Fear of the unknown: San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks – Game 5

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Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Dirk Nowitzki shake hands pre-game

A week and a half ago, who thought we’d be here, with the San Antonio Spurs up 3-1 on the Dallas Mavericks and looking to close out the series tonight? Who really thought the Spurs would execute on the offensive and defensive end for three straight games to put the Mavs on life support? Who thought Keith Bogans and Roger Mason Jr. would only play a combined 38 total minutes in four games?

Liars.

Truth is, no one really expected what has transpired. I’m not all that surprised, frankly. We knew this team had it in them. There were signs that the Spurs could do damage in the postseason.

But they hadn’t shown it this season. At least, not on a consistent basis.

Until now.

So what do we expect tonight? Who knows. I can see the Spurs winning a close one to finish off the series, and I can see them losing a close one and heading back to San Antonio for Game 6. I can see the Mavericks coming out desperate and energized in front of their home crowd and winning big. I can see the Spurs taking it to them early and Dallas lying down and losing in embarrassing fashion. Everything is in play here.

But know this – since 2003, the Spurs are 5-1 in Game 5′s when they have a 3-1 series lead. The one loss was back in 2003 when the Spurs lost Game 5 at home to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. So there’s that.

A major factor in the game will be what unsung hero jumps into the spotlight tonight. In his pregame media session before Game 4, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said, “Every game is different. Different players step up. Caron [Butler] was really big in Game 1, Richard [Jefferson] was really big in Game 2; who knows who it will be tonight.”

That night it ended up being George Hill, whose 29 points made up for somewhat disappointing nights from Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, but not enough can be said about the contributions from Antonio McDyess, Richard Jefferson and DeJuan Blair.

So who will it be tonight?

Either way, enjoy this game for what it could be. It’s not far-fetched to think that this could be the last time the Spurs and Mavericks meet as rivals. If the Spurs win tonight, no one knows what Mark Cuban might do to his roster. And the possibility that these two franchises might not meet in the playoffs in the near future is a very real possibility.

So enjoy it. Enjoy the passion of both fan bases and the (hopefully) respectful hatred directed at one another. Enjoy the greatness of Dirk Nowitzki, no matter how much you may like to insult him.

And if the Mavericks win tonight? Well, we’ll do it all over again on Thursday night.

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  • lvmainman

    Wow 7 minutes to go in the 3rd qtr and the Spurs are down 19! And Popovich mails in the game?

  • John

    Yup, Pop’s officially mailed it in. Guess I’ll watch the Lakers game.

  • lvmainman

    If the Spurs don’t win Game 6 at home, I’ll make a guarantee right here and now that they won’t win a Game 7 in Dallas.

    Popovich has got to make a promise to never play Mason ever again unless 7 players foul out or get injured.

  • Bushka

    They were bound to have an off game sooner or later.

    That said I just turned it off at the 7 mins left mark filthy.

  • Phoebus

    Meh, Pop knew the Mavs were gonna come with the kitchen sink tonight. Good for him for devaluing the win by having the big 3 basically take the night off and giving a lot of garbage time to Mason. What works better psychologically when you know the other guys are going to bring it, and yet you don’t really need to win it, than to let them win while making it feel like it didn’t count?

  • BALLHOG

    As much as I hate to admit it, it was a good move by the Popster. He belittled the win and threw in the towel at the right time. Besides that, Ginobli was terrible tonight…Nose has surely got to be bothering him.

    But, Spurs looked like they all had azz last ngiht anyway, so it didnt really matter.

    I will add this though…Couldnt pass it up….

    Scary how Mason suddenly sucks after being decent last season. Bogans cracks me up. His game is tragic. Bogans is a funny MF to me….
    Also, too much Bonner…Nice on the two 3 balls, but otherwise, not so great. Cant band on Matt as I have in the past though. He just seems to be playing better….Maybe Im seeing things…

    Oh Well,,,,Back to the SBC….

  • Jim Henderson

    Phoebus
    April 27th, 2010 at 7:45 pm

    “What works better psychologically when you know the other guys are going to bring it, and yet you don’t really need to win it, than to let them win while making it feel like it didn’t count?”

    That is the thinking that lets teams come back from 3-1 deficits. A BIG mistake GIVING confidence back to a team as good as Dallas. We didn’t “let them win”, we got our asses kicked!

  • VP of Common Sense

    I got pissed at Manu for the first time in a long time tonight. He looked really timid and very un-Ginobili like.

    Oh well, a lot of pressure on us to close things out in SA. Maybe the pressure will be a good thing?

  • John

    @Jim – It’s true that we got our asses kicked, and I don’t think the psychological ploy is true. I think Pop saw that the Mavs had adjusted defensively in a way that we weren’t going to be able to counter easily. I also think he was looking for some kind of combination that wasn’t going to get it’s ass kicked. When he couldn’t find one, Mahnimi went in.

    Again, with the Mavs sagging in like that it basically played havoc with our pick and roll and any interior scoring. Someone has to make jumpers to defeat it. Hill was missing from outside, Mason missed from outside, Ginobilli was missing – it’s weird to have no reliable shooting after years of that being a team strength.

    Also, the Mavs fans should get an A+ – they were much better than they had been in games one and two. Now it’s up to Spurs fans to bring even more intensity to game 6.

  • lvmainman

    Game 6 – Will the Big 3 (Duncan, Ginobili, Parker) outscore the Big 3 for Dallas (Nowitzki, Butler, Terry) ?

    Game 6 – Will Mason get the DNP-CD to enhance the Spurs chances of winning?

    Game 6 – Will Najera intentionally take a Spurs player out?

    I deep down believe if the Spurs don’t win Game 6, they will lose the series.

  • NY Spurs Fan

    Duncan 4 for 18 in last two games

    Ginobili 6 for 23

    That’s 25% shooting combined

    I’m concerned

  • SilverAndBlack

    To be honest, to be down by only 7 points at the break was more than a gift wrap for us. But even then, I had a gut feeling that the Spurs weren’t gonna win. The Mavs were by far the desperate team and wanted this win more. That’s why I believe when we go back home, it’s going to be a desperate game for us. That’s gonna be our game 7.

    But, on the positive end, before we mailed this game in during the 3rd, the Mavs kept giving us opportunities to get back in it. The final score doesn’t really indicate how dominate the Mavs were: b/c in all honesty, they were still the same old Mavs—a team that can score a lot of points, but have difficulty closing out the opposition. But, was flat out frustrating to see our team play like this, since we all know what they’re capable of. And, the fact that it would’ve been nice wash those pesky Mavs off our skin.

  • Phoebus

    “That is the thinking that lets teams come back from 3-1 deficits. A BIG mistake GIVING confidence back to a team as good as Dallas. We didn’t “let them win”, we got our asses kicked!”

    No it isn’t. Unless you think the Spurs have still have come kind of confidence problem of their own, with which I, and blatant reality, would beg to differ.

    The Mavs’ problem was never confidence, it was that their rotations and defensive adjustments just weren’t very well thought through (if at all), b/c Carlisle is a good-not-great coach.
    Full stop.

    Lord, don’t be a chicken little about it, everyone and god still knows who’s gonna win this series. The only reason the Spurs were better off closing it out tonight was for the rest in case Suns-Blazers also goes to 7, but since that probably won’t happen, big whoop.

    I get tired of people saying, “I love Pop”, and then in the next breath, “why is he ever okay with losing a game?”

    Have you ever thought about the mechanics of keeping 12 men sprightly for every game? Or whether or not its worth it to play everyone til they’re dog tired on a night when you KNOW the Mavs, a VERY TALENTED TEAM REMEMBER, are going to gameplan you into a corner?

    Freakin’ sourpusses. Come complain when the Spurs lose the series. The only reason winning tonight would have been important for us is if the Blazers were prepared to drag the Suns out, but they aren’t.

  • Phoebus

    I realize I was bitter, Jim Henderson. I almost always like what you write here.
    And sorry to be bitter just 2 days after I told TradeTp to stop hollering at us about why the FO should do things that he’d just come up with 5 minutes earlier on ESPN’s Trade Machine, but:

    SRSLY EVRY1 POP KNWS WT H’S DNG, stop getting all nonplussed about the series not being over just because you wanted to see Sad Mavs Fans plastered all over Espn’s main page tonight.

    If we lose Thursday, we’ll talk. Till then, keep your bedsheets dry.

  • DD

    What a horrible game by all spurs. I turned the tv on and saw Mason and Bonner and knew the game was lost. Team should be ashamed to play this bad. I don’t know what is wrong with Ginobili, but hope he gets it together are the spurs are finished.

  • SilverAndBlack

    That the Mavs lost 3 straight games to us, certainly was no aberration. It’s just the indication that we are the better team. The Mavs are just a team that continues to give us opportunities to get back into the game, no matter how dominate they seem. And when the Spurs play as well as they have been in this series—limit the turnovers and play with agression, that only spells the worst for the Mavs.

  • grego

    Not surprising. Spurs rarely win their series in 5 games. Most teams usually take 6 games. Obviously, Spurs can’t expect to roll over the Mavs, but this game was Dallas trying to avoid being embarrassed.

    The fouls took key guys out of the game (called fairly, but it definitely slowed them down). If the Spurs win game 6, they’ll have about the same rest as the winner of the Phx/Portland series, so it shouldn’t be too bad. Hopefully that series goes 6 at least.

  • Jim Henderson

    John
    April 27th, 2010 at 8:22 pm

    “It’s true that we got our asses kicked, and I don’t think the psychological ploy is true. I think Pop saw that the Mavs had adjusted defensively in a way that we weren’t going to be able to counter easily.”

    Yeah, plus I think mid-way through the third he sensed his major players just weren’t going to be able to match the Mavs intensity tonight (probably correct, unfortunately), so he thought he might as well rest his aging veterans for a “Custers Last Stand” at home in game six. I think that decision was disappointing for Pop, but he really didn’t have a better choice after how the team came out in the second half.

    Phoebus
    April 27th, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    “Lord, don’t be a chicken little about it, everyone and god still knows who’s gonna win this series.”

    “The only reason winning tonight would have been important for us is if the Blazers were prepared to drag the Suns out, but they aren’t.”

    Are you a soothsayer, or do you just cling to “hope”, as almost an article of faith, because you can’t bear to think that the very real alternative possibilities could actually come to fruition instead? Our dreams don’t always come true, you know.

    Just in case you don’t realize it, it takes FOUR games to win a series. Last I checked, we’re still stuck on THREE. And as far as Portland goes, they’re in the Rose Garden for game six Thursday, down just 3-2, and you think that it’s very likely that series won’t go seven?

    Look, I’m not overly concerned about the loss tonight. Pop has good instincts, and is a very good motivator in the biggest moments. And the big three WILL be ready for game six; you can count on that. But the point is, it is in fact DANGEROUS TO COME OUT UNPREPARED IN ANY “GAME FIVE” PLAYOFF GAME, UP 3-1 OR NOT, and in this case, help breath life back into a talented veteran team on their deathbed.

    I just hope in the end the Spurs did not end up blowing an opportunity that in the final analysis they in fact needed to exploit in order to ultimately emerge victorious. We will see.

    I’ll be rooting for them Thursday! HUGE game. Going back to Dallas for a seventh game would be a major obstacle, and even if we win, could end up being pretty spent for the next series.

  • SpurredOn

    @silverandblack – well said. As awful as the Spurs were playing and as celebratory as the Mavs were, the game never got out of reach. We just couldn’t make a shot or make a good pass without turning it over. Mavs still only shot 44% even while their starters played more minutes than ours.

  • Beau

    I don’t know what all this talk is of Spurs fans being far more respectful than Mavs fans. Sure, Dallas does have their annoying rich kids, your handful of just stupid people, and the common drunks as well, but there is never anything way over the top. I attended game 3 in San Antonio and was literally surrounded by five Spurs fans in a corner after the game simply because I was wearing a Mav’s jersey. They threatened to punch me in the face if I didn’t take off the jersey. I pridefully said no as any true fan would, and they continued to get in face, push me back, and cuss me out for another 10 minutes, all the while the entire mob of spurs fans waiting to leave urged it on. As a Mav’s fan that lives in San Antonio and loves this city, I have to say that I was truly embarrassed and disgraced by the actions of the fans. I really thought that they were better than that, but it was definitely not the case.

  • Jim Henderson

    Keys to game five checklist, updated, from earlier post on this thread:

    Jim Henderson
    April 27th, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    This game will come down to the basics:

    (1) Which team comes out with the most energy & defensive intensity.

    MAVS, HANDS DOWN

    (2) Which team limits their turnovers.

    MAVS 12, SPURS 18

    (3) Which team crashes the offensive & defensive boards.

    MAVS 52, Spurs 41
    14 9

    (4) Which team scraps for the most loose balls.

    MAVS

    (5) Which team hits the clutch shots.

    MAVS, although blow-out game

    Whichever team succeeds in the majority of these basic categories will win.

    MAVS – WIN ALL CATEGORIES – Blow-out loss for Spurs!

  • Manolo Pedralvez

    In three words: San Antonio stunk. But if Spurs play Game 6 as if there’s now tomorrow – which they should – then they’re still in business, plus a few days rest before the second round.

  • rcast1986

    I didn’t get to watch the game because I’m a poor college student who can’t afford the 8,000 channel, NBA-inclusive package and I go to school out of state, but what is with all the talk that the game “never got away from us” and was “never out of reach”? Perhaps I just have a poor imagination, but I’m pretty sure that when you lose a game by 19, it’s out of reach. Anybody want to explain further?

  • SPURSGERMANY

    I HAVE MORE RGRETS FOR G1; WHICH I CONTINUE TO BELIEVE WE COULD AND SHOULD HAVE WON IT SURELY.

    To G5:
    Manu 4 minutes in 2nd half
    TD 6 minutes
    Dice 3 minutes
    Every aspect of G4!! + TP + Halfcourt game more of TD
    God will Bless with a Win.
    See on Thursday

    God Bless YOu ALL

  • john

    @Beau – as a San Antonio fan who lives in Dallas I can tell you that the same thing has happened to me on multiple occasions. All fanbases are the same – some people are jerks and some aren’t. And yet, every fan I’ve ever talked to is always convinced that “their” fanbase is much more respectful and polite.

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