Denver 103, Mavs 101: Your All-Access Pass

  The Mavs were expectedly missing a star in Josh Howard. The Mavs were unexpectedly missing a star in Jason Kidd. And star Dirk Nowitzki? He scored 26. … but in the fourth quarter, he kept missing. Nowitzki’s final eight shots were errant, including the potential game-winner launched with six seconds remaining in a playoff-sweaty 103-101 home loss on Friday to the Nuggets.

  Your All-Access Pass to a thrilling game. … and a disappointing defeat:

  NO DIRK DAGGER: Nowitzki missed 11 of his last 13 shots, the final failure coming even after a beautifully-designed play that allowed the MVP to fire an unbothered 16-footer from behind a screen.

  "I'll take a 16-footer wide open for the game any time," said Dirk. "The play was actually kind of broken up, which actually worked in our favor, because they were scrambling. We still ran our play, and I came off the double and was open. I've just got to make the shot."

   Unfortunately, Nowitzki was 0-of-3 in the final quarter and just 7-of-23 for the game. That’s uncharacteristic for him when opposing the Nuggets. While Denver came in 3-0 against Dallas this year, Dirk had been scoring 31.3 ppg against the Nugs while shooting 48.5 percent.

   "The looks were good," said Dirk. "I just didn't make them."

    LIBB: The Different Is Dunkability.

    For so many years, a Mavs trademark has been a lack of athleticism. (Maybe it’s the Curse of Shawn Bradley.) This year, we’ve applauded Mavs management for securing the services of what we’ve called the Lightning In A Bottle Boys – young, pogo-stick athletes possessing, at the very least, raw promise.

    Ryan Hollins is yet another LIBB well worth the minutes.

    He served as the backup center again Friday, and he was spectacular. He made 3-of-6 shots – all of them on jump-to-your-feet dunks – scored nine points, pulled down eight rebounds, contributed a heady steal and really put his stamp on the game with four blocks.

    All four of those were jump-to-your-feet plays, too.

    Hollins played 22 minutes, leaving only one bone to pick with Coach: Hollins should’ve played 17 more seconds, remaining on the floor as a defensive threat to contest the Carmelo Anthony driving layup that served as the game-winner with :12 remaining.

    Lightning In A Bottle? Hell, I’m ready to pronounce Ryan Hollins to be An Official Tyson Chandler Starter Kit.  

   THE DIFFERENCE IS DUNKABILITY 2: With Jason Kidd (back) unavailable, Gerald Green slid up in the rotation – all the way to the sixth-man slot. He certainly added another dimension (The Difference Is Dunkability!) and held his own over the course of 22 minutes. He was 2-of-9 for seven points, but he did seem focused on fulfilling a promise he’d made the day before.

    "So I want to work on getting my teammates the ball because now, when I do get the ball, teams always think I'm going to shoot it,’’ G$ told the DMNews. “I want other players aware that I will pass it to them. And that keeps the other team on their toes."

   In the second quarter, Green approached the rim for a virtually uncontested dunk. … and unselfishly but unwisely left the ball for Hollins, who was fouled and made just one of two FTs.

   G$ is learning. Too selfish? Not selfish enough? It’s all a blur and a whir … and I just want him to still be a Maverick when he finally figures it all out.

   THE DIFFERENCE IS DUNKABILITY 3: To start the second quarter? Hollins, Singleton and Green with Dirk and with JJB. That’s Dirk, three LIBBs and the Inch-High PG Guy (who could actually fit into a bottle.) A minute-and-a-half in, Dirk was replaced by Brandon Bass. So it was Hollins, Singleton, Green and Bass on the floor together.

   Good for Slick Rick. And good for that group, which kept the game within two points during its four-minute stint.

    Start of the fourth quarter? There were Gerald Green and Ryan Hollins again, along with Bass and Jet and JJB. And Singleton as a starter? This was a youth movement night for the Mavs!

   But. …

   NO MATCH FOR ‘MELO: “I can always score,’’ said Anthony, whose driving layup with 12 seconds left put the Nuggets up to stay at 102-101. “I can do that in my sleep. Tonight, I had to step up. We probably needed that 43.’’

   Dallas’ strategy, I’m told, was based on part on the notion that ‘Melo was going to “get his,’’ and that other Nuggets needed to be contained. Except for JR Smith’s 22 points, that was largely accomplished.

  But ‘Melo got too many of “his.’’ Carlisle, in yet another strategic twist that didn’t quite work, decided to start James Singleton and assign him to Anthony. On paper? Not bad. Singleton is long, he can leap, he’s intense, and remember last summer, Donnie Nelson rather hyperbolically suggested James might be a “Kobe-stopper.’’

   Well, no. ‘Melo was 18-of-29, got any shot he wanted, and yes, he “can always score.’’

   MR. JJBIG SHOT: Quote from Denver coach George Karl: “The little kid was pretty spectacular.’’

   “The little kid’’ is JJ Barea. He scored 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including four 3-point makes. His last one gave the Mavs a 101-100 lead with 23.1 seconds left.

    Double-teams against Dirk helped JJB get open. The Inch-High PG Guy did a lot of the rest on his own, continuing his step-up week by following an even duel with Golden State’s Monta Ellis with this effort against Chauncey Billups.

   Weird thing, though. Billups was just 2-of-8 for five points – but Antoine Wright largely guarded him. (Another Carlisle change-up there, as the Mavs were expecting AW on ‘Melo. Which, you know, might not be a bad idea next time.) I’m not exactly sure who JJB guarded … or how the Mavs hid him on defense.

   But there was no “Mr. Big Shot’’ from Denver. There was only “Mr. JJBig Shot’’ – and he was almost enough.

   QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: "That shot, every time, we'll live and die with that. …. We're going to keep going to him because he's our horse." – Carlisle on Dirk.

   PROPS TO THE MATCHUP-WINNERS: Might we see these Nuggets again?

   We might.

   Denver is 47-26. The Nugs have a 1.5–game lead in the Northwest Division and are No. 4 in the West. But they are also just 1.5 games behind No. 2 San Antonio – and check out the marshmallowy goo of the Denver sked:

   The Nuggets play six of their final nine games at home. Six of their last nine are against teams under .500, including as the Clippers, Minnesota, OKC and Sacto.

   Could Denver climb to third? Could the Mavs finish sixth? Could they play each other in Round 1?

   Stay tuned – but be a little worried about the season series, won 4-0 by Denver, marking the first time the Nuggets have swept Dallas since the Mavs entered the NBA in 1980.

  HOW TO BE A TOP-TIER TEAM: Nuggets coach George Karl predicts it will take a 53-29 mark for Denver to secure homecourt advantage in the first round.

  “It’s going to be a great race,’’ Karl said.

   Indeed, and I still want Dallas in that race.

   Denver needs six wins to get to 53. The Mavs are 43-29, so. … no.

   Let’s scale back a bit. Top-tier ain’t happenin.’

  KIDD’S SORE BACK: We broke the news of Kidd’s scratch at about 6:40 on 103.3 ESPN Radio, that coming about 10 minutes after Carlisle had proclaimed him a “gametime decision.’’ The coach’s elusiveness puzzled our colleague Bill Ingram, who wrote:

  “Rick Carlisle is always opaque at best when talking about injuries, and seemed clueless as to the nature of Kidd's injury. At this point we don't know if it's something that will bother him long-term, or if it's just a one-game rest kind of thing. I truly wish I could post the audio for you to listen to. It's ridiculous.

  Is it a long-term injury?

  "I don't know. I hope not.  .... I haven't really talked to doc about it . . . . . .lots of teams are banged up this time of year."

  You haven't asked???? That's incredible. It's only your starting point guard, right?’’

   I understand Bill’s thirst for knowledge here (though the four ?s might be a bit overwrought). But in a week where Carlisle’s been battered about for his personal style with the media, let’s not pile on needlessly, shall we? What possible reason does Carlisle have for being forthcoming about an injury?

   Besides, after we take a breath, pocket our ????’s and ask a few more questions, we get this:

  "I'm feeling better," Kidd said following the game. "I should be able to play on Sunday."

   WHO COULDA USED KIDD: Well, Nowitzki was 7-of-23 and Jet was 6-of-17 and AW was 0-of-7. That’s three of Kidd’s usually first-team partners combining for 13-of-47 shooting, all on a night when Dallas’ entire team managed just 14 assists on the night, which J-Kidd can do himself on a good night.

    This is the first game Kidd has missed all year.

    Go find yourself a hyperbaric chamber, sir, and let’s don’t let this happen again.

   THE NBA CARES: Dirk Nowitzki certainly does.

    In the final two minutes, he saved a possession by laying out parallel to the floor to snare a loose ball, and then while still down, fired the ball toward the baseline, setting up a JJB trey. And after the game, as he was marching down the tunnel, I’m told he angrily karate-kicked down a section of metal fence

    WHY YOU CANNOT LOSE AT HOME: Why you don’t expect Dallas to lose at home? Because the Mavs had won nine straight at the AAC.

    Why you cannot afford to lose at home? Because next up comes a Sunday nooner at Cleveland. And that one, you expect to lose.

   Of course, stuff happens. Ask the Hornets, who got ambushed at New York.

   DO THE TIGHTEN UP: Two notes here: One, the Mavs are now 16-4 in games decided by five points or fewer. (We do agree that the outcome would’ve likely been different had Kidd been on the floor for the end, don’t we?). And two, despite that 0-4 mark against Denver, the four games have been decided by a total of 17 points.

   TWITTERING THE WHISTLES: Mark Cuban didn’t think much of the officiating. He Twittered (“tweeted’’?), noting that the same crew that jacked up the last Denver-Dallas game was assigned to the rematch. (Which, I must admit, is odd.) I thought someone with the Mavs might’ve registered a complaint over the very last play of the game, when Dirk got a defensive rebound, took a step up court and in preparation for a 65-foot heave, collided with K-Mart. … and no call.

    But no. Cuban was upset about. …

   FIGHT NIGHT: After Dirk’s late miss, Antoine Wright corralled the loose ball and took one more desperation shot. As he fell to the floor, it appeared that JR Smith rose from the Denver bench and came onto the floor to taunt/celebrate/something. … and he appeared to direct his “something’’ at Wright.

    AW objected, the two players jawed. … and the mini-conflict continued even after the final buzzer.

    Cuban is wondering why Denver wasn’t assessed a T for a player coming off the bench to engage an opponent while he was on the floor. Eddie Sefko is wondering why “Josh Howard, Jason Kidd and Jerry Stackhouse (were) chatting, smiling and man-hugging Carmelo Anthony after Anthony had just torched the Mavericks for 43 points and while Antoine Wright was still trying to get at Denver's J.R. Smith in the post-game walk to the locker room. It's just not good form.’’

    I’ve addressed this stuff before:

    1 Let’s don’t count Josh Howard among the Mavs we put under a post-loss behavioral microscope. He’ll give us a headache. His foot/ankle problems are heeling. He's being upgraded to "doubtful'' on the injury report. ... but otherwise ... well, it's a headache.

     2 I, like Eddie, much prefer my losing players to be angry enough to karate-kick sections of metal fence. But maybe that’s just us.

     3 Different guys cope in different ways, and I’ll tell you what I saw, especially from Kidd: He was trying to play peacemaker. Carmelo was involved in some trash-talking support of teammate Smith, I believe. The game was over, but tempers continues to flair. ‘Melo felt somebody pull on his headband and then snap it off his head. … ‘Melo spun sideways to confront the SOB. … but the SOB was Kidd, everybody laughed, and feelings were soothed.

    I wish Jason Kidd could’ve played. Instead, he just played peacemaker. At the end, he defused a bomb. Meanwhile, other Mavs exploded. But Dirk never went off.

 

654a mar 28 2009

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