12/18/24
May 07, 2011
Mavericks Put Lakers in 3-0 Hole: The Los Angeles Lakers are down 3-0 to the Dallas Mavericks, a defense of their title now dependent on becoming the first NBA team ever to win four straight to climb out of that hole. "Why are the game's toughest pressure players crumbling under a push from some of the game's softest?" asks Bill Plaschke. "[Phil] Jackson had lost his composure, [Pau] Gasol has lost all confidence, and after a long and distracting season, the Lakers have finally lost all sense of each other." Bob Sturm called the end of the Mavericks' 98-92 win "one of the most amazing final 5:00 in Mavericks' history."
posted by rcade to basketball at 01:22 PM - 7 comments
Famous last words, but it looks like the book on the Mavericks -- they're soft in the playoffs -- is out of date. Dirk was unbelievable, and they hit almost every clutch shot they took in the fourth. (I say almost because Jason Kidd launched at least one no-hoper.)
It would be weird if the Mavericks became the only thing standing in the way of the Heat winning a title. I don't like our chances of getting the calls in that circumstance.
posted by rcade at 01:25 PM on May 07, 2011
It would be weird if the Mavericks became the only thing standing in the way of the Heat winning a title.
It would be fitting. They were on the verge of going 3-0 on the Heat in the 2006 finals before collapsing and losing the series 4-2 to the Heat. Wouldn't the ultimate redemption be for Dirk and the Mavs to beat the Heat in the finals?
I'm a Lakers fan, but credit to the Mavericks. They led the Lakers wire to wire in Game 2 and simply played better down the stretch in games 1 & 3.
posted by cjets at 03:52 PM on May 07, 2011
"Well, it's almost as difficult as can be in the situation we have right now," Jackson said prior to Game 3. "If we make it any more difficult, we just have another thing to do. Kobe said to me this morning, 'It seems like this is the kind of way your last season should be, that something like this comes up and it has to be another hurdle that you have to cross.' But it's not me crossing it, it's the team."Phil Jackson seems to be distancing himself from this train wreck.
posted by geekyguy at 08:24 PM on May 07, 2011
They were on the verge of going 3-0 on the Heat in the 2006 finals before collapsing and losing the series 4-2 to the Heat.
Yeah, you really don't need to remind any Mavs fan of that. Especially those of us that were sitting on tickets for game 7 of that series. (not to mention, it gets brought up every single time Dallas plays on Nat'l TV....but so it goes).
Seems to me like the Mavs are doing a great job of containing Kobe (seriously, I've never seen J-Kidd frustrate an All-Star SG this way) and have thrown Pau way off of his game. Combined with the fact that the Lakers have no bench whatsoever and the Mavs are hitting their shots late, well, that seems to be doing what it needs to do.
I'm hoping like hell they don't bother messing around and just snuff LA out tomorrow. Not taking anything for granted (I've had my heart broken far too many times by this team), but things are looking quite good at the moment.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:24 PM on May 07, 2011
Lakers are done. They aren't going to find the magic ingredient and all of a sudden be a completely different team. The Mavs are like a great prizefighter, they've attacked the Laker's strengths and put them in the deep end. Completely out of their comfort zone. It's been impressive to watch.
And Dirk is some kind of player. He has that fadeway/turn-around and jab move that are basically undefendable. He's up another peg in my book. Total gamer.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:28 AM on May 08, 2011
Credit needs to be giving to that Mavs bench; a bunch of savvy vets who provide insanely useful minutes. They're overwhelming the Lakers and they're doing it 10 deep.
posted by dfleming at 08:42 AM on May 08, 2011
Up three games, playing at home. The Dallas Mavericks are in serious trouble now.