Phoenix/Dallas: The Aftermath
Random thoughts the day after…
What a game last night! When I started taking notes in the first quarter and Phoenix was running away with it early, I was convinced it was going to be a blowout and I’d have to write a bunch about the commercials or announcers. But they hung around, made a few runs. Even when Dallas got way ahead to end the third, I knew somewhere down deep inside that it wasn’t over, that Phoenix was more than capable of getting right back into it. And they did, clawing their way back little by little.
A few random thoughts…
• I was really disappointed with Josh Howard, who was big in the third and then completely disappeared in the fourth before fouling out. His little signature move is a killer, though, where he does a one-dribble crossover and pulls up for a midrange jumper. For some reason he stopped being aggressive, though, and he really took himself out of the game.
• During the game I was watching Nash play defense and thinking about how soft he is fighting through picks. Really, he just makes an initial cursory effort and then sort of falls back and watches his man zoom around him. If he’s looking for a place to improve his defense, it’s right there waiting for him.
• At the same time, Nash had two of the biggest defensive plays of the game: that charge on JTerry and the steal along the sideline where he threw the ball off Jason. The charge was particularly amazing, because Nash had been knocked down earlier on the play. As he scrambled to his feet you could see him looking upcourt, then he watched Terry drive in with the ball. Nash hustled over and stepped in just as Terry left his feet and took the charge. That was one of the smartest plays I’ve ever seen in a basketball game.
• This was also the kind of game where you learn to appreciate what Shawn Marion does. Like Gilbert Arenas, Marion is known for always complaining about being unknown. (Although Marion doesn’t have a commercial with a self-portrait that looks like Junk Yard Dog.) And as tiresome as it gets to listen to Marion talk about it, last night was a terrific example of why he’s so overlooked. The Suns hardly went to him at all in their halfcourt offense, but it was his hustle rebound and dish to Nash that gave Nash the three and sent the game to OT.
And then Marion made the defensive series of the game all by himself. Dallas threw the ball to Dirk in the post with Marion guarding him solo. Dirk tried to spin and dribble with no luck, so he threw the ball back out. Dallas threw it right back to Dirk, who tried again with no luck, so he threw it back out to Jason Terry and set a pick for him. Marion switched on the pick and ended up guarding Terry, who couldn’t get around Marion so he sort of drifted out to the corner, with Marion all over him. As he ran out of real estate, Marion tipped the ball from his hand and back off Terry and out of bounds. So basically, Marion stopped an MVP candidate twice and then a point guard and caused a turnover, all on one possession. (He also blocked one of Dirk’s turnarounds later.)
So, here’s your love Shawn. Helluva game.
• And then there’s Amare. He finished with an eye-popping 41 and 10, shooting 16 of 19 from the floor. But to be honest, those numbers are a little deceiving. I’m not saying he wasn’t a beast on offense, because he totally was, alternately driving to the rim and drawing fouls and wetting midrange jumpers. But he was pretty terrible defensively — Erick Dampier finished with 11 offensive rebounds, and Dallas outrebounded Phoenix overall 55 to 38. For Amare to be considered a truly elite player he has to pick up his effort on the boards.
• Dallas is a hard team to wrap my head around. They’re great when they’re attacking the basket, but when they tried to play a halfcourt game in the fourth everything fell apart. Jason Terry is my main man, but too often he looked like he wasn’t sure what to do with the ball. Dallas is at their best when they run the ball through Dirk at the elbow, but there were many possessions where Dirk didn’t even come close to touching the ball. Why? No idea.
• As well as Dallas has played all season, they still seem a little soft to me. Phoenix gets nothing but grit from Raja Bell. Dallas doesn’t really have a guy like that, a glue guy. Greg Buckner is playing that role for them, but he doesn’t give Dallas that edge most championship teams have.
• Why did Dallas insist on switching picks all night? How many times did Phoenix come down, set a screen for Nash and end up with Nash going one-on-one against Dirk? Then Nash would drive to the basket and flip it to a trailing Marion or Amare for an easy bucket. Avery Johnson is a solid coach but this seemed like an odd time to not make an adjustment.
• Also worth mentioning that Dallas played most of that game without their most versatile guard, Devin Harris. Nobody seems to be talking about that today.
• Speaking of Dirk, last night’s game might have actually emphasized his claim on the MVP award. The Mavericks’ overall performance was so directly and uniquely tied to how well Dirk was playing that it’s hard to argue his value to his team. Just as Nash is the engine that drives the Suns, Dirk is Dallas’ rock. Dirk has to make those midrange fadeaway shots for Dallas to be successful. He missed too many of them last night.
• For all the talk about how good the game was, I don’t think it ranks among the greatest games of all time. It was the best game this season, but there was never really a point where the teams were going back and forth, trading knockout punches.
• This may be an unfair characterization, but didn’t Dirk’s intensity seem to kind of flicker last night? He had a few plays where he was fired up, like that drive and dunk, but as the game wound down and spilled into OT, Dirk seemed to fade in and out. And then he chose an absolutely terrible time to mouth off at the ref and pick up a T.
I love Dirk, love watching him play. He is easily one of the greatest basketball players of his generation and one of the best power forwards ever to play the game. I just wonder if he has what it takes to ever really lead a team to a title. Or look at it this way: How many guys on Dallas would take a bullet for Dirk? Don’t you get the sense that guys on Phoenix would be lining up to take one for Nash?
Our friends at dallasbasketball.com are urging everyone to hold up before writing off Dirk as the MVP, and they have a good point. There’s a reason Dallas has been crushing people all season long, and that reason is Dirk. So he didn’t play well down the stretch last night. Should this matter in the grand scheme of things? Yes, but probably not as much as we’re all making it out to matter.
To me, though, what it comes down to is this: In their biggest game of the season, when their teams needed a leader, Dirk could not step up and take control of the game. Steve Nash did.
And that’s what an MVP is supposed to do, isn’t it?
65 Responses to “Phoenix/Dallas: The Aftermath”
Mar.15 at 3:03 pm
dma says:
if i had to pick, i’d save nash’s life too. only because dirk is german.
Mar.15 at 3:05 pm
h-wag says:
Another thing worth mentioning that nobody seemed to realize:
Dallas was also playing without Devean George, a variable defender and a guy filling this glue-guy-role very good on the Mavs team.
He had a rough start in the season, but was a big part of their success before he got hurt.
Mar.15 at 3:15 pm
Paul says:
Honestly, I could care less about who was injured, who wasn’t injured for the Mavs. Aren’t they supposed to have the deepest, most versatile, bench blah blah blah?
Mar.15 at 3:30 pm
jbn74sb says:
What is a “variable” defender? And who on the Suns would Devean have been able to stop? Nash? Nope. Amare? Double nope.
Mar.15 at 3:30 pm
Cheryl says:
forgive me if i come across as a total “homer” but i truly wish to see the Heat play Dallas in the finals. And for the reasons you’ve mentioned Lang: Dirk doesn’t have the heart to win a 7-game series. DWade was right, as much as Mark Cuban would like to dismiss it, every one of the “15 Strong” individually, has more heart than Dallas’. And in a 7 game series, in a close match, I’d still take Riley over Avery everytime. Dallas is fine when dominating a game, but my sense is that their collective psyche is very fragile and a team coming back on them from double digits down, &ucks with their heads and costs games. I can not WAIT for the playoffs. That said, C’Mon Georgetown!!
Mar.15 at 3:32 pm
mavs!!! says:
paul ur gay….. deaven goerge is the mavs best defensive player. and devin harris got hurt with no foul called. basically the refs screwed up with not callin obvious fouls. like when nash pushed off dirk. even nash was tellin the refs he did that to dirk and they didnt do nothing
Mar.15 at 3:38 pm
tsmith7791 says:
Damn, Dallas Basketball just sonned Sam
Mar.15 at 3:55 pm
Alex says:
Just a thought about Steve Nash defense. I think he chooses when to play hard on defense. It’s not that he’s not capable, he just choose to save an energy for his offensive game where his team need him the most. Even if the guy he’s defending blows past him, Steve knows there are couple of shotblockers in the paint that got his back. Nobody can replace Nash on offensive end. Keep in mind that Steve was never the most durable guy since day 1. If he plays hard on both ends, he’ll probably break down pretty quickly, and he knows that.
Mar.15 at 4:01 pm
Gabriel says:
Wow … great article. I was really frustrated that the Mavs lost becuase to me the Mavericks were the better team. They did a bad job in the first, but quickly turned up the heat. It was a pity Dirk had an off night.
Mar.15 at 4:08 pm
Max Airington says:
Why wont they just vote on MVP after the season is over?
Mar.15 at 4:14 pm
C.W. says:
People make it sound like Dallas was blown out.
Mar.15 at 4:25 pm
Brian says:
One of the best power forwards ever? Why, because he can shoot jumpers? Every picture I’ve seen today of Dirk on D looks like a deer on ice. I say he’s one of the most overrated players of if not all time then certainly of his generation.
Mar.15 at 4:29 pm
Umair says:
Lang, I think I read something somewhere (maybe in all that stuff McCallum wrote about the Suns) that Nash got hurt last year trying to fight through picks and that guys were looking to really nail him that way. So maybe it’s a conscious move for him. Just thought I’d mention it. Also, please, God, let the Suns win it all this year.
Mar.15 at 4:38 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
Who on their team would take a bullet for them? That has to be the most bizzare MVP argument I’ve ever heard. I love it.
Mar.15 at 4:46 pm
h-wag says:
By variable defender I meant that he is able to defend multiple positions on the floor, as he guarded everything from 2 to 4. Him and Howard might also be the best defensive shot the Mavs have at stopping the Nash-Amare PnR.
But I definately don´t want George missing as an excuse for the loss, because they had their chances to win it.
Mar.15 at 4:57 pm
Cheryl says:
and, btw, Deavan was never clutch for the Lakers, off the bench or in the starting line up. That role went to “Big Shot Bob” Horry. Even Rick the Fox could be counted on to catch a charge or two. So, please don’t contribute this loss to the loss of Deaven George, gimme a break!
Mar.15 at 4:58 pm
Mike Tierney says:
WHAT. A. GAME. Unbelievable. Inexplicable. Indescribable. My thoughts on the MVP, if Nash won MVP two years ago, last year, and his team IMPROVES this year…seems pretty obvious he deserves it again. My problem: I think MVP should go to the player most valuable to his team, and Nash is right up there, but with a solid supporting cast of Marion, Amare, Barbosa, Diaw (looked terrible last night) I give the edge to someone like Kobe, whose team would completely and utterly tank without him. And is anyone else completely dumbfounded by the fact that Marion has not been voted to all-defensive team? What is that about? I need to find out who’s been making at SF instead of him…
Mar.15 at 5:02 pm
Mike Tierney says:
Answer: artest, kirilenko, tayshaun, bowen. Not this year, Marion is going to be a lock over at least Andrei.
Mar.15 at 5:03 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
dallas basketball is using the slow and steady wins the race approach of evaluating the perfor… sorry I nodded off there. I thought we were watching sports for the excitement and energy and do or die intensity.
Mar.15 at 5:04 pm
Mehmet says:
Who cares about the MVP award? It’s fun to talk about in January, February, even March. But when playoffs start, it’s all history. It’s in the archive. I fully realized this yesterday as I thought for a moment that I was watching Game 3 of the WCF, not Game 3 of the season series between Mavs and Suns. All this MVP talk after this game is absurd.
Mar.15 at 5:05 pm
KMG says:
Even though Nash should win, Dirk probably will get the MVP, since the League will base their decision on the success of the Mavs season. But in my mind, Steve Nash deserves the three-peat. Some people were riding the Agent Zero train early, and I had Kobe in the mix before the Lakers’ injuries and losing streaks hit. But after last night, just give Nash the award.
Mar.15 at 5:07 pm
KMG says:
And to think, yesterday I was preaching about this not being a “statement game”…I stand corrected.
Mar.15 at 5:10 pm
Mike Tierney says:
Agent Zero is my #1 boy, but he’s got tawn and caron and combine for the highest scoring trio in the league, which takes him out of the running in my opinion. If Kobe can turn things around, as much as I don’t real like his character (from my admittedly limited perspective of my couch), he deserves it fo sho. DIRK’s DUNK LAST NIGHT WAS AWESOME. That the hardest a white boy’s throw down since…brent…barry?
Mar.15 at 5:21 pm
Gilbert0 says:
This article shows why Lang will forever be the king of this site. Also, isnt Tim Duncan in the MVP discussion as well?
Mar.15 at 5:22 pm
Ryu says:
Western Conference Finals gonna be NASTY. Anyway, Stack is my main man.
Mar.15 at 6:18 pm
litany says:
dirk played 56 minutes last night, jason terry played 54…
Mar.15 at 6:42 pm
SwingMan says:
On the injury excuse????? Cry me an effing river. My Suns were without Amare, Kurt Thomas for the entire 2006 WCF series with Dallas - and even without Raja Bell for most of it - yet Mavericks fans and damn near everyone else glosses over it, becomes revisionist and spews the same broken record crap about “the Suns just cannot win that way.”….. Well, thank you, Captain Obvious (media hacks and ignorant fans, mostly)! Who could without your top scorer and 2 defensive anchors? The fact that my Suns made it to the WCF last year is a testament to Nash in itself. That damn 2005-2006 Suns team sure as hell wasn’t designed the way it played out….. And, BTW, the Suns didn’t use the lame injury excuse as to why they lost that series either, so Mavs fans pulling that played-out card for this game can bite my ass.
Mar.15 at 6:47 pm
albie1kenobi says:
while i enjoyed Sam’s enthusiasm, i think Lang’s comments about the game a little more on point. such as devin harris being injured, dampier getting 11 offensive boards, amare keeping the suns in the game with his offense and also keeping the mavs in the game giving up too many offensive boards. and people need to realize that this game is more important to the suns than to the mavs, and it’s really not that great a game and the crunch time wasn’t all that exciting either.
also, no one has mentioned that during the broadcast, ESPN did a little reporting about jason terry and dirk’s relationship, and they made it sound like them two and nash were in some sort of love triangle. “our relationship is special too” or something like that. it was way too weird.
Mar.15 at 6:59 pm
SwingMan says:
Ok, albie. Then, do I reserve the right to make excuses about Boris Diaw - our second, and necessary with the bench crew - being in foul trouble and, essentially, being invisible in his 20 minutes last night????? Please…..
Mar.15 at 6:59 pm
SwingMan says:
Edit: That meant to read “Boris Diaw - our second, and necessary, playmaker with the bench crew”
Mar.15 at 7:33 pm
h-wag says:
Didn´t I say the Mavs injuries are NOT an excuse for the loss ?
What´s going on here ?
Mar.15 at 7:53 pm
albie1kenobi says:
SwingMan, i have no idea what you are calling me for. in fact i’m not even sure what you are saying about Diaw so i can’t exactly offer any sort of counter point. but i’ll this: since dallas has the deepest bench in the league, there is absolutely no reason why anyone can even use injury as excuse. i mean isn’t that the whole point of having a deep bench? that the team can’t be affected by injuries/foul problems? dallas lost because they choked and their two best players couldn’t finish the job, while nash did what an elite player’s suppose to do. simple as that.
i wish i can get as fired up as some of you guys when talking about your team. my teams are warriors, wolves, and nets. yeah. and my favorite good team to watch is spurs, which is the antithesis of passion and emotion. it actually kinda sucks being a fan for those teams.
Mar.15 at 8:05 pm
andrew says:
dirk sucks nash for mvp
Mar.15 at 8:12 pm
SwingMan says:
Not you personally, albie. Just talking about the lame injury excuse in general. My apologies for not being clearer….. On Dallas’ depth, isn’t it hilarious that Dallas is often mentioned as the deepest team in the league, yet when Dirk comes up for MVP talk, all of the sudden Dirk has “no supporting cast?” It’s like, ‘which is it, folks?’ Can’t have it both ways…..
Mar.15 at 8:20 pm
Co Co says:
T-Mac should get MVP consideration as well, but how can they justify not giving it to Nash when statistically he’s better than the 2 years he won it. I think Dirk is leading because he’s the best player on the best team, but we see how well that theory worked out in college. Troy Smith was not deserving of the Heisman, but he was the best player on the so called best team. All I can remember about his Hesiman winning season was how flustered he was when those Fla defenders got after his ass! Let’s hope they don’t make that mistake in the NBA
Mar.15 at 9:01 pm
RedRum says:
Somewhere in SA Duncan and his Spurs are laughing.. i still think the Spurs have a good chance to win the West. They can definately beat the Suns (have easily done in the past) and the Mavs are showing cracks. Spurs over Pistons in 6 is my prediction
Mar.15 at 9:25 pm
J-Bird says:
What happened the last time the Suns and Spurs met up? oh thats right, the Spurs lost by like 15.
Mar.15 at 10:08 pm
SwingMan says:
The Spurs and their 13 game streaker don’t worry me as a Suns fan a bit - shoot, they haven’t had to play my Suns during said streak, so why should it? 
It was actually 16 due in part to a Spurs 4th quarter meltdown in Phoenix, 103-87, J-Bird - but who’s counting?
Mar.16 at 12:33 am
TC says:
Kobe was the MVP before the Lakers started losing guys to injury. Now it’s up to Nash and Dirk. I know Dirk isn’t the most clutch player in the L but he’s had his share of big plays over the years and I think he’s due. I am a big Nash fan but Dirk really earns his first MVP this season.
Mar.16 at 12:38 am
TripleDouble says:
They play again in the regular season in Phoenix right?
So MVP race can flip all over again. So the whole MVP debate shouldn’t be made out to have rested on this game. It heats it up, sure… but doesn’t decide it at all. Game on.
Mar.16 at 2:46 am
thesubwayconnection says:
I thought it was done with about a minute left. Then Nash did his Reggie Miller impression, killing my hopes, and Dallas’ too. Anyone else catch Mark Cuban telling the camera man where he could put it after the L?
Mar.16 at 4:59 am
andy says:
after all is said & done, mvp of the regular season = best player on the best team. so if phoenix gets the most w, nashty is no doubt the mvp. period.
Mar.16 at 5:21 am
RedRum says:
@J-Bird : What happened each and every single time the Spurs met the Suns tha the p-offs? Suns got bitch slapped hard
Mar.16 at 6:18 am
Kostas says:
On the Mavs switching on Suns’ picks: I don’t think they had much of a choice. If you watch Suns games, you’ll often see teams trying to fight through picks and then at some point simply giving it up, cause the picks are too good: they are fast, variable and perfectly set. Nash runs in the pick’s direction so fast that his defender can’t follow him. And the big man immediately clears or rolls to the basket. Many times they do it so fast that the roll and the pass happens BEFORE the pick-setter’s contact with the defender, he rolls the second that Nash runs past the pick - and gets the pass, obviously. Man, I love Nashty. But 3 consecutive MVPs is heavy… That’s Larry Bird territory. Dirk deserves it just as much, basing the decision an one game is unfair to say the least. If Phil gets the Lakers back on track and they finish with 15-5 or sth, Kobe deserves it too
Mar.16 at 8:23 am
Matthew says:
I know i’m kinda late on this post but I read Cheryl’s first comment and have to disagree with one of the things she said. I don’t believe Antoine Walker doesn’t have more heart than Dirk. I’m not sure if ‘Toine has a heart. He just wants to shoot 4’s all the time.
Mar.16 at 10:37 am
phildo says:
@dma: too much 300 for you? What´s wrong being German? Are you Canadian or are you just trying to build up the “strong connection” between Canada and the US? Sounded just a bit too much racist to me (I am German).
Mar.16 at 2:12 pm
mark says:
1. Devean George is not the Mav’s best defender - Josh Howard is.
2. Dirk didn’t get the ball at the end because he didn’t want it. I mean Jason Terry didn’t even look at Dirk when he went to tie the game and neither did Stackhouse - maybe there is a reason those guys don’t go to him at crunch time — maybe the feel the same way D-wade does. My junior college team had the leading scorer in the nation as a 2 guard that could shoot the lights out - but if we played a predominantly african american team or if it was crunch time - I never went his way. He choked - he didnt like the glory — or rather he wasn’t willing to pay the price for failure. 3. Whoever said that Nash was telling the ref he pushed Dirk is retarded. The next time you see an NBA player go tell the ref ” no Dick Bavetta - I pushed Dirk it wasn’t him pushing me” — it will be the first time. 4. I don’t want to hear anybody crying about the officiating - that is the one thing I hate about Dallas fan - they are the Mark Cuban clones - whine about officiating and the conspiracy theory - man I hate that. 5. Phoenix is good — and MAvs fan — pray that Golden State doesn’t get that eighth seed….. Spurs in 6..
Mar.16 at 2:13 pm
J-Bird says:
Hey Redwine, that playoff series was 2 years ago. Amare was still raw, and Joe Johnson missed all but one game of that series, so try not to get your panties in a bunch about the lame ass spurs.
Mar.16 at 2:41 pm
mark says:
Hey J-Bird -
Since when did a regular season “W” mean anything in the playoffs ? When have the Suns ever won anything in recent memory ?
That “raw” Amare was tearig up the league and dunking on everyone so I am not sure how much better he is now after his surgeries. I am sure he would prefer to be the “raw” player he was when the Spurs ousted them….
Spurs in 6—Phoenix found wanting…..
Mar.16 at 3:12 pm
J-Bird says:
Duncan has never been able to guard STAT, Barbosa is a completely different player now, Nash continues to show his greatness and Marion can lock down just about anyone.
Meanwhile what are the Spurs doing, Losing hops, and beating mediocre teams. O yea and they lost to the Bucks last night. Put it this way, as a Suns fan the Spurs dont scare me at all.
Mar.16 at 3:35 pm
mark says:
The league is full of mediocre teams - 80% of the league is mediocre. Aren’t they supposed to beat mediocre teams ? Isn’t Milwaukee a mediocre team - but the Spurs lost to them….WTH????…. oh well……The Suns got swept by Philly, have losses to Seattle (2), Minnesota, Clippers, Chicago, Atlanta and you had better pray that they don’t get the Jazz cuz the Suns just can’t seem to beat them… Duncan has never been able to guard STAT but I guess Stat does a great job on Timmy …er no he doesn’t. Tim tears him up.
Good - I find comfort that you as a Suns fan do not fear the Spurs and I hope the Suns aren’t worried about them either. It is better for us that way.
Mar.16 at 3:46 pm
J-Bird says:
Just thought id add that the Spurs lost to the Bobcats, at home, thats pleasing
Mar.16 at 3:51 pm
mark says:
just thought i’d add the Spurs have 3 banners hanging from the ceiling …. that is refreshing….
Mar.16 at 4:02 pm
J-Bird says:
i didnt know we were talking about past seasons but yea, you guys won some of the most boring, low rated Finals in recent memory.
Mar.16 at 4:34 pm
mark says:
Isn’t the Bobcats game in the past ? I mean, isn’t this whole conversation about “the past” ? It doesn’t matter than you can’t see the beauty of Spurs basketball — it is efficient and productive. Players make it exciting - -Ginobili is exciting. Timmy D is the robot. He just kills em softly.
Mar.16 at 4:50 pm
J-Bird says:
I was under the impression that we were discussing who is better this season and who will be better in the playoffs THIS season.
And if players like Duncan get you all riled up, then you and I watch basketball for completley different reasons.
Mar.16 at 6:29 pm
mark says:
Probably — I guess Hot Sauce and the Professor get you riled up with that bs AND1 ball
Mar.16 at 7:00 pm
J-Bird says:
Who said anything about AND1?
Mar.16 at 7:59 pm
1hush D says:
People, I think, and I’ve said it before, that we have to look at the 40-50-90 club….Dirk is going to join this year while Nash, if he could shoot 90 from the line (88 right now) may join the 50-50-90 club. If those two marks are met I don’t know how you decide. A 7 footer shooting 40-50-90? Insane. I want Nash to get it but not sure if he should get it over Dirk……….It is not about the best record between the two teams as components vary.
Mar.16 at 8:16 pm
Zox says:
Anybody can say what they want, but Suns are the best and Steve deserves golden MVP!!!!!!!
Mar.17 at 12:35 am
BKBishop says:
I think that the game was great but that game helped me even further believe that Dallas will beat Phoenix this year for a couple of reasons 1. Everybody wrote off dallas’ series win last year because of the “Amare factor” but Amare had 41 and 10 and Dallas overcame that easily.
2. Dallas will not lose a late lead like that at home in the playoffs Oh yeah, DIRK FOR MVP
Mar.18 at 11:11 am
NAS says:
IVERSON PUNKED THE 2 TIME MVP SO CALLED BEST PG IN THE LEAGUE N MADE HIM LOOK LIKE A HIGHSCHOOL PLAYER
Mar.19 at 1:34 pm
Troy says:
I don’t understand why everyone keeps claiming this was Dallas’ ‘biggest games of the season’. Dallas came in 4 games up in the loss column, 2-0 in the head-to-head match-up and won the last playoff series. They came out 3 games up and 2-1 in the head-to-head. Phoenix NEEDED this game to stay in the race and to demonstrate that they can beat Dallas at all. Dallas I’m sure wanted the win, but they didn’t need it. The previous game, which Dallas won on a last-second Dirk shot, was a much more important game as the two teams were still virtually tied in record and it determined the lead in the head-to-head tie breker.
Not even the biggest Dallas homer thinks we are going to sweep Phoenix in the playoffs. Last year we beat them 4-2. Now we’re 2-1 for the season series which is the same ratio. People are placing way too much emphasis on a single game.
Mar.19 at 5:48 pm
John S. says:
Dallas and phoenix game was crazy, im glad i saw the game that was one of NBA greatest game.
Mar.21 at 6:40 pm
raptorfan says:
I dunno about everyoen with dirk and nash. You have to consider chris bosh. Building the raptors to a playoff team practically by himself is astonishing. Plus with a whoel new roster, they had to build chemistry together, as they started the season 2-10. Chris Bosh works hard every night during all his minutes, and has helped develop barhnani in his game. CB4 4 MVP