| 26 April 2010
(Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs 92, Dallas Mavericks 89
It may have been Tim Duncan's birthday on Sunday but it was George Hill who took the cake in a 92-89 victory. San Antonio now has a stranglehold on the series, up 3 games to 1.
Greg Popovich spoke before the game about Hill's ability to fight through adversity and increased confidence. He must feel like king of the world, or maybe the hill...cough, after scoring 29 points to lead the Spurs. Hill finished 5-6 from the three-point line, while his teammates were 1-11, and repeatedly plunged dagger after dagger through the Mavericks' hearts.
How critical was Hill's scoring contribution? Let's put it this way. The trio of Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker scored a combined 31 points, two more than Hill. Yeah, he was kind of a big deal.
"The big three, for the first time in the series, were nullified but we didn't take advantage of that," said Mavericks center Brendan Haywood.
Amidst controversy over Caron Butler's benching in Game 3, Rick Carlisle looked to establish the guard as a scoring threat early. The only problem was that Butler didn't make the shots, finishing 7-18 from the floor. Butler looked out of sync from the start, picking up a quick two fouls. He also finished with an unsightly +/- of -15. Yeah, I think we can safely say he killed the Mavericks.
In spite of Butler's shooting woes, the Mavericks looked ready to return to their road warrior status, fighting off the first wave of attack by San Antonio to gain a fourteen-point lead. Shawn Marion, who was openly confused about his role on the team, took it upon himself to create opportunities against a shaky Spurs' defense. Then the second half started and Dallas imploded like Texas Stadium.
San Antonio played what is likely the best defensive quarter of the playoffs so far, limiting Dallas to eleven points in the third quarter. Antonio McDyess suffocated Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Mavericks looked like they had never seen a basketball before. When Jason Kidd is the player you're begging to take a shot, damn, you are in a world of trouble.
From that point on San Antonio looked to be the team in control. They were composed and creative as they painted the hardwood canvas. Dallas, in contrast, looked like they were children playing with finger paints. Every time you turned your head Dallas was flying off the handle. If it wasn't J.J. Barea or the trainer (what the Hell?) getting flustered over a cheap shot by Richard Jefferson, it was Dirk Nowitzki complaining to the refs about Antonio McDyess's defense. The cherry on top was Eduardo Najera's mugging of Manu Ginobili. Najera was ejected forty-seven seconds into his appearance. Nice work, Chihuahua's finest. Now hit the showers.
Unbelievably, Dallas was still in the game with thirty seconds to go. Sadly, in fitting with the theme of the day, they couldn't get a good shot and San Antonio now has three chances to knock Dallas out.
Why the Spurs Won
George Hill, as Zach Harper would say, is a man (Ed. Note: I would and I have). Without his dominant performance the Mavericks run away with this game. He refused to let Dallas even the series. By the end of the game the Mavs were shading George Hill instead of Duncan, the first time I've ever seen that. Somehow I don't think it will be the last. As I mentioned before, Duncan, Manu, and Parker were average offensively but everybody on the Spurs chipped in to shut Dallas down in the third quarter. The Spurs outscored the Mavs 29-11 in that period and that was the difference in the game.
Why the Mavs Lost
This is the third straight game where Dallas looked like they were in control, only to blow a lead. Nobody will confuse anyone from Dallas with Mariano Rivera, I can promise you that. Of course, the question to be asked if they did is, "Why the Hell is Dirk Nowitzki pitching for the New York Yankees?" Joking aside, Dallas had no clue of how to handle the storm in the third quarter. It was like watching someone kick and flail in quicksand. You just want to say, "You're only making it worse, Caron." When Dirk Nowitzki shoots a meager ten times there is no chance Dallas will walk away a winner. The Spurs played well but Dallas shot themselves in the foot and ultimately shot themselves out of the game.
"You tip your hat to them," Haywood said about the loss. "But I think it had more to do with the way the Dallas Mavericks played, for me, instead of the Spurs."
Looking Ahead to Game 5
In the Dallas locker room after the game all but two players looked defeated. They were two of the newest acquisitions, Shawn Marion and Brendan Haywood. Asked how they can overcome a 3-1 deficit, Marion calmly said, "I've been here before. I was on one of the only teams (The Phoenix Suns) to come back from a three to one deficit in a series. So it can be done. We just have to go home and get this next one." Marion finished by saying, "it isn't over until the fat lady sings, and I don't see any fat lady yet so we're okay." Here's hoping they didn't watch "Precious" on the team bus back to Dallas. Too soon?
The Spurs are finally healthy and have a budding confidence that can't seem to be countered by Dallas. It's like a seesaw effect, with San Antonio eventually outweighing Dallas at the end of what seems like every game. They've beaten Dallas with the help of Tim Duncan. They've had Richard Jefferson step up in a victory and now they've shown they can beat the Mavs without their three best players on their game. What else can you do? Not that we condone animal abuse but Rick Carlisle must be ready to kick his dog at this point. It wouldn't matter anyway. Rick would probably ask Caron Butler to do it and he'd miss the shot.
Prediction: Dallas wins a close Game 5
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