My view from the AAC tonight - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

OutletPass · 01-20-2004, 11:14 PM

As most of you know, I've been pretty critical of the Mavs this year...I didn't like the Walker trade...or the way that he played in the first 35 games...or our inability to get a 5...the lack of D...and more than anything...THE INABILITY TO CLOSE TEAMS OUT...losing 15 point leads is just inexcusable...especially against horrible offense...

And that, more than anything, has been a HUGE sore point with me...you can't win in the regular season like that...and you sure can't win in the playoffs when that happens...you simply can't let any team come bck on you...and when it's a mediocre team...that's just Butt Ugly.

The Knicks win and the Sixers win just didn't impress me...those teams should have NEVER gotten to OT. The Win in Denver was much better...and the win in Portland was better than that...there were a lot of encouraging signs.....tonight's win has me feeling even better...we're definitely on an upswing.

I love the New Jersey games...there's always a "big game" atmosphere in the AAC when they come in...much like Indiana...or the best of the West. Tonight was no different...there was an electric atmosphere...and the Mavs played up to it...

They kept pushing the ball...at a great pace (that's been missing) ...and when NJ made a run to get back into it...the Mavs knocked them down and put the game back into double digits. If you want to say that we had "killer Instinct" tonight, I won't argue with you....

This was a QUALITY win...hopefully, in a month we'll all be able to look back on the last 5 games as a TURNING POINT. Props to all of the Mavs...and especially Walker who got some serious payback on Kmart. Toine had a really great second half tonight.

Give me a 10-12 game win streak and 28-13 for the second half of the season, and no serious injuries, and I'll be happy. Give me a half decent 5 to pair with Shawn...and I'll be much happier for the playoffs.

I really think that this was the best TEAM EFFORT of the year...

Do you agree or disagree ?

(Bring on the Fakers, Baby !)

MightyToine · 01-20-2004, 11:27 PM

Agree.

(am I the king of one-liners or what?)

ReDIRKulous · 01-20-2004, 11:36 PM

Hey Op... i had no way to see the game tonight... I am wondering if you noticed anyone trying to bully Dirk out of his game. K - Mart is know to try that kind of thing and I heard he hurt Dirk's thumb on a foul... did you notice any intimidation going on?

ddh33 · 01-20-2004, 11:53 PM

Nice to see and hear (couldn't watch tonight) that the Mavs seem to be figuring each other out. Hopefully, it will continue. I see no reason why it shouldn't. Maybe we're starting to see the team a lot of us expected. There are still some questions, but they seem to be gradually getting answered. If this team continues to come together, I don't think anyone will want to see them in the playoffs.

By the way, with every good win a blockbuster trade becomes more unlikely.

MightyToine · 01-21-2004, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by: ReDIRKulous
Hey Op... i had no way to see the game tonight... I am wondering if you noticed anyone trying to bully Dirk out of his game. K - Mart is know to try that kind of thing and I heard he hurt Dirk's thumb on a foul... did you notice any intimidation going on?

I saw the game and I'll tell you what happened. Dirk received a nice pass to the inside from nash(I think) and when he went to jump for a dunk, K-mart Slapped the front of his hands and that seemed to injure Dirk. He injured his thumb from what I hear but still remained at the Free Throw line and knocked them both down. But his shooting was off the rest of the night.

OutletPass · 01-21-2004, 12:13 AM

reDirk...yeah, that was going on...it always does with the Nets...I'm a little worried about Dirk's hand...

Kenyon gave him one hell of a karate chop....right down onto Dirk's arm and hand....It was borderline DIRTY...but, more than anything, it was just HARD, HARD, HARD.

There wasn't really THAT much pushing, shoving, elbowing and that kind of thing...I've seen a lot of teams go after Dirk in that way...but that ddn't stand out to me tonight...

It was just sort of that one play...under the basket...trying to keep Dirk from going up...but instead of grabbing him...Kmart "chopped" him.

ReDIRKulous · 01-21-2004, 12:17 AM

I wish Fortson would have gotten his flagrant suspension after a situation like this. Damn. lol I hate how refs let stuff like that go. It is obvious that Kmart gets into a lot of stuff. It is just like how the refs let Malone get away with the same kind of thing.

dude1394 · 01-21-2004, 12:19 AM

Update on the hand. Cooperstein said the thumb was xrayed and nothing broken, but he's day-to-day. It was his left hand wasn't it?

u2sarajevo · 01-21-2004, 12:21 AM

OP... I agree with you whole heartedly. I think the last two games we have witnessed the setting of the glue for this team. I don't think it's completely dry yet, but it's getting there.

And as for the Lakers.... oh how I wish they were 100% healthy... but you can't do anything about the injuries, we gotta play them as they come.

Great win, and it was fun to watch. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

OutletPass · 01-21-2004, 12:38 AM

Youre right, Dude...it was the left hand...and/or thumb..I'm a little amazed that it wasn't broken, actually...I know that you and I sit pretty close together...I heard a horrible WHACK...as K-Mart came down on Dirk.

Honestly...from my angle, it lookeds like K-Mart came right down on Dirk's right arm, left arm and left hand...I'm not saying it was flagrant...it was just really HARD.

It's just the stuff that K-Mart learned at Cincinnatti...they've always been schooled in the "hard foul"

Mavs Rule · 01-21-2004, 12:39 AM

Yes, OP this was an impressive win in that we won by over ten points. The other games we have had in this streak have been fairly close. It is nice to see we are starting to KNOW that we will pull close games out. Once you have that kind of confidence, then you can start to roll and start blowing out some teams. In other words, you don't play conservative hoping that you aren't going to lose when you have a lead. Instead you pour it on and put the hammer down.

IMO the most impressive win was the Portland win. We usually have a hard time up there with the physical play that they put on us in the Rose Garden. This time we stayed tough and didn't wilt from all the pushing that takes place in the lane. Fin was really on fire, and if we are going anywhere in the playoffs, he is going to have to give us games like this occasionally. It was also very encouraging that we could win a big game on the road without Nash. Earlier in the year his absence on the road meant a certain loss.

I agree with you that this 5 game streak could be the turning point of the entire year for us. It seems that everyone knows their roles and limits and is playing much smarter ball. Defensive effort has seemed to pick up during this streak also. Lets hope that we can sustain the energy being expended now for the rest of the year.

dirno2000 · 01-21-2004, 12:39 AM

Quote:

It was his left hand wasn't it?

yes