Game 3 - Page 2 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

djb · 05-09-2001, 10:36 PM

Since coming back into the game, the Mavs have cut it back to a 15pt deficit. Coincidence? HELL NO!

MFFL · 05-09-2001, 10:37 PM

We have only 2 guys playing well right now - Buckman & Bradley!

LonestarROB · 05-09-2001, 10:37 PM

Cut it back to 15 [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] . It was 15 when I quit watching. How big a lead did they get?

djb · 05-09-2001, 10:38 PM

I really think that botched Howard shot (which could have cut San Antonio's lead down to 3 but instead resulted in a 11-12pt game) really set the tone early on. Why is it that the Mavs can't match the Spurs' intensity coming out of halftime?

djb · 05-09-2001, 10:38 PM

20

MFFL · 05-09-2001, 10:39 PM

Maybe if we put in Najera and Harvey we might get some energy. Plus give them some non-garbage playoff minutes. Lets see what they can do.

djb · 05-09-2001, 10:41 PM

I'm starting to feel real good about not not making it to Reunion tonight. This is just embarrassing.

LonestarROB · 05-09-2001, 10:44 PM

No kidding MFFL. Nobody else gives a rats a$$, lets see what Najera, Harvey and Wang can do.

MFFL · 05-09-2001, 10:45 PM

God - down 24. Does it get worse? Please no. Maybe we'll rally Sat and close down Reunion with a playoff win.

MFFL · 05-09-2001, 10:47 PM

I just heard that the Mavs have been outscored 88 to 50 in the third period for the series. Sigh.

djb · 05-09-2001, 10:49 PM

Najera = instant intensity and production off the bench. Four straight points and some much-needed hustle below the rim.

djb · 05-09-2001, 10:50 PM

4pts and 4rebs in ONE MINUTE. There you go.

MFFL · 05-09-2001, 11:01 PM

I know Nellie doesn't trust rookies, but why didn't he put Najera in the game during the third when the game was on the line?

turbo.mav · 05-09-2001, 11:11 PM

i do NOT understand why.. in that crucial 5 minute span following the start of the 3rd quarter why nellie didnt insert an INSTANT energy boost... najera... i just dont understand.. has anyone here seen him make stupid rookie mistakes in his playoff minutes?

dallmav · 05-09-2001, 11:11 PM

Man we have really sucked against the Spurs. We have been embarrassed really bad in this series.

djb · 05-09-2001, 11:11 PM

Najera, Buck, and Eisley have proved tonight that they deserve mins, and not just in garbage time.

djb · 05-09-2001, 11:13 PM

Flagrant on Juwan on Rose. This is the LAST thing the Mavs need right now.

LonestarROB · 05-09-2001, 11:15 PM

How come they never fouled the Jazz this hard? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

djb · 05-09-2001, 11:16 PM

Ok no flagrant on Juwan.

MFFL · 05-09-2001, 11:17 PM

I kind of expected it. The Spurs are an awesome defensive team. The playoffs are all about defense. The Spurs have an incredible inside game. You don't get many good looks from the outside in the playoffs. Look what they did to us in the second and third period. Every play went inside, they would go to the hole and would get fouled. We're not a good inside team. We've had a lot of turnovers because we've been trying to force it inside. We're not good at it and we're not going to learn to do it in the playoffs. That's what the regular season is for.

TheKid · 05-10-2001, 10:00 AM

From a defensive standpoint, they're just pressuring the shit out of the perimeter and our guys are afraid to drive into the lane and take it to the basket. What our players have to realize is, they're going to block shots, probably a lot of them, but they have to keep taking it there. The ONLY way we'll be able to win a game is showing them that when they attack the perimeter we're going to take advantage of it.

dallaslaker · 05-10-2001, 11:21 AM

The main problem is that the west is so damn stacked. Our best offseason moves would be for CWebb and Rasheed Wallace to move the East, and Stockton and Malone to retire to the old-folks home. Iverson is great, Vince is Air-Canada, but when it comes down to it, the West will crush the East in the Finals.

I just don't know of anyone that we can get that will stop the two-headed monsters of Shaq/Kobe and Duncan/Robinson. I still think that we have an extremely young team and would like to see them grow together. We have team chemistry which Portland proved is very important. We have our Big 3 (and a half if you count Howard). Off-season moves should be to find the solid role players. Mad Max was fun, but he has lost a lot of his game. I think Eisley will come around, but it would be good insurance to keep Buckner and pick up Strickland again. Booth can finally lift some weights this summer and bulk up a little and get a full off-season of training with Nellie.

TheKid · 05-10-2001, 11:57 AM

We just need a BIG inside presence. Bradley has played well in this playoffs, but if we're EVER going to contend for a championship I hate to say it but he has to be bigger. I'm not going to complain about him because he is the ONLY Maverick whose been consistent in this series and has actually showed fire every game. However there is NOT that fear factore of people going into the post. Think about this, remember Mark Eaton, couldn't score if you put him under the basket alone, but people did NOT like driving into the lane on him. Think about the Pistons "Bad Boys". They didn't have a HUGE presence in the middle but people didn't drive on them either. That's what we need, for teams to settle for those jumpshots.

Think about the Utah series, the first two games we lost because Karl had his way in the post. The games we won, he settled for those jumpshots. That's our problem with the Spurs. Why do you think we're shooting so terrible, because AAAAALLLLL of our shots are jumpshots. We normally shoot a high percentage of jumpshots, but there are a lot of easy baskets we get with the fast break, but we've had NONE of that this series.

Now the Lakers are a different situation. You just have to hope Shaq is off. I don't care too much about Kobe because he's most effective when Shaq is in the game. When Shaq is not in the game, Kobe tries to do too much. I think we need to get tougher inside, BADLY! Booth and Bradley are both good, but they don't put any fear into anyone!!!! We need that factor to be effective on the defensive end.

Murphy3 · 05-10-2001, 12:02 PM

i think bradley does a decent job at the center spot with his blocking shots and all
but the mavs have got to have a inside presence on defense
great post thekid

that's what i've been gripping about the past few days. you can't be that weak at the power forward spot and center spot and compete.
you have to have someone down low that can play defense consistently.

like it or not, shawn's in foul trouble to quickly to be a huge factor at times and juwan just can't cut it defensively

Mavinator · 05-10-2001, 12:39 PM

If no one is afraid of the Bradley Machine, then why have the Spurs obviously worked so hard to get him in foul trouble early in each of these games? I'll tell you this right now- if Bradley had been able to play his 20 minutes of the first half, the Mavericks would have had the lead at halftime...

TheKid · 05-10-2001, 12:46 PM

Exactly. It's not that he can't cut it defensively, it's that he can't JUMP!!! Also he has no mobility. So he has a problem guarding the athletes in the league. That's why he keeps getting those flagrant foul calls. I think the older he gets he needs to turn into an Adrian Dantley. Learn how to back the player down to get a good high percentage shot around the basket instead of those turnaround 15 footers.

However I agree with you WHOLEHEARTEDLY!! Obviously we don't have a problem putting points on the board, but when we do, we need to learn to keep the game in reach by playing good solid defense, and we just don't have the inside presence to do that right now.

Intruder · 05-10-2001, 01:14 PM

Hey Mavinator;

In response to your post about the Spurs going after Bradley to get him in foul trouble;

That is what they always try to do (Even to Shaq). They like to get the opposing inside players in foul trouble that way the inside game becomes easier to execute and the double teams start comming harder at them leaving the outside shooters with a wide opened shot for them to take. They have been doing this for a while now. The catch is that sometimes we get in foul trouble ourselves.

Is Najera a 2 or a 3?

Murphy3 · 05-10-2001, 03:46 PM

definitely a 3

bradley can be relatively effective inside against duncan for awhile, but we can't expect him to put in more than a solid 20 minutes or so because of foul difficulties.
the mavs have to get something defensively inside out of someone else