The Magical Game 5 Gamethread - Dal v. Sac

[LRB]

Queens jump out on the Mavs by 25 in the 1st quarter. Nellie gets his fat @$$ tossed with 2 technicals. Mavs finally play a center and make a dramatic comeback to win by 1.

[Bookit]

Originally posted by: LRB
Queens jump out on the Mavs by 25 in the 1st quarter. Nellie gets his fat @$$ tossed with 2 technicals. Mavs finally play a center and make a dramatic comeback to win by 1.

Now wouldn't THAT be something to see.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

[jayC]

it's not over until I say it is:
Posted on Thu, Apr. 29, 2004









This may still be a seven-game series

Jim Reeves - In My Opinion


Somehow, I feel like the last man at the Alamo. Everybody else has gone home and left me holding the fort and I'm really not up to the assignment.

For the past 24 hours, all I've heard about is what's going to happen when the Mavs lose this first-round series to Sacramento.

Ramifications, Brother Galloway called them in his Wednesday missive. Sounds grim.

Ditto for beat man Art Garcia, who gave us a preview of what's likely to happen once the Kings finish off the Mavs, probably tonight in Game 5 at Arco Arena.

Even head coach Don Nelson said Tuesday, the day after the Mavs' 94-92 loss in Game 4 at AAC put them down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, felt like "a day of mourning."

Et tu, Nellie? Giving up so easily?

I must be the only fool in Fort Worth-Dallas who thinks the Mavs can still win this thing. Seven games, I told you the other day. I'm sticking with that prediction until the bitter end.

Why?

• Because as bad as the Mavs have been at times in this playoff series, the Kings have done almost nothing to impress me. They are not nearly as good a team as they've been in previous playoff matchups with the Mavs.

• Because if the Mavs hit just three more of their 13 missed free throws Monday night, the series is squared at two games apiece.

• Because two plays, each with eight seconds left, separate the Mavs from being the team that's up 3-1 in this series.

• Because I just happen to think the Mavs, with all their problems, are the better team in this series.

• Because I want to see the Mavs wipe the smirk off Doug Christie's face.

• Because I want to see Eduardo Najera show that insufferable Chris Webber one more time that the Mavs can and will play physical basketball.

• Because I think Steve Nash and Michael Finley are better than this.

• Mostly, because I want to see Nellie get the last play of the game right for once.

Put the ball in the best player's hands and let's see what he can do. Give it to Dirk Nowitzki, for crying out loud.

How hard is that to figure out?

Nellie tried Finley on an isolation play, and that failed miserably. He tried getting Nash and Dirk to run the screen-and-roll, even though he admitted afterward he knew there wouldn't be enough time for the play to set up and work.

That forced Nash to try and shoot over 6-foot-10 Peja Stojakovic while Mike "Mini-Me" Bibby took Nowitzki out of the play. Are you kidding me?

"We ran our strong two-man game and didn't really have time to post on the [Nowitzki-Bibby] mismatch," Nellie said after the game.

Excuse me? The Mavs had the mismatch they wanted, but Nash couldn't get the ball to Dirk. Why call a play that you know beforehand won't have time to develop?

Twice the Mavs had a last chance to tie a critical playoff game and twice the ball never touched Nowitzki's hands. What's wrong with this picture?

Get the ball to Dirk, clear out and let him work. He'll get the shot or, if the Kings double-team, he can find the open man.

Right here, right now, in the playoffs, is when Nelson needs to forget about a Big Three and go with a Big One.

Put this thing on Dirk's back and ride him as far as he can take them. Sure, he had a lousy game Monday night. His legs lacked life and he couldn't finish his shots, even though he was going hard to the basket.

But that's what the Mavs must do. It's time to make Nowitzki the focus of everything the Mavs do offensively. He'll need help, of course, or it won't work anyway. But they're not getting there riding Finley, or Nash, or Antoine Walker or the rookies or anyone else.

It's Dirk, or it's nothing.

Here's what the Mavs must do to win tonight. They must take the game to Sacramento. They must come out breathing fire. They must play as they did in Game 3 on Saturday night in Dallas.

Pedal to the metal, baby, or else all these doomsayers will be absolutely right.

Put some pressure on the Kings and see how they react. Win tonight, and bring it back to AAC for Game 6. Win that one, and let the Kings start sweating about blowing a 3-1 lead.

And believe me, no one sweats like Vlade Divac sweats.

That's the formula. Now the Mavs simply have to make it work.

They can still do this, but obviously it's not going to be easy.

Certainly the odds are stacked the other way, which is why most of the rats abandoned this listing, if not sinking, ship long ago. But I'm a stubborn rat. If the ship's going down, I'll ride it to the bottom.

The Mavs have been a lousy road team all season, but they did win in their first visit to Arco. They've won there when they've had to win, too.

We all know the Mavs are a better shooting team than they've shown. They're due to get hot and stay hot for a spell. But the key, of course, is Nowitzki.

He has to believe in himself. He has to believe that he can psychologically lift his team, just as Shaq and Kobe lift the Lakers, just as Kevin Garnett carries the Timberwolves. The Kings, even with Peja, have no one who can match Nowitzki when he's at the top of his game.

They need him tonight, like they've never needed him before.

Chances are the Mavs have already blown this thing. Winning three in a row is an almost impossible task. The Kings, smelling blood in the water, will be doing everything they can to end it tonight.

This could be the final scene. If it is, if you're about to bombard me with an e-mail barrage, or an idiot alert, let me warn you with the same words Billy Bob Thornton's Davy Crockett spit in the faces of the Mexican troops at the Alamo as they came at him with fixed bayonets.

Watch out, I'm a screamer.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Julius]

A win is possible, just like in the last 4 games.

[sbjensen]

all evidence points to a Sac victory, going away:
1) we've been terrible on the road all year;
2) Sac has all the momentum and confidence after Game 4;
3) Tuesday found the Mavs whimpering in "mourning" like whipped puppies, rather than howling like cornered wolves;
4) we haven't shot well since the third quarter of Game 1; and
5) Fin and Nash have yet to show up in the series.

So, of course, I think the outcome will be:

Mavs 108, Sac 101.

Dirk goes for 40 tonight.

[Drbio]

I hope they show something tonight. I am not holding my breath.


Mavs 105-98

[Chelette]

It going to be a very tuff game for both teams, no doubt about it.......one with the mind set up to close the series, the other one to survive........who will win,,,,,,,I really hope the Mavs win, for their own good, and to elevate their confidence.........then game 6 at home....and then game 7 at Sacramento..................hope to see a very intensive games......
And at the end, the winners will be Us.. the fans.........

Game 7 at Sacramento........I will like to start that game treath, if you people dont mind.............

For now let Us pray...............


Our Father, who art in NBA,
allowed Us win this game If Kings will come.
so we not be done on game 5 and 6 and win game 7,.
Give us today a good shot percentage,
and forgive us our missed shots, TO and fouls
as we try to blowout those who play against Us,
and lead us not into elimination, but deliver us from Webber..
AMEN.

[Novice#41]

Amen !!!

[u2sarajevo]

Originally posted by: Chelette
For now let Us pray...............


Our Father, who art in NBA,
allowed Us win this game If Kings will come.
so we not be done on game 5 and 6 and win game 7,.
Give us today a good shot percentage,
and forgive us our missed shots, TO and fouls
as we try to blowout those who play against Us,
and lead us not into elimination, but deliver us from Webber..
AMEN.

I was at first a bit offended.... but then I kept reading and laughed my ace off. It's gone. No more ace. I now can't sit down.

[mercury_rev]

I'm not going to make a prediction other than Nellie gets fined for wearing his favorite muumuu to the game.

[samoan-maverick]

Go Mavs!!!

My opinion wont be said, but I just hope that I'm wrong. Dirk will fight til the end, but will he be the only one???

[chumdawg]

Mavs show some heart and come out with both guns blazing. Kings are content to try again another day.

Mavs 124
Kings 103

[Chelette]

Well the time is now......Migthy Mavs...show Us fans, We can be proud of you....even if you loose..(I Pray The Lord not to) let Us feel that you gave the best of you............

No score, but a very close game........

[jayC]

Momentum means nothing. We beat my by 25 then we lay an egg and miss 13 free throws and lose.

[Mavs Rule]

"We ran our strong two-man game and didn't really have time to post on the [Nowitzki-Bibby] mismatch," Nellie said after the game.

Excuse me? The Mavs had the mismatch they wanted, but Nash couldn't get the ball to Dirk. Why call a play that you know beforehand won't have time to develop?

Another in an almost infinite amount of excellent reasons why Nellie should be in Maui next year.

Mavs are going to work as hard as they did in game four, but the shot will fall tonight. Fin shows up and the rooks will impress, but Dirk steals the show.

GO MAVS!!

[hero = dirk]

and so here we meet again elimination...



...you and me. i mean you don't really want to do this, do you? i'm coming home from school on may 1st and there better be a game 6 to go to where i can get rowdy, loud, and proud for the mavs. i've even got my mavs song ready for the free ticket contest. so don't even show up. i don't want to see your face at arco... nuh uh. not tonight. we are gonna play through this hole we've gotten ourselves in. we're better than that, and you know it. no celebration or praises for the kings tonight. YOU'RE GOING DOWN!!! BOO YA! I LOVE THE MAVS!

and even if you happen to show yourself at the game tonight... don't think i'll even pay attention because as sports fans like to say... "there's always next year." forever a dallas fan...

mavs sneak up on the kings... 111-106

[Murphy3]

I'm watching the Bucks and Mike Redd and just wondering what could have been.

[raefformvp]

Et tu, Nellie? Giving up so easily?

How appropriate! I'm teaching Julius Caesar right now.

Anyway, back to the Mavs...I hope they win. I don't feel they will in my gut, but my gut also told me they would lose game 3 and win game 4. So who knows, maybe they will surprise a few people! GO MAVS!

[ShaggyDirk]

n

[dude1394]

Originally posted by: Murphy3
I'm watching the Bucks and Mike Redd and just wondering what could have been.

Absolutely horrible mistake. Who gets' that one? Cubes, nellie, both, all three?

[Bookit]

Originally posted by: dude1394

Absolutely horrible mistake. Who gets' that one? Cubes, nellie, both, all three?

This one is on Cuban. He screwed this one up bigtime. Nellie has alluded to this fact delicately through the media.

[Bookit]

The Mavs just might get blown out in this game. But then again the Mavs might win big. It doesn't look like it will be a close game. Nellie is really changing things for this game. Nellie won't be calling set plays and he won't have Nash and Dirk on the same side of the floor. Sounds good to me! What's not to like.

[Ninkobei]

If the mavs win this game, the series will most likely go into game 7. 93-90 Mavs

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: dude1394

Absolutely horrible mistake. Who gets' that one? Cubes, nellie, both, all three?

I can remember people disagreeing with me on the Redd issue. Why? I supposed it was because alot of people simply didn't know much about who he was and what he could do. At the age of 24, he's already putting up 22 a game. He's a career 46% shooter from the field, 40.5% from the floor, and 83.8% from the line.

[Bookit]

Finley off to a good start.[img]i/expressions/rolleye.gif[/img]

[Murphy3]

fin...why in the hell did you try and take a shot from that far underneath the bucket? What happened? You get the shot blocked and it leads to the break which leads to the foul on dirk. make smart decisions.

[MavsFanFinley]

Thanks Finley...0-2 off the start.

[PubaNWO]

I love it every thing near the bucket.

ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK!

[dude1394]

Originally posted by: Bookit

This one is on Cuban. He screwed this one up bigtime. Nellie has alluded to this fact delicately through the media.

One of the reasons the jury is still out on nellie for me, cubes is a pretty strong personality and I have to wonder how much of the recent trades were cubes..

[dude1394]

Quit whining every mavs has taken it right to the rack.

[mavsman55]

Nice layup by Walker

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: dude1394

One of the reasons the jury is still out on nellie for me, cubes is a pretty strong personality and I have to wonder how much of the recent trades were cubes..

Nellie's coaching philosophies are enough for me to be totally out on him returning as the coach.

[PubaNWO]

Great "D" from Walker!

Wow he makes the most difficult shots and misses the easiest!

Nice board!

[dude1394]

Boy mike, come on and continue to be aggressive. Good walk, something that's NOT a 3.

[Murphy3]

Great start for Walker

[dude1394]

Woo HOO!!!! 12-2.....

[PubaNWO]

HELL YEAH!

NASH BABY!

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: dude1394
Boy mike, come on and continue to be aggressive. Good walk, something that's NOT a 3.

Aggressiveness is one thing but throwing up an unintelligent shot is another...

[mavsman55]

I all of a sudden have a good feeling about this game... 12-2 mavs

[mavsman55]

Originally posted by: Murphy3

Aggressiveness is one thing but throwing up an unintelligent shot is another...

Give him some credit... at least he made it.