[GSW/DAL] "We're going to go like hell."

[love_them_kings]

The new WC Champion, for sure.

I've felt since the playoffs began that the only team in the playoffs that could beat the Spurs were the Mavericks... I hope that I'm wrong, because I want to see Webber get that ring, but I certainly don't think anybody in the west has a chance against them.

Ugh. I'm worried about that too. I really want Webb to get a ring, and I want it so badly that it actually slightly hindered my excitement at watching Mark Cuban fall apart on the sidelines. Looking at the way things look right now, seeing the Spurs win it all looks very realistic, but hopefully things play out differently.

 

[Nazman]

I'm always a Kings fan first, but over the years here, I've had to find another team to root for in the playoffs now and then.

Also, before the Kings were here, the Warriors were all we had. I'm happy for them even though some of their fans are complete a-holes.

I'm strictly Northern Cal though. Never a SoCal team. Booo....

My feelings exactly. My bad. Sorry to speak for anyone else. Mea culpa. Go Warriors. Looking forward once again to the NBA playoffs. Go Warriors.

 

[venom_7]

Wow Dirk. 8 pts in an elimination game. 8. I don't care what defense they throw at you, you are 7 feet tall and you should be able to contribute more than 8 pts. This guy is a big playoff choker. I'll skip on Dirk, give me Bargnani. GO Warriors. and GO Kings, pick up Johnson if he gets canned!

 

[Prophetess]

i'm happy for matt barnes! kid deserved some happy times. keep it up, matt!

GO MATT!

 

[hoopsfan]

I gotta give credit to Avery Johnson for even coming out and talking to the press at all...

Or maybe the bus left without him?

Yes, props to Avery.

Also, for as much as people hate Dirk, he did come out and talk to the press...something that Shaq nor Wade would do.

 

[StevenHW]

It's also sweet seeing Charles sit there in the Warriors shirt.

You mean the same Charles Barkley who said on the air that he would like the city of Sacramento over Oakland and San Francisco?

Oh, the irony!

 

[kupman]

First and foremost -

CONGRATS TO THE WARRIORS FOR A GREAT PLAYOFF SERIES WIN -

and thanks to GS for providing us with some great entertainment.

 

[kupman]

Second -

As it turns out the #8 seed in the Western conference was not mere fodder for the mighty Mavs as most were suggesting

and,

small ball was not just some kind of gimmick....it was a legitimate approach to winning a tough series against a much bigger team.


Hmm......imagine that.

 

[Double-K]

And to think, if it was the Clips got in, Mavs would be hanging around waiting for the Utah/Houston series by now....

 

[kupman]

And to think, if it was the Clips got in, Mavs would be hanging around waiting for the Utah/Houston series by now....

Perhaps, but then again, maybe the Clips beat the Mavs. You can never be so sure with this game - NBA, GOTTA LOVE IT!

 

[Bricklayer]

Second -

As it turns out the #8 seed in the Western conference was not mere fodder for the mighty Mavs as most were suggesting

and,

small ball was not just some kind of gimmick....it was a legitimate approach to winning a tough series against a much bigger team.


Hmm......imagine that.

a) no, it was specifically the Warriors were not mere fodder for the Mavs. The seedings did not matter. There is a difference. You need to look no firther than the #2/#7 and #3/#6 matchups for the harsh reality of **** teams in the playoffs. Those late season defeats by the Suns exposed a chink in the MAvs armor vs. that style fo play. But more than that, the Mavs showed noen of the championship mettle of a supposedly great team.

b) and yes, it was still just a gimmick. Same one Nellie has used for 30 years. 30 long futile years where he's never so much as made a Finals appearance let along get smacked out of it. And it paid about the dividends it normally does -- the underdog victory, the first round "dangerous team". And now here sooner or later it will be rudely swept aside as it always is.

 

[Bricklayer]

Perhaps, but then again, maybe the Clips beat the Mavs.

Uh...no. This was a very specific problem for the Mavs with a very specifically motivated and confident opponent.

 

[LilMissDiva]

Goes to show the strongest muscle in the human body is the heart.

 

[nbrans]

Goes to show the strongest muscle in the human body is the heart.

Dallas was on the yellow brick road. They didn't have a heart, they didn't have a brain, they didn't have courage, and now they're going home to Auntie Cuban.

 

[Arkitect]

Dallas was on the yellow brick road. They didn't have a heart, they didn't have a brain, they didn't have courage, and now they're going home to Auntie Cuban.

They should have played the wizards in the first round.

 

[Evenstar]

oh that was just awesome

dirk and cuban looked like thye had been crying after the game. just hilarious.

what a flameout. i enjoyed every nanosecond of it

 

[Arena Skeptic]

That third quarter...

That was just brutal for the Mavs. How many times more times would they leave Jackson completely unguarded? Wow, just unfathomable.

Really, the Warriors are not a normal 8th seed. I think if you allowed their current roster (remember, they got over pretty hard on Indiana on that trade) to play 82 games, this team is just a notch behind Phoenix and SA. Sure, it's unusual to see an 8 beat a 1, but is it all that weird to see a 4 beat a 1? And GS would have been a 4 had they started with this team and stayed healthy.

Combine the fact that they really ARE way better than the Lakers and the Nuggets, and are right in the mix with Utah and Houston, well, the Warriors have 4 chances to win in one of those cities; I think they can do it.

I think SA is the one team remaining they are guaranteed to not get past. Phoenix is tough, but possible. Utah and Houston are a tossup. Dallas was pretty unlikely.

I have never seen a 1 seed do what Dallas did in that second half last night. Wow. They looked like the Grizzlies out there. Just so... well, surreal is the best word I can think of. Got a better word for me?

 

[Rain man]

Uh...no. This was a very specific problem for the Mavs with a very specifically motivated and confident opponent.

Agree completely- the NBA is all about matchups and the Warriors were a terrible matchup for Dallas. Certain teams have problems with very specific teams, no matter how good they are. Clippers would have gotten smoked.

I hope Mike Dunleavy feels like an ***. His comment the last week of the season that the Mavs benched their starters against the Warriors in order to ensure the Warriors got the #8 seed to avoid the Clippers looks pretty foolish now. Yeah Mike, Avery was trying to avoid you to get the Warriors...

 

[kupman]

Uh...no. This was a very specific problem for the Mavs with a very specifically motivated and confident opponent.

Everything points to the Mavs killing the Clips - I agree.

However:

"that's why they play the game" Chris Berman

 

[4cwebb]

OK, I mentioned long ago in this thread that if GSW was able to overcome the hangover from Game 5 I'd be surprised (and would eat crow if I was wrong). Well, I'm here to accept my serving. I'd prefer it cooked medium-rare/medium, unless some bacteria needs to be killed, in which case dry and tasteless will do.

Congrats, Warriors, for moving the Mavs one step closer to the status of the Kings from the early 2000s.

 

[6th]

OK, I mentioned long ago in this thread that if GSW was able to overcome the hangover from Game 5 I'd be surprised (and would eat crow if I was wrong). Well, I'm here to accept my serving. I'd prefer it cooked medium-rare/medium, unless some bacteria needs to be killed, in which case dry and tasteless will do.

Congrats, Warriors, for moving the Mavs one step closer to the status of the Kings from the early 2000s.

How about a little terriyaki or barbeque sauce, 4cwebb. Way to man up.

 

[JJ_Evans]

Quoted from Don Nelson in an interview with Coach Thompson earlier today. Personally, I don't think Golden State has a chance.

LOL. Why would you think a team that has beaten another team about 7 of 8 times at the time this was posted, doesn't stand a chance?

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Because I didn't, that's why.

And I don't have any problem admitting that I was wrong, but I still don't feel like the better team won. And plus, I don't like Golden State or their style of play.

 

[D-Mass]

Because I didn't, that's why.

And I don't have any problem admitting that I was wrong, but I still don't feel like the better team won. And plus, I don't like Golden State or their style of play.

When you consider the particular match-up, the recent history between these two teams, and the fact that this was a 7-game series, the better team DID win.

 

[John Galt]

I still don't feel like the better team won. .

Lucky they have scoreboards for situations like this.

Nothing personal but I CAN'T STAND this take: "the better team didn't win". I disagree with people who maintain that we had the NBAs best team in 2002. Sorry but uh uh.... that's why they play the games and keep score, and that's why victory is SO sweet when you finally EARN it on the field of endeavor by WINNING.

You can't OWN a team much more thoroughly from November thru April than the Warriors owned the Mavs.

Better team won.

 

[Superman]

Lucky they have scoreboards for situations like this.

Nothing personal but I CAN'T STAND this take: "the better team didn't win". I disagree with people who maintain that we had the NBAs best team in 2002. Sorry but uh uh.... that's why they play the games and keep score, and that's why victory is SO sweet when you finally EARN it on the field of endeavor by WINNING.

You can't OWN a team much more thoroughly from November thru April than the Warriors owned the Mavs.

Better team won.

Matchups are everything in the NBA, and pretty much all professional sports, for that matter.

You can't say that the best team wins the championship every year just because they won the championship. Same thing goes for every individual series.

The Warriors aren't necessarily a better team than the Mavs just because they beat them four out of six games. They definitely played better, and they definitely matchup well, but that doesn't mean they are better.

 

[karesk]

Golden State matches with Dallas well, they had a winning record against Dallas in the regular season. Still, Dallas won 67 games, one of the best all-time. You must compare these teams' performances against all other teams in the league to find the better team, Dallas has a much better shot against Suns, Spurs, Detroit etc. than Golden State. That is why maybe regular season champions should be crowned as champions, like European soccer.

 

[D-Mass]

The bottom line is that the "better team" should win when it counts, especially when given 7 GAMES TO DO SO.

 

[John Galt]

I guess we can agree to disagree on this.

Let me put it this way: the question of who is the "best" team by criteria other than scoreboard is only interesting until they play. After that there is only crying, whining and excuse making.

It is fun to debate about who is the best team, but the debate should end when they finally play for all the marbles, the trophy, or whatever... and one of the teams wins. That's what settles the argument.

Why not just skip the postseason all together and have a poll instead?

The Mavericks get no legacy except as one of the all time worst FOLDERS between last year's finals and this year. One of the most amazing year round choke jobs in history really.... THAT is their legacy.

 

[VF21]

Let me put it this way: the question of who is the "best" team by criteria other than scoreboard is only interesting until they play. After that there is only crying, whining and excuse making.

It is fun to debate about who is the best team, but the debate should end when they finally play for all the marbles, the trophy, or whatever... and one of the teams wins. That's what settles the argument.

Why not just skip the postseason all together and have a poll instead?

The Mavericks get no legacy except as one of the all time worst FOLDERS between last year's finals and this year. One of the most amazing year round choke jobs in history really.... THAT is their legacy.

And that's the sad state of affairs for Mavs fans, including Mark Cuban. What will be interesting now is to see what, if anything, he decides to do about it.

As far as the debate about the "better team," I look at it this way:

Each team in the league knows when the playoffs are going to be. They each know THAT's when the dance really begins. It's up to the coaches and staff of each team to have their players ready for the playoffs - physically and mentally - because that's what's going to make the difference.

Obviously, Dallas wasn't mentally prepared or Dirk never would have made the defeatist statement he made in the middle of the series.

So, IMHO, the team that was better prepared did win.