Mavs host Spurs: 0-1

[ddh33]

I guess it's officially basketball season again. The Mavs open at home against the Spurs in a game that could potentially have a big impact on the playoff seeding months from now. The Mavs led for most of the game, but faded down the stretch as the Spurs defense tightened. 97-91, Spurs win.

I was impressed by the flow of the game. Often the first game of the season just feels like a continuation of preseason. This one really didn't. In fact, this felt like a game between rivals who both wanted to prove something to the other.

Lord knows we have all talked about it enough over the past few months, but the officiating was anything but impressive. It was inconsistent again, and it felt like the Mavs came out on the short end of the stick. The Mavs committed 12 more fouls than the Spurs, and San Antonio shot 21 more free throws. Only very little of that was due to the intentional fouling at the end of the game. What a frustrating way to start the season.

If I was in that Mavericks locker-room though, I wouldn't say a word about the officiating. This team took way too many jumpers, particularly in the second half. Compounding the issue was how cold the Mavs got during that time. The Spurs, meanwhile, played better defense than the Mavs, and they did a better job of executing their offense and getting better shots.

It wasn't talked about much, but I'm guessing it will be now: Francisco Elson was a very good pickup for the Spurs. The one thing the Spurs lacked last season was athleticism in the front-court. Elson certainly brings that. He plays with energy and will help that team against the more athletic teams they will play in the West.

As far as the Mavs go, Josh Howard was the best player on the floor tonight. Josh was involved in an altercation with Bruce Bowen that is likely going to end up with him getting fined. Just don't expect him to apologize. I like that about him, even if I do sometimes want him to reign himself in just a little bit. I still think that fight that he has is one of the main differences between these more successful Mavericks and some of the other teams Dallas has fielded. 20-6-4 is a nice line.

Dirk was very good at times, but he was also very quiet for portions of the game. Give the Spurs credit. Foul trouble was also a big culprit. Dirk missed some shots he usually hits, and I'm sure he wants those back. He still worked his way to 21-11.

Jason Terry was solid tonight too. 14 points and 4 assists on a good percentage. I was actually impressed by his defense as well. Parker and Ginobili both had nice nights, but I thought Terry did a pretty nice job of moving his feet and staying in front of them.

The two-headed monster at center was solid. Damp had too many turnovers, but overall they did a good job of making Duncan work by contesting his shots. They did a respectable job on the glass too, although I have a hunch that the coaches will want more than they got.

Greg Buckner was the invisible man tonight. If our starting shooting guard plays like that all season, we are going to have some problems. Buck couldn't hit a shot tonight, and his defense wasn't enough to overcome the rest of it.

Anthony Johnson got as many minutes as Buck, but he didn't do anymore with his minutes than Buck did, although Johnson did do an excellent job of breaking up a Spurs fast-break in the first half.

Jerry Stackhouse played 25 minutes, and he delivered a typical Stack regular season night. He hit some shots you probably expected him to miss, and he missed some you expected him to hit.

Devin Harris is still a huge key to this season, in my opinion. I've got to admit though, if he is your fourth option in the back-court (like he was tonight) then there are some questions that need to be asked and answered. Part of me thought that Devin didn't look quite right tonight. Maybe I'm alone in that assessment, but I swear that he was stretching off and on all night like he couldn't get to feeling right. Beyond that, Devin still had a little trouble finishing at the rim. I really want him to implement a tear-drop into his game. I've seen him use it before, but teams are certainly going to be defending him for finishing strong at the rim. He had some nice passes, but I expect more. I expect more than 14 minutes too. As much as I like guys like Anthony Johnson and Greg Buckner, this team won't win a championship if they are bigger factors on this team than Devin. I don't know who to blame, but this one game better not be reflective of what we'll see this season.

Austin Croshere was a big spark tonight. When the team acquired him, I was optimistic that Croshere could fill his role on this team very well. Part of me is nervous about it though because it has always seemed like Croshere played better with more minutes. He's been streaky throughout his career, and streaky players sometimes have a hard time in limited minutes. Croshere was streaking in a good way tonight though. He hit open jumpers and played with energy. I hope he can keep that up.


So the team shot 43% tonight, and they allowed the Spurs to shoot 49%. Ballgame. This team may start this season a little slow though. I had kind of expected that. In some ways, they played better than I thought they would, but that was only for one half. I believe there are some questions about the rotation that need to be worked out, and that may play a big part in the overall success of this regular season.

[nashtymavsfan13]

ddh is back

Great writeup on the game, like always.

[fluid.forty.one]

Great read like always, welcome back!

(lol great minds think alike nashty)

[nashtymavsfan13]

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

(lol great minds think alike nashty)

Haha

[Dtownsfinest]

Good post. As a Mavs fan the last guy I wanted to see the Spurs sign was Franciso Elson. An athletic 7 footer to play alongside Duncan is not something I like to think about. Croshere showed me a little something tonight. He shot well but he brings a little more than just jump shooting. He's also hustles and gives 110% unlike Van Horn.

[MavsFanFinley]

ddh, thanks for the recaps. I've been missing them.

Interesting Spurs note. Rick Carlisle on his radio show said he believes the Spurs will pick up James White tomorrow.

Freak small forward athlete the Spurs have been looking for. And they have time to groom him if he's willing.

[nashtymavsfan13]

Originally Posted by MavsFanFinley

ddh, thanks for the recaps. I've been missing them.

Interesting Spurs note. Rick Carlisle on his radio show said he believes the Spurs will pick up James White tomorrow.

Freak small forward athlete the Spurs have been looking for. And they have time to groom him if he's willing.

I've never heard of him, does he have good potential?

[kriD]

Start & stopped: Spurs level Mavs in opener

01:39 AM CST on Friday, November 3, 2006
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Things were so rough in Game 1 of the 2006-07 season that even a referee needed five stitches.

Venerable ref Jess Kersey got off light with a gash on his chin. The Mavericks, however, took a knockout blow from the San Antonio Spurs in the second half Thursday night.

The Spurs clamped down with their defense, and the Mavericks lost a season opener at home for the first time since 1998, dropping a 97-91 decision to the division rivals that they booted out of the playoffs last season.

It was the first game that mattered since the Mavericks were beaten on the American Airlines Center court by Miami for the NBA championship. Opening night of a new season might have worked out OK if the Mavs hadn't played like they were done after three quarters – which, as it turned out, they were.

"It's kind of good to see where we stand," Dirk Nowitzki said. "In the preseason, you really don't know. San Antonio showed we got a lot of work to do. They're as good as anybody, and I still think we have a chance to win it all.

"But there are tough losses during a year, and this is one of them."

The Mavericks missed their first six shots of the fourth period, shot just 6-of-21 (28.6 percent) for the quarter and watched the Spurs make clutch play after clutch play. And they won the bump-and-grind game when it counted.

"I thought we were pretty physical and pretty energetic early on in the game, and we weren't that way as the game went on," Mavs coach Avery Johnson said. "When you are aggressive in our league, you get rewarded."

The Spurs were and did. They got to the free throw line 37 times, 21 more than the Mavericks.

The Mavericks worried going into the game that they were behind in their preparation for the season, thanks to too many minor preseason injuries that kept them from getting consistent work on all of their offensive schemes.

But San Antonio's defense had something to do with the fourth-quarter derailment. And so did the Spurs' backcourt as starters Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili outscored Jason Terry and Greg Buckner 35-14. The backups, Beno Udrih and Michael Finley, combined for 18 points off the bench to just four for the Mavericks' Devin Harris and Anthony Johnson.

"We just did some things different than we normally do just to get guys acclimated with our offense," Jerry Stackhouse said. "We got new pieces that we got to try to get involved. So we may have some growing pains with that."

The basic dislike between these teams was hyped coming in and on full display during the game. Josh Howard had a flagrant foul-penalty one when he forearmed Bruce Bowen, who had taken Howard to the ground and stepped on him to precipitate the incident.

It wasn't playoff-style physical, but it wasn't pitty-pat, either, particularly in the fourth quarter, when the Mavs fell behind, 80-75. They scored just four points in the first eight minutes of the period.

The Mavericks had to feel good about things when Bowen, normally only a defensive factor, suddenly became the Spurs' best offensive weapon. His 3-pointer with 2:18 left pushed the Spurs up, 88-84.

"Bruce hit a big 3 from the corner, but we'd rather give that up rather than a layup," Stackhouse said. "He made a nice shot."

Nowitzki hit a fadeaway, but he and Terry would miss on the Mavericks' next two possessions. Duncan's follow shot and a Ginobili free throw with 38.4 seconds left put the Spurs up, 91-86. Stackhouse then lost the ball out of bounds to confirm the loss.

"It's one win, but it's a great start to our season," said Duncan, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds. "They are going to be a very good team. It's going to be a division rivalry. So it's big in many ways."

[kriD]

Instead of going strong to basket, Dallas takes, misses outside shots

01:35 AM CST on Friday, November 3, 2006
[Jean-Jacques Taylor / The Dallas Morning News]

These Mavs played like Don Nelson was still coaching the team, not Avery Johnson.

It's blasphemous to say that, but for one game – a disappointing, 97-91 loss to the hated Spurs – it was true.

These Mavs shot too many jumpers. They took too many 3s. They didn't attack the basket. You do that against a team as good as the Spurs and you lose.

Every time.

These Mavs should know better. A similar jump-shooting approach played a key role in the Mavs blowing a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals against Miami last year.

It's too early to overreact. One November loss, even a home defeat to the Spurs, really has no bearing on how the Mavs will fare this season. That said, the Mavs must learn from this defeat. To a man, they must decide consistently settling for jump shots is not an option.

We've seen that style recently in Dallas, Sacramento and Phoenix. It's fun, no doubt, but has yet to produce a championship.

"We looked like the Mavericks of the past," Johnson said. "That's not what we've been working on, and that's not what we are."

The Mavs forced the Spurs to match their tempo in the first half and were rewarded with a six-point halftime lead that swelled to 10 in the third quarter. But in the fourth quarter with the game in question, the Nelson Mavericks emerged.

Trailing 88-86 with 1:30 left, Dirk Nowitzki missed a 19-foot jumper. After Bruce Bowen missed two free throws, Jason Terry missed a 3-point attempt.

A Tim Duncan follow pushed the lead to 90-86. Then Nowitzki missed a 13-footer with 38 seconds left, and the Spurs rebounded.

End of game.

But that doesn't tell the entire tale.

In the first half, Dallas scored 22 points in the paint and shot 53.3 (24 of 45) percent from the field. In the second half, they scored eight points in the paint and shot 32.5 percent from the field (14 of 43).

By settling for jump shots, the Mavs didn't score enough easy baskets or draw enough fouls. Dallas shot only 16 free throws.

That's not good enough, and it's time for this veteran team to understand that. Being aggressive and attacking the basket is a mind-set.

San Antonio has it. The Spurs shot 37 free throws, making 25.

"They were more aggressive," Johnson said. "Whenever you're aggressive in this league, you're rewarded."

This is a championship-or-bust season for Dallas. Everyone who matters in the organization accepts that. For that, applaud them.

The Mavs added Greg Buckner, Anthony Johnson and Devean George in the off-season because they were experienced role players capable of handling the pressure. Mark Cuban did his job by signing Josh Howard, Nowitzki, Terry and Avery Johnson to long-term deals, so they could focus on basketball.

The goal is winning a championship, but capturing the Southwest Division title and the home-court advantage that will probably go with it would be nice, especially since the Mavs haven't won a division title since 1987. The division race is going to be so close that head-to-head competition as a tie-breaker could easily determine it, which is why every game against the Spurs is important.

The Spurs certainly took the game seriously.

Tony Parker wasn't necessarily supposed to play because of a balky ankle, but he played 34 minutes and scored 19 points. Duncan didn't dominate, scoring only 13 points, but his whining was in midseason form. More important, he was a difference-maker in the fourth quarter.

The Spurs ooze arrogance. Three championships entitle them.

You know they believe the Mavs beating them in the Western Conference semifinals last year was a fluke. They still believe they're the better team.

For now, they are.

And if the Mavs don't follow Johnson's orders to attack the basket, nothing will change.

[kriD]

Losing now not a bad thing

01:37 AM CST on Friday, November 3, 2006
[David Moore / The Dallas Morning News]

This game won't mean a thing come April.

It may not hold much relevance 22 days from now when these teams meet again in San Antonio.

But for a franchise doomed to exist in the Spurs' shadow until six months ago, to turn around in their first game of the 2006-07 season and give it all back has to hurt.

A bit dramatic? Perhaps. In many ways, the Mavericks' 97-91 loss to their South Texas nemesis was predictable.

The Mavericks have more moving parts to work into their system than the Spurs at this stage. San Antonio wants to plant the seed that its second-round loss to the Mavericks was an aberration, the latest blip in the team's every-other-season championship pattern.

On some level, Mavericks coach Avery Johnson prefers this dynamic. Think about it. He spent last season pumping his players up, openly touting a title run and getting them to believe.

The Mavericks believe. Now, the trick is to temper that enthusiasm with some reality, to let his team know how hard it will be to duplicate that success. Thursday's loss was the first lesson.

"Where we ended up last season was a product of all the shootarounds and film sessions and practices and games," Johnson said. "You don't get there early in the season."

This team won't.

Three players who weren't in a Mavericks uniform last season totaled more than 51 minutes against the Spurs. The team's lack of offensive execution and numerous defensive breakdowns in the fourth quarter were the result of a rotation that hasn't spent nearly enough time together.

The Mavericks put in most of what they wanted to do in the preseason. But injuries kept them from working on it and getting a cohesive rotation.

Again, I don't think Johnson minds. He wants to build a team toward its peak, not start there and try to maintain it over a 6 ½ -month season. Teams that defend a title sometimes use that approach.

The Mavericks, you may remember, fell short.

"It's just about timing and getting in sync, getting everyone on the same page," said Johnson, who watched the Mavericks score just four points in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter. "We'll keep working on it. I think it's more of a timing issue and making sure we're spaced properly."

The Mavericks' starting backcourt of Jason Terry and Greg Buckner was going to be outscored by Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. But 35-14? That was too much.

Devin Harris, who torched the Spurs for 20 points in the fourth quarter of their first meeting last season, had five fouls and two points on this night. He made San Antonio's Beno Udrih look good.

The Spurs, meanwhile, appear to have added an intriguing piece to the puzzle of defending the Mavericks.

San Antonio didn't win because of Francisco Elson's 12 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. But he's more athletic and active than Nazr Mohammed and Rasho Nesterovic, the two players who labored in the middle for the Spurs last season.

Elson allows the Spurs to keep another 7-footer next to Tim Duncan late in games, making it tougher for the Mavericks to take the ball to the basket.

"He [Elson] provides a lot of energy for us," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I was really pleased."

Johnson was not pleased. But hey, look on the bright side. The Mavericks looked better than Miami did in its opener.

"It's just our first game together, and we're trying to find what combinations out there work," Harris said. "It's going to take a little bit of time.

"Rome wasn't built in a day."

Neither are championship seasons.

[4cwebb]

Originally Posted by kriD

Instead of going strong to basket, Dallas takes, misses outside shots

01:35 AM CST on Friday, November 3, 2006
[Jean-Jacques Taylor / The Dallas Morning News]

Duncan didn't dominate, scoring only 13 points, but his whining was in midseason form. More important, he was a difference-maker in the fourth quarter.

If Duncan was whining and protesting calls, why didn't he get a technical? Any thoughts? I wasn't able to watch but a small portion of the game, so I'm not certain whether Duncan did a lot of arm waiving and pleading. After seeing what has drawn some technicals to this point, I would think that Duncan's normal style of whining would also earn a technical or two.

[Darth Ape]

Originally Posted by ddh33

Lord knows we have all talked about it enough over the past few months, but the officiating was anything but impressive. It was inconsistent again, and it felt like the Mavs came out on the short end of the stick. The Mavs committed 12 more fouls than the Spurs, and San Antonio shot 21 more free throws. Only very little of that was due to the intentional fouling at the end of the game. What a frustrating way to start the season.

ugh. The only thing frustrating to me so far about the start of the season is that the crying and whining and bitching and complaining doesn't look like it's ever going to stop here in Dallas.

[WraithXx]

I'm still punching holes in brick walls over Diop's technical

that was one of the most bull**** calls I have ever seen in my life

this whole new "era" of tight-assed officiating is just total stupidity and completely moronic

[thurst0509]

Originally Posted by 4cwebb

If Duncan was whining and protesting calls, why didn't he get a technical? Any thoughts? I wasn't able to watch but a small portion of the game, so I'm not certain whether Duncan did a lot of arm waiving and pleading. After seeing what has drawn some technicals to this point, I would think that Duncan's normal style of whining would also earn a technical or two.

I have no idea. I was at the game and Duncan was whining a LOT. Same with Ginobili, Bowen, and Popovich. Granted, I couldn't hear what was being said, but based on body language and based on how the refs were calling this game and every other, I can't understand why ALL of those guys didn't get technicals called on them...

[Mavs Rule]

In the first half, Dallas scored 22 points in the paint and shot 53.3 (24 of 45) percent from the field. In the second half, they scored eight points in the paint and shot 32.5 percent from the field (14 of 43).

By settling for jump shots, the Mavs didn't score enough easy baskets or draw enough fouls. Dallas shot only 16 free throws.

BALL GAME.

[Dtownsfinest]

Originally Posted by nashtymavsfan13

I've never heard of him, does he have good potential?

Youtube.com is all I have to say lol. James White is one of the best dunkers out there. His athleticism is crazy and i'm guessing that is what is intriguing the Spurs.