, I was just so emotionally drained from that series, it had a lingering effect. Maybe we didn't talk as much as we did in the past summers, but it didn't last long."

It lasted long enough and bothered Johnson enough that he sought guidance from his lifelong pastor. Bishop Lester Love's words were simple: "David isn't you."

Robinson wasn't wired like Johnson. He didn't burn like Johnson burned.

That's OK, Love said. Acceptance runs both ways.

"That was a big turning point for me, because David always accepted me," Johnson said. "He accepted me, he accepted my flaws, and my teammates did, too. I wasn't always the perfect leader that everybody painted me out to be."

The lesson never left Johnson's heart. As the Mavericks enter Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals tonight against San Antonio at the AT&T Center, trust is at the center of Johnson's coaching ethos.

So even if he's upset with Jason Terry or disappointed with Devin Harris or unsure how his team will respond, trust doesn't waver.

Johnson had it when the Mavs were leading the Spurs 3-1. He had it when Terry took himself out of Game 6 with a punch.

He's not going to let trust waver at 3-3.

"I'm not flawless as a coach," Johnson said. "The biggest key for me is not X's and O's or some cute drill in practice. It's my relationship with my players. That's the thing I'm banking on. I don't have anything else."

Johnson has coached the Mavs through one Game 7, a 40-point blowout of Houston in the last year's first round. But the Rockets aren't the Spurs.

San Antonio is the defending champion. Former two-time MVP Tim Duncan is playing like one again. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, for all their struggles at times in the series, have made huge contributions.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has adjusted and readjusted in this series, going small and controlling the second-half tempo in the last two games.

The Mavs realize they're in for a fight. Getting to three wins is nothing compared to the fourth.

"If you're a competitor, you have to fight through some stuff," Dirk Nowitzki said. "You've got to learn from the lows and don't get too high with the highs. We're up 3-1 and we're real high, and next thing you know, we lose two in a row.

"We had to fight through Jet being out, but now it's one game we've got to win and that's how we have to approach it. Everything else doesn't matter at this point. What happened in the series doesn't matter. It's one game. We've got to win it."

Johnson expects Terry and Harris to bounce back after separate disappearing acts in Game 6. With Harris it was just a poor game, but Terry put the Mavs in an almost unforgivable bind with his suspension.

"If we have an adverse situation, we're not going to run from it and back down," Terry said. "It tends to bring the best out of us, as it should. But both teams are going to be fighting adversity."

Josh Howard left for San Antonio with a chip on his shoulder. Johnson played with one for 16 years.

"I don't really have nothing to say because I'm [ticked]," Howard said. "I don't like to lose. We were up 3-1 and should have closed the series out, but things happen."

Just as something happened between Johnson and Robinson. The divide would bring Johnson and Robinson closer than ever before.

They won a title together -- San Antonio's first -- in 1999.

Johnson trusts he can do it again.

FREE WAY

The formula for winning in the Mavs-Spurs West semifinal has been simple: Win the free-throw line battle. A game-by-game comparison:

Game 1

Mavs 19-28 (67.9)
Spurs 22-30 (73.3)

Result: Spurs, 87-85

Game 2

Mavs 35-43 (81.4)
Spurs 27-37 (73.0)

Result: Mavs, 113-91

Game 3

Mavs 39-50 (78.0)
Spurs 22-32 (68.8)

Result: Mavs, 104-103

Game 4

Mavs 28-32 (87.5)
Spurs 26-32 (81.3)

Result: Mavs, 123-118 OT

Game 5

Mavs 16-19 (84.2)
Spurs 22-31 (71.0)

Result: Spurs, 98-97

Game 6

Mavs 17-20 (85.0)
Spurs 29-34 (85.3)

Result: Spurs, 91-86

SAFE AT HOME?

Home teams have won 81.7 percent (76 of 93) of the Game 7s in NBA history. But in the last six Game 7s, the trend has changed a bit:

'05 East first round

Pacers 97 at Celtics 70

'05 West first round

at Mavs 116, Rockets 76

'05 East final

Pistons 88 at Heat 82

'05 NBA Finals

at Spurs 81, Pistons 74

'06 West first round

at Suns 121, Lakers 90

'06 East semifinal

at Pistons 79, Cavs 61

Game 7 brings out the fire in Avery. 10D

Spurs not home free, but do have edge. 11D

IN THE KNOW

NBA Game 7s since 2000

2000

EAST SEMIFINAL

Knicks 83, at Heat 82

WEST FINAL

at LA Lakers 89, Blazers 84

2001

EAST SEMIFINALS

at 76ers 88, Raptors 87

at Bucks 104, Hornets 95

EAST FINAL

at 76ers 108, Bucks 91

2002

WEST FINAL

LA Lakers 112, at Kings 106 (OT)

2003

EAST FIRST ROUND

at Pistons 108, Magic 93

WEST FIRST ROUND

at Mavs 107, Blazers 95

WEST SEMIFINAL

at Mavs 112, Kings 99

2004

EAST FIRST ROUND

at Heat 85, Hornets 77

WEST SEMIFINAL

at T'wolves 83, Kings 80

EAST SEMIFINAL

at Pistons 90, Nets 69

2005

EAST FIRST ROUND

Pacers 97, at Celtics 70

WEST FIRST ROUND

at Mavs 116, Rockets 76

EAST FINAL

Pistons 88, at Heat 82

NBA FINALS

at Spurs 81, Pistons 74

2006

WEST FIRST ROUND

at Suns 121, Lakers 90

EAST SEMIFINAL

at Pistons 79, Cavs 61

Caliente · 05-22-2006, 01:01 PM

MavKikiNYC · 05-22-2006, 01:36 PM

There's an old Texas proverb that says:

Brass or
papier mâiché?

ShaggyDirk · 05-22-2006, 01:59 PM

Mavs lose big tonight. Shameful. Absolutely shameful.

ames7 · 05-22-2006, 02:14 PM

My prediction before the series? Mavs in 7. My prediction now, after the war we've gone through these last 6 games?

Mavs in 7. 103-99 Dallas. BELIEVE!

EricaLubarsky · 05-22-2006, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShaggyDirk

Mavs lose big tonight. Shameful. Absolutely shameful.

I agree with you on the last two sentences, but in a bit of a turn.

Drbio · 05-22-2006, 02:43 PM

Speaking of shameful.....

Drbio · 05-22-2006, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavKikiNYC

There's an old Texas proverb that says:

Brass or
papier mâiché?

Case solved.....

Drbio · 05-22-2006, 03:03 PM

nowitzki_prophecy · 05-22-2006, 03:07 PM

LOL

Drbio · 05-22-2006, 03:13 PM

nowitzki_prophecy · 05-22-2006, 03:30 PM

LOL,you're on a roll doc,that's even better!i always suspected ginobili was driving on the other side of the road...

ShaggyDirk · 05-22-2006, 04:06 PM

I am so gloomy today. I hope the Mavs aren't as gloomy and unoptimistic as me. That will be shameful to watch.

raefformvp · 05-22-2006, 04:50 PM

My stomach can't take this! Is it 7:00 yet? Don't know if I can make it! I am sooooo nervous. I'm in serious need of a life. Not making any predictions. I've predicted Mavs by 5 twice. Once I was correct. The other time the Spurs won by 5. I am saying though that I BELIEVE! GO MAVS!!

kg_veteran · 05-22-2006, 05:11 PM

Drastic times call for drastic measures. I have summoned the power of The Donald.

Can there be any doubt?

MAVS WIN.

nah-vit-ski · 05-22-2006, 05:18 PM

I'm going with my boy Hollinger on this one.

MAVS Win. 100-96

bricklayer · 05-22-2006, 05:37 PM

Mavs win 107- 94. Can't we make this the best of 9? This series rocks. Too bad sprurs are gonna lose.

roadrunner · 05-22-2006, 05:50 PM

Mavs pull off their most difficult, but most satisfying victory of this postseason 108-107 to bring them to the halfway point of their destiny....2006 NBA Champions!

Then again, I would love to see a Mavs blowout win....since I dont know how much more my heart can take.

Regardless of what happens, this series has already become an instant classic that I will undoubtably remember for the rest of my life.

mary · 05-22-2006, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bricklayer

Mavs win 107- 94. Can't we make this the best of 9? This series rocks. Too bad sprurs are gonna lose.

How 'bout best of 5?

roadrunner · 05-22-2006, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexamenos

I have absolutely no idea who will win this ball game. All I know is that I hope the Mavs are far more prepared emotionally and mentally than I (or is it "than me?" shit, I'm cracking).

It will take all the mental toughness I can muster just to make the trip from my office to my sofa. I fear I'll dribble the remote control off of my right foot, or otherwise be so emotionally incapacitated that I won't be able to summon the requisite concentration necessary to operate the remote for the three seconds necessary to tune into TNT (or is it ESPN? oh shit). I fear that if things get tough I might snap and punch my dog in the 'nads.

....and that's just for the pre-game.

I think it's quite feasible that by the beginning of the fourth quarter I'll be curled up in a fetal position on my living room with drool running across my chin. Emergency medical attention, and perhaps even psychiatric care, will almost certainly be required if the game is tight with under 2 minutes to play.

...but that's just me.

Go Mavs.

haha, now thats funny!

Nemesis · 05-22-2006, 06:17 PM

Quote:

I think it's quite feasible that by the beginning of the fourth quarter I'll be curled up in a fetal position on my living room with drool running across my chin. Emergency medical attention, and perhaps even psychiatric care, will almost certainly be required if the game is tight with under 2 minutes to play.

...but that's just me.

Go Mavs.

Most of us feel the same way. This is why I will watch the series finale of 24 and tape the game. If they win, I will watch the game. If they lose, well.. maybe Jack will take out Duncan during half-time for interrogation.

twelli · 05-22-2006, 06:38 PM

One more year of Charles Barkley criticism is on the line tonight.

Let's get THAT monkey off our back!

FULL THROTTLE! GO MAVS!

nowitzki_prophecy · 05-22-2006, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twelli

One more year of Charles Barkley criticism is on the line tonight.

Let's get THAT monkey off our back!

FULL THROTTLE! GO MAVS!

That's exactly what i was thinking about,chubby barkley riding the 3-1 slide for at least 2025.We have to shut him up,today!

Drbio · 05-22-2006, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blab's Nemesis

Most of us feel the same way. This is why I will watch the series finale of 24 and tape the game. If they win, I will watch the game. If they lose, well.. maybe Jack will take out Duncan during half-time for interrogation.

How in the hell can you do that? I'd go crazy knowing the game was on.

KICK ARSE TONIGHT MAVERICKS!!!!!!!!!!! I WILL BE WATCHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!