It's Not Over Yet...You're in Trouble, Dallas!

9:54: After minutes of useless fist-banging, TNT finally changes over to the Mavs-Warriors game...anyways 10:49 left 1st quarter, tied 4-4. Don Nelson looks kinda constipated after a Nowitzki deep 2...mmm foreshadowing of Mavs dominance?

10:04: The Mavs appear to have woken up, taking a 16-8 lead with 8:14 left. The Mavs are shooting 88% from the field. Avery Johnson must have gotten under Dirk's skin, because Nowitzki is consistently beating Golden State's double team inside.

10:11: The Mavs are still shooting 83.3% from the field. Uhh...they're going to cool off, right? Right now the Mavs are just outplaying the Warriors in every statistical category, not to mention team intensity. Maverick-killer Baron Davis, let alone anyone else on the Warriors offense, can't seem to get it going. They're driving to the hoop, but continue to throw up crappy lay-ups and runners.

10:14: This is rather disgusting. 4:45 left and the Warriors get completely stripped under their own basket, which results in a Dallas fast break. 31-15 Mavs.

10:25: End of 1st quarter. Golden State has played a bit smarter, except for that last possession where they lost the ball out of bounds on a bad pass. They've been aggressive, but have protected the ball the entire series. They must continue to do so in order to beat what appears to be a revitalized Dallas team. Furthermore, the Warriors really need to watch leaving Devin Harris or Jason Terry alone on the wings. Harris got wide-open looks at threes on two consecutive possessions.

10:33: The Warriors can't hold onto the ball...I don't think I can really say anymore about that. Oh yea, they've also missed 10 field goal attempts in a row.

10:42: Two more turnovers in a row for Golden State...seriously, someone get them some glue.

10:45: Ummm...another bad pass out of bounds with 5:46 to go. Dallas keeps clogging the lane, causing Golden State to put up bad look shots....and apparently the Warriors can't pass the ball off to save their lives.

10:49: Another turnover with 5:37 left...you have to be kidding. The Warriors inside defense right now is just disgustingly porous.

11:00: Wow...Golden State woke up...aaaand Dirk just got T'd up walking off the court. After being down 21, the Warriors have closed the gap to seven. How, you might ask? Controlling the ball for one, and by imposing a double-team on Nowitzki earlier in each Mavs possession.
Dallas is being forced to take more time each possession, resulting in bad shots and more turnovers. Oh, GS going 5 for 6 from downtown in the last 5 minutes helps, too. If the Warriors can control the ball in the second half, the Mavs are cooked.

11:20: Stephen Jackson hits free throw off Technical to start the 2nd half. After a minute of play, the Mavs are only up by 4...yikes (well, for them. Gotta love the underdog). Baron Davis is looking like the Mavs killer again.

11:26: WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?! JASON TERRY LOSES HIS MIND AND PILE DRIVES BARON DAVIS!!!! Apparently Terry can't stand a player who just goes to retrieve the ball from out of bounds. Technical called on Jason Terry...and he's going to get suspended in the post season for a second year in a row. Muahaha the Warriors have closed the game from 21 points to a single point in 8 minutes of game time.

11:30: 3-ball from Richardson ties it at 67 all! Golden State is playing some intense defense to keep the ball away from Nowitzki, and generate turnover opportunities.

11:36: Question of the night: Why are the Warriors letting DeSagana Diop kill them? He's a giant oaf who can suddenly make athletic lay-ups, and steal the ball!?

11:46: DeSagana scored AGAIN!?

11:50: Less than a minute left in the 3rd and the Warriors are still on fire from 3-point range, shooting 50%. YAY 4th QUARTER!!! AND IT'S ACTUALLY A GAME! To think that I was going to stop writing when the Warriors went down by 21...

11:56: Golden State WANTS this game. Is it just me or are they tipping nearly every Dallas pass!? Taking charges, going after loose balls, and forcing the Mavs to jack up threes just to keep the shot clock alive.

11:59: And Matt Barnes gives Golden State the lead! After another steal by the way...this defense is craaaaaazy. Barnes and Davis are shooting a combined 60% from the field, while as a team the Warriors are now 52% from 3 point land.

12:06: Congratulations, Baron Davis, you just completed a 4-point play on Harris' 4th foul (Pietrus assist numero 9).

12:07: ANOTHER GOLDEN STATE 3?! How can you shoot over 50% after taking 28 threes?

12:15: Avery Johnson had better watch out for foul trouble. Nowitzki and Harris have 4 fouls. Howard has 5. DeSagana Diop hit a free throw?! *ten seconds later* Oh..ok. He airballed the second one. The world is back in equilibrium.

12:18: Great ball movement by GS as they go around the horn for...another three!

12:22: The Warriors have GOT to slow it down and run a half-court offense. AHH MADNESS!

12:26: Well, that was a pretty damned questionable and 1. Not to mention that it was Baron Davis' 5th foul.

12:30: Baron Davis fouls out when the ref assumes that he's trying to intentionally foul...except that Davis knew he had 5 fouls. That makes absolutely no sense on the part of the ref.

12:36: Dallas wins, yada, yada. However, I doubt Dallas has the ability to come out of Oakland alive, especially after blowing a 21-point lead at home.


One should have expected nothing less of Dallas in the first quarter and a half. They came out and played exactly like the dominant team they were in the regular season. The Mavs consistently capitalized on Golden State's mistakes and poor play, namely their 10 missed field goals in a row. But what about the last part of the 2nd quarter? Dallas completely fell apart, seeing their 21 point lead evaporate, as the Warriors played with increased intensity. After tightening their inside defense, Golden State caught fire on the offensive end, nailing 5 threes in the last five minutes to whittle the Mavericks lead to seven. The Warriors continued to control the pace of the game until the closing minutes of the game, at which point they simply ran out of gas, allowing the Mavs to go on a 15-0. In all fairness to Dirk Nowitzki, he finally showed up in a big way at the end of the game (scoring 12 points). Whether Nowitzki's late-game dominance is going to stick around remains to be seen in Oakland on Thursday night.