All-Access Pass: SA 133, Mavs 126 In 2OTs

    The first thing you need to know about San Antonio 133, Mavs 126, a double-OT thriller: “These are two teams,’’ Jason Kidd said in summary, “that pretty much don't like each other.’’

       ITEM: Dallas led by 11 early, shot 86 percent in the third quarter, and was tied at 120 with 3:49 to play in the second overtime before being outscored 13-6 to finish.

    Let’s start the discussion here: Did the Mavs run out of gas?

    Said Kidd: “We had our chances in the first overtime but came up a little short in the end.’’

    Coach Rick Carlisle danced with who brung him throughout the late going. The fourth quarter and the two OT periods were all Dirk, Kidd, Jet and JJB, with Bass and Damp taking big-man turns (and two tiny defensive pinches of Devean George). Basically, for 22 straight minutes, Dallas used a six-man rotation.

    That speaks to the magnitude of the thing, and to the intensity. But maybe we shouldn’t be shocked by the 13-6 run. Dirk played 52 minutes (!), entering the game with 6:07 remaining in the second quarter and never exiting after that. Fairly demanding, those 40 un-interrupted minutes of basketball, eh?

    Let me take that back. There was one interruption: After the first OT, The UberMan left the gym by vaulting over the scorers’ table in one gigantic bound, as if he was in a hurry to go pee.

    Which, I assume, he was.

   ITEM: Here’s a positive the Mavs themselves are taking from this: They responded to the news that Josh Howard’s ankle problem will not be resolved anytime soon by getting stellar performances from their stars … and star-caliber turns by the supporting cast, too.

   Jason Kidd had a season-best 24 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, and his 3-pointer with 19.8 seconds left in the first OT kept Dallas alive. Nowitzki was MVP-ish (yes, I mean it) with 16-of-33 shooting for 35 points and 10 rebounds.

     Meanwhile, Erick Dampier contributed nine points, eight rebounds and four assists while wrasslin’ with Duncan. And Jose Juan Barea was virtually unguardable (yes, I mean that, too) with 21 points.

    JJB has been finishing games in the last week or so. This time – for the rare time – Dampier was asked to do the same.

     Carlisle quote on Dampier: “We needed Damp’s defense in there, otherwise Duncan would have scored every time down.’’

    Carlisle on JJB: “Let’s quit talking about him like he ‘shouldn’t be doing this.’ He should be doing this. It’s his job. He’s a good player. Let’s get off the whole ‘novelty’ thing. The guy’s a good player.’’

     Overall, as Dirk said: We left it all out there. We had some great chances, really at the end of the game, end of the first overtime, end of the second overtime. We had plenty of chances. It was definitely a fun game to be a part of. It was going back and forth in the second half. People were making plays all over the court. Definitely a fun game, but definitely a disappointing loss.’’

    Fun. Disappointing. And promising. I can live with that.

    ITEM: The Rule of 7: Dallas committed seven more turnovers than SA. Dallas attempted seven fewer shots than SA.

     And Dallas lost by 7 to SA.

     Coincidence?

    ITEM: “Our undoing,’’ Carlisle says, “was the second quarter.’’

   With all due respect to Coach: Dallas started the third quarter down by 2, made 12-of-14 shots in the third quarter, and started the fourth quarter still down by 2. I don’t know what the “undoing’’ was, but that third quarter. … How did that happen?

    ITEM: The Mavericks had won five straight at home and four straight overall. They are 20 games into the season with an 11-9 record and three more AAC games on this stand. They’ve got two losses in their last 11 outings. Those losses have come at the hands of traditional West powers LA and SA. Point being, Dallas can come out of this overall wobbly first-quarter of the season with a 14-9 record.

     Not bad. 

   ITEM: Jason Kidd’s first quarter: eight points, three assists, six rebounds. Tony Parker’s start: 1-of-8 shooting. You kind of knew it would eventually even out, though. Eva finished with 29.

    ITEM: I know the Spurs haven’t been “cool’’ in NBA circles for some time. And I know that the Mavs reached their “cool’’ peak in 2006. But these remain contending teams. Fully capable of finishing second in the West, both of them. I’ll concede the No. 1 spot to the Lakers, of course. But anyone who thinks Dallas and San Antonio are no longer capable of playing at an elite level is too caught up it what’s “cool.’’

   The Spurs are 12-8 and the Mavericks are 11-9 and they are both going to end up much, much better.

   ITEM: Bass playing center and fronting Tim Duncan? Hey, that’s a new wrinkle.

   It didn’t work. Duncan, palms-up all the way, scored 32. But it’s a new wrinkle.

   ITEM: Semi-starter Antoine Wright was happy to be back after missing three games with a strained left groin. He certainly looked healthy (seven points in 18 minutes) but the totem pole has, of course, been reshuffled in his absence. JJB was the starter at the 2. Devean George started at the 3. Shawne Williams didn’t get off the bench. And GG is completely in mothballs.

    With J-Ho out, we’re wondering if AW can return to the starting lineup as a 3, with JJB remaining on the floor, and with Devean George. … I dunno, hanging out over there somewhere with Stack?

     ITEM: We saw in this game the downside of the 3-PG Alignment. … and at the same time the reason Dallas thinks its struck gold (or at least some valuable alloy) with JJB.

   ITEM: It didn’t take long to notice the difference between Gregg Popovich as a strategist and Hawks coach Mike Woodson as a strategist: Pop actually used a 6-7 guy to post up JJBarea. Michael Finley didn’t have a very effective night doing so; as we know, Fin would rather “post up’’ from 23 feet, if you know what I mean. But ultimately, JJB having to defend down low will be what limits him.

   ITEM: At the same time. …

    Once the Spurs decide that Tony Parker can’t guard JJB, once they decide to switch All-World defender Bruce Bowen onto him, hasn’t Dallas won the chess match? If JJB (8-of-16 shooting, five assists, the 21 total points and 13 points in the fourth quarter alone) is truly worthy of a legit defender, that means Dirk will end up being guarded by Boner or Bonner or Boomer or Bonet or whomever. And that’s a strategic win for Dallas.

   ITEM:  Carlisle on J-Ho getting “the boot’’: “You're talking about a dynamic athlete who needs to be up to near full capacity physically to be able to do the things that he does. You can't put him out there unless he's pain-free and swelling-free. Right now, he is not."

   Jerry Stackhouse’s foot is also all booted up. Which leads us to. …

   ITEM: A Stack-for-Malik Rose trade rumor?  It’s New York, so once again they are trading for everybody. It’s what they do. But swapping cap space for cap space? I’m not sure I see the point. … and you are invited to wake me up when you figure it out.

   ITEM: Nice of Romo to give another ticket to another homeless guy. Two weeks ago, the Cowboys QB let some bum go to a movie. And for the Spurs game, Tony apparently let some guy occupy the first seat on the Spurs bench.

   ITEM: I love Jet, but he is, using the football vernacular, a “fumbler.’’ Dude puts the ball on the ground.

   ITEM: I forgive him, though, because of his brass ones. In the first overtime, Dallas fell behind 115-111. Jet then hit two FTs (brass) and after yet another fumble-y mistake, Jet ulitized a smart and necessary flagrant on the gorgeous Tony Longoria (brass). He springboarded his way to a season-high nine rebounds. He scored 19.

   Jet’s a tough guy, a great guy and once you get past the Kobe/LeBron level, right now he’s about as close to being an automatic 20 points as there is in the NBA.

   But Jason Terry – with six turnovers, most of them of the dribble-off-his-foot/lose-his-concentration/slip-on-the-floor/unforced-error variety -- is a fumbler.

   ITEM: Dirk, with a quote-and-a-poke regarding Josh Howard:

   “We all know he turned into a jump shooter a lot more the last two years, but he still has the ability to drive and finish at the rim. His offensive rebounding is great for the small forward position. His length, defense - yeah, we miss him. He's a very explosive player for us, and we need him back healthy soon.’’

   A loving poke, that’s all that was.

   ITEM: It really is a sign of respect to JJB that the Spurs needed Bowen to cover him (As Raja and Kobe were required to do in recent games). For the second consecutive game, JJB scored 20+ points and he is now averaging 18.8 points in the last five games. After the game, Tony Parker made the JJB/Nash comparison. So did a veteran basketball man who shall remain nameless, in talking to me during the second half.

   “He changed the game by himself,” Duncan said.

   “He was like their franchise player,” Parker said.

   JJB as a Non-Novelty Nash – not in Suns MVP years but in Stevie’s formative years with the Mavs? I’m willing to consider that.

   ITEM: Bruce Bowen? Let me put it this way: If instead of featuring just three referees, NBA games featured six referees, Bruce Bowen wouldn’t be in the league. Or he’d foul out after six possessions.

   ITEM: Fun. Disappointing. And promising. I can live with that.