NBA Playoffs Thread

[iggymcfly]

Hollinger was suggesting today that the reason the Mavs didn't compete hard against Golden State that last game was because they didn't want to face the Warriors and thought that GS would be able to pass the Lakers for the 7 seed if they lost.

Anyway, the point is that it was a meaningless game for Dallas, and trying to figure out which team is likely to get the 8 seed and which one they'll matchup with welll is just guesswork. If the starters were tired, it's probably good that Avery gave them a rest.

[Huh?]

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why would u guys start playing with confidence now?
The Mavs have only taken down 1 game and that was with Baron and SJ ejected.

I don't buy the whole its over for GS if it goes to Game 7.
They are a #8 seed vs. a #1. If they get blown out in Games 5 and 6 then yeah maybe..but if they lose two close games they have a great chance to take Game 7 still given there is no pressure on them.
If they lose it will be like the Lakers last year...good effort/great series but the better team won.

Plus Dallas doesn't have the takeover/gamechanger like a Kobe/Wade/etc who can do it all by himself in the last minutes.


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It's not that the Mavs as a whole haven't been playing with confidence. It's Dirk specifically. His shot wasn't falling in Game 1 and ever since then, he's been hesitant with his shot and hasn't been getting involved in the offense properly. I was thinking that those two threes he hit at the end of the game (when the Mavs did still have a chance to win) will give him his personal confidence back and get him to come out firing the rest of the way.

And I don't see how you're using last year's Lakers as an example of a team who came out loose and played well in a Game 7. They came out tight as they could possibly be, played terrible, and go destroyed. If Golden State plays anything like LA did in Game 7 against PHX last year, they're worse than toast. Besides, I didn't really give Dallas that much better of a chance of winning Game 7 at home than I did of winning Game 5 at home and the Game 5 percentage is right in line with the betting market.

Finally, what do you mean Dallas "doesn't have a player who can take over in the 4th quarter like Wade or Kobe". They have the MVP of the league! A man who carried the Mavs in a Game 7 against San Antonio last year. A man who went off for 50 when Dallas was looking like they were in trouble against the Suns last year. A man who's been leading playoff comebacks for a good 6 or 7 years now. Just because he's been playing bad for the last 4 games doesn't mean he doesn't have that ability.

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Yeah...your right...he was awesome in the Finals too...dude couldn't be stopped.

[By-Tor]

haven't read many of the recent replies, but...



right now, the g-men own dallas. it is fairly plain to see. we have them completely out of their game.

but...if this thing went to game 7, anyone who would bet against dallas is completely nuts.




...personally, i think it ends in dallas tomorrow night...

[PITTM]

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the g-men own dallas.

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[tdarko]

PITTM,

Good to see you have thoughts of your own.

[tuq]

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Hollinger was suggesting today that the reason the Mavs didn't compete hard against Golden State that last game was because they didn't want to face the Warriors and thought that GS would be able to pass the Lakers for the 7 seed if they lost.

Anyway, the point is that it was a meaningless game for Dallas, and trying to figure out which team is likely to get the 8 seed and which one they'll matchup with welll is just guesswork. If the starters were tired, it's probably good that Avery gave them a rest.

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First of all, I'm annoyed that he foisted this craptastic starting lineup on the fans for the final home game of the regular season:

Greg Buckner
Devean George
DeSagana Diop
Maurice Ager
Jose Juan Barea (WTF?!)

Some guy named Pops Mensah-Bonsu actually played significant minutes. Dirk didn't even make the box score as a DNP, maybe he was out with "hurt feelings" or something.

Even if that didn't annoy me, you're right that he couldn't predict where the teams fell, but the Lakers only had one game left - against a pretty sorry Kings team - and a win would lock up the 7th seed for them. He had to reasonably expect that he had some element of control over who they played in the next round, and opted not to exercise it, willingly setting up his team to face:

- their old coach (knowledge of their squad, even if it only helps a little)
- a team that has given them numerous problems over the past year or so
- playing on the road in an arena that was sure to be very loud and very hostile, given the buildup at the end of the season
- a team that played very well at the end of the season in general (Clippers not so much)

Besides, the argument about them being tired doesn't make sense because he started them the very next night, albeit he didn't play them very many minutes.

[PITTM]

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PITTM,

Good to see you have thoughts of your own.

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can you go back to worshiping dirk or whatever? have a good offseason...

[Case Closed]

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Even with ridiculously favorable assumptions like:
Mavs are 80% favorite for game 5.
Mavs are 60% favorite for game 6.
Mavs are 90% favorite for game 7.


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this is the biggest joke ive ever seen...

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I don't like reading the full post before I respond either.

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i understand the point he was making. I just dont think those numbers are applicable at all.

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That was the point...even if crazy number like that were applicable dallas would be at a disadvantage.

[barryc83]

All you GSW fanboys realize that even if they beat DAL, you wont go past the second round right?

[tdarko]

PITTM,

Lol, your reading comprehension sucked earlier in this thread and continues...Dirk worshipping lol, have you even read what I said about my thoughts on him or was it kind of like your post earlier when you thought Ralph Wiggum was posting the %'s he thought Dallas had to win each game?