wijayas
02-25-2009, 01:58 AM
By David Moore
SAN ANTONIO _ The Spurs didn't have two of their top three players.
And the Mavericks still didn't have a chance.
San Antonio's 93-76 win Tuesday at the AT&T Center was either a tribute
to the star-challenged Spurs or an indictment of the Mavericks. It
depends on your perspective.
The Mavericks haven't won a road game in the Western Conference against
a playoff contender since it beat Portland on Christmas Night. The
Mavericks couldn't win on this night even though the Spurs were forced
to play without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
The Spurs knew they would be without Ginobili. It wasn't until just
before tip-off that they learned they would also be without Duncan, who
had a sore knee.
What appeared to be a golden opportunity for the Mavericks turned into a
bitter disappointment. Tony Parker picked up the offensive slack,
torching the Mavericks for 37 points. The Spurs didn't let the Mavericks
get out and run _ a team that averaged nearly 20 fast break points in
the last 11 games had only seven in this one _ and turned it into a
bump-and-grind affair.
Something else became clear: Dirk Nowitzki is in a full-fledged slump.
The Mavericks star finished with just 14 points and was 5-of-15 from the
field. He has averaged 11.7 points and gone 15-of-46 from the field
(32.6 percent) in the last three games.
The absence of Duncan and Ginobili did more to throw the Mavericks out
of synch in the first half than the Spurs. San Antonio scrambled the
game and the Mavericks lost their offensive identity in the process.
Josh Howard, Antoine Wright, James Singleton and J.J. Barea all took
more shots than Nowitzki in the first half. The Spurs Matt Bonner took
the head-to-head matchup, outscoring the Mavericks All-Star 9-5.
How bad was it? The Spurs took the lead 3:07 deep into the first quarter
and never gave it up.
http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/
SAN ANTONIO _ The Spurs didn't have two of their top three players.
And the Mavericks still didn't have a chance.
San Antonio's 93-76 win Tuesday at the AT&T Center was either a tribute
to the star-challenged Spurs or an indictment of the Mavericks. It
depends on your perspective.
The Mavericks haven't won a road game in the Western Conference against
a playoff contender since it beat Portland on Christmas Night. The
Mavericks couldn't win on this night even though the Spurs were forced
to play without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
The Spurs knew they would be without Ginobili. It wasn't until just
before tip-off that they learned they would also be without Duncan, who
had a sore knee.
What appeared to be a golden opportunity for the Mavericks turned into a
bitter disappointment. Tony Parker picked up the offensive slack,
torching the Mavericks for 37 points. The Spurs didn't let the Mavericks
get out and run _ a team that averaged nearly 20 fast break points in
the last 11 games had only seven in this one _ and turned it into a
bump-and-grind affair.
Something else became clear: Dirk Nowitzki is in a full-fledged slump.
The Mavericks star finished with just 14 points and was 5-of-15 from the
field. He has averaged 11.7 points and gone 15-of-46 from the field
(32.6 percent) in the last three games.
The absence of Duncan and Ginobili did more to throw the Mavericks out
of synch in the first half than the Spurs. San Antonio scrambled the
game and the Mavericks lost their offensive identity in the process.
Josh Howard, Antoine Wright, James Singleton and J.J. Barea all took
more shots than Nowitzki in the first half. The Spurs Matt Bonner took
the head-to-head matchup, outscoring the Mavericks All-Star 9-5.
How bad was it? The Spurs took the lead 3:07 deep into the first quarter
and never gave it up.
http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/