| 29 April 2010
(Photo by Chris Covatta/NBAE via Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs 97, Dallas Mavericks 87
Game 6 started out as a bigger letdown than the ending in Shutter Island. Where were the big performances from Dallas, an excellent road team? The first half of Game 6 was like watching Mike Tyson lay out Michael Spinks. It ended up being more like Iron Man 2, a worthy sequel to the series but definitely not a classic. The Spurs are okay with that and punched their ticket to the second round with a 97-87 win, closing out the series 4 games to 2.
Maybe I'm being too hard and not respectful enough of the beastly defense San Antonio laid down on Dallas. The eight points they allowed in the first quarter tied their franchise playoff record for lowest amount surrendered in a quarter and limiting them to 34 points, the Mavs' lowest playoffs scoring effort in a half. To quote Darth Vader, it was "most impressive." The Spurs are officially the team most likely to dethrone the L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference bracket.
The Spurs were all over Dallas like Michael Bay to a dumb film. Dallas couldn't get comfortable but the Big Three of Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan were right at home in the first half, finishing with a collective stat line of 26 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.
Dallas gets some love from yours truly for not rolling over after going down twenty-two. It's too bad they didn't decide to start playing until it was too late. The amount of energy expended making a comeback run like that almost always results in a letdown afterward. It wasn't a surprise that Dallas couldn't keep the run going.
Rodrigue Beaubois was almost literally all Dallas had to offer off the bench. It amazes me that a coach like Rick Carlisle couldn't realize he needed to make the adjustment sooner by putting Roddy Buckets in alongside Jason Kidd sooner. The burst of speed and confidence was the reason Dallas came back. Before he was in the game Dallas was being read their last rites. So why the Hell did Rick Carlisle take him out? Mark Cuban said Carlisle's job is safe. After judgment calls like that and his team getting outworked this series I am starting to wonder how safe said job is.
Why The Spurs Won
San Antonio's displayed one of the best defensive efforts to start the game I, or anyone for that matter, have ever witnessed. They built a lead that was too much for Dallas to overcome. Yes, I know you're going to say, "But Dallas was up one!" That doesn't matter to me. San Antonio was afforded the chance to sit back as Dallas wore themselves out punching back into the game. When it mattered most Dallas had nothing left.
George Hill continues to gain confidence and will be the X-factor in any series from here on out for San Antonio. It's only a matter of time before he permanently breaks into the starting lineup.
Why the Mavs Lost
How much time do you have, really? The Mavericks wet the bed in the first half, failing to attack the basket. They killed themselves by getting Brendan Haywood and Dirk Nowitzki in foul trouble early. No team that scores eight points in a quarter deserves to win a playoff game. The only players who deserve credit are Rodrigue Beaubois for lifting his team up off the ground, Dirk Nowitzki for playing through adversity and Caron Butler for answering the call in the last two games when we all ripped him to shreds for falling apart in Game 4. Still, the Mavericks were never able to make a stop in the fourth quarter. Every time they needed one San Antonio found a way to score. Defense still wins championships and Dallas had none to show us in the fourth quarter.
A Look Ahead to Round 2
Dallas must feel like they are in a living scrapbook. Even with a series of changes made to improve this team the Mavs still fell victim to their team's M.O. They fail to make key stops, lack composure, intensity and defensive focus to win playoff basketball, and they have no low post presence. Sounds familiar, right? Dallas fans will be calling for blood after such a disappointment but the truth is they couldn't have asked for a worse match-up in round one.
San Antonio is also taking a walk through memory lane as they are poised to play the Phoenix Suns. Aside from Manu's broken nose, which he didn't seem fazed by tonight, the Spurs are finally healthy. The Suns are much like Dallas in that they have tried to change their stripes by paying more attention to defense this season. But when the chips are down players go back to their old habits. For this reason the Spurs have to feel good about their chances in the next round regardless of who they play. The Spurs came into the season with plenty of questions. Like Robert Langdon in a Dan Brown novel, they're picking the perfect time to find answers.
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