Suns/Mavs: Game 3

[LonestarROB]

The Suns always seem to give us trouble but Man are we playing good right now. Dirk's gonna have trouble guarding Marion. Marion's very athletic. Robinson and Rogers always seem to hurt us too. It's gonna be close but i think we can pull it out.

Suns 105
Mavs 107

[djb]

I consider this another statement game. With the way the Mavs manhandled the T-Wolves, I'd be disappointed if they dropped another one to the Suns. Mavs 106, Suns 94

[Hales233]

Fin-Dogg goes off...Mavs 111, Suns 97.

[WldcatMan1]

Mavs play well AGAIN.

Mavs 104
Suns 92

[Najera1441]

Let's hope eisley stays hot, and continue what he did against the T-Wolvse, I think they need to take some of Maxwells minutes away, and give them to Eisley, nothing against him, but Eisley is a all around better player.

Mav's 103 Suns 96

[Mavinator]

Another day, another victimization... Suns come out soft, remembering the two previous blowouts, thinking this will be another easy win. Suns get killed in the first quarter, try to claw back but end up another mangled corpse at the hands of Shawn Bradley... Mavs win big 104-88. Oh, and Kidd will be slightly outplayed by Nash in a showdown of topnotch point guards...

[thirdbse]

This game is huge tonight. If the Suns were missing 4 starters we still never play well against them.
i am predicting not much playing time for harvey tonight

[LonestarROB]

Now that's a bold prediction [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] . Welcome to the board thirdbse [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] .

[thirdbse]

Want a bold prediction< throw the magic number away we will get second, and somehow draw houston first round
Thanks
i have been reading this board some
good board for the mavericks

[djb]

I'm not so sure the Rockets will make it unless Phoenix just completely collapses. Whatever the case, a second place finish would be great! I'd be happy just to see the Mavs make the playoffs, but to make it past the first round would be AWESOME [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Oh and don't forget to vote in the forum poll! Just click on the poll button underneat the Dallas-Mavs.com logo on top.

Glad to have you aboard thirdbse!

[thirdbse]

sure houston will make it. great uptempo athletic style to take to some of these teams out of contention.
Minnisota is good but have to play the mavericks 2 times and they arent as good as i thought, they will start to show how much they miss Joe Smith this time of year.

[Mavinator]

Minnesota is too much of a jump-shooting team to make the playoffs without a jumpshot-creating point guard like Steve Nash and without any really great shooters...

[Evilmav2]

It doesn't say much for your team when you are missing Joe Smith... That guys game has been such a disapointment...

[Najera1441]

Almost game time, Can't wait!!!!!!!!! Go Mav's[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

[scooterj5]

Mavs up 8-6, I predict .... Dallas 112, Phoenix 111 (ot)

[scooterj5]

I also think we will have over 15 turn overs.

[djb]

Mavs up 54-41 at the half, and Rockets losing 28-46 late in the second qtr. Let's up this keeps up!

[LonestarROB]

Hope everybody's happy. I sacrificed my fantasy team tonight in hope's of a mavs victory. And my team is REALLY paying for it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] .

Oh well, good first half. Nash, Dirk and Finley all playing great. Thought Najera played good productive minutes too. Hope they keep it up.

Go Mavs!!!...........and Spurs [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] .

[djb]

Rockets and Spurs tied late in the third [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

[Hoopsmeister]

Honestly, I prefer Houston to win. I know they are what our 'magic number' is figured from right now, but as long as we get a win tonight, the suns, 'wolves, and rockets are all fighting behind us--I don't think any of them can actually catch us. Otoh, a loss by the spurs keeps the top teams tight. And right we are more part of the top teams competition than of the those scraping into the playoffs.

[djb]

6pt game with 1:38 remaining! Why do the Mavs keep settling for freakin jumpshots late in the game?! Post up Dirk or Howard more for crying out loud! Either score down low or get to the line!!

[djb]

Good point hoopsmeister (and welcome to the board!) but I'm still not 100% convinced the Mavs are a lock for the playoffs. Maybe it's b/c I've never witnessed a winning season before [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] But then again, if they continue to play like they have the last six games.. Anyway, I'm not even thinking of passing teams like the Spurs, since I really don't think it's going to happen. Right now I'm just more concerned with making the playoffs and distancing ourselves from those below us.

[LonestarROB]

Big win but a Pitiful 4th quarter. Completely changed the style of play they had played for the first 3 quarters. Nearly blew a 19 point lead. Drives me CRAZY when teams do that. Never understood it but maybe that's why I'm not a coach.

Big games from Dirk and Nash. One more to go on the homestand. Lets keep it going.

[djb]

Rockets win 103-99 [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

[dallmav]

Its a big win for us against a team that always gives us trouble. Now we need to hand portland a second loss from us this year. We need to rebound a little better next game.

[Mavinator]

Oh man, another victimization, and without the services of Mr. Bradley (surprising, really, against a team without a center...). It would have been the blowout I predicted if damned Jason Kidd didn't have such a knack for taking over games... lucky thing we'd built such a big lead or Kidd could have single-handedly won the thing. I think Finley stole 7 of Nash's assists. Dirk and Juwan rebounded their *sses off... Dirk, Nash, and Fin all hit crazy shots as usual... Buckner maybe saved the game with those two offensive boards and putback when Phoenix was on a 6-0 run... great game, great win. Let the Western Conference Massacre continue. Blazers are next on the hitlist. Bring your helmets.

[Hoopsmeister]

Thanks for the welcome dj. And I understand what you are saying about worrying that we're not a lock--in its own way, this season is still hard on Mavs fans who have gone for so many years struggling to keep hope alive only to see it sooner or later crushed.

But look at the numbers. If the Mavs win just 5 more games--barely over .300, when they are .652 on the season and have yet to have a losing month (1 more win to lock that in for march)--then Phoenix, Minnesota, and Houston all still have to win at least 10 games (and every game against the mavs) for us to drop out of the playoffs. And that means that, respectively, they would have to play .588, .625, and .666 over the last stretch.

I do think its too early to be thinking about moving up as anything other than a nice possibility, but I am really not worried about getting into the playoffs.

[Mavinator]

One thing that's notable in this game is how much respect was given to Steve Nash throughout the game- he was defended very, very well with multiple double- and triple-teams. They would NOT let the man drive into the paint (given, that's why he scored so many points on so many jumpshots). And lo and behold, Nash doesn't get into the paint, Nash doesn't kick out, Nash only gets three assists... Nice idea to stop him so well, if you don't mind being rained on all day from Nash jumpers.

[thirdbse]

I am with hoopsmiester. let minn, phoenix. and houston help us and we could go all the way. We need to be 2nd or 3rd in the West to be sure we advance past the 1st round.
Just making the playoffs with this team would be a shame