Sunday Morning Donuts: Shocker Edition

   I'm not sure they shocked the world. But they damn sure shocked SeaWorld, and all the other delightful haunts that dot the town centerpieced by that ugly-ass river.

   DONUT 1: By virtue of the G1 win, Dallas now has a 79-percent chance of winning the series. Just sayin’.

   DONUT 2: Tony Parker with 24 points is a handful. Tim Duncan with 27 points is a handful. The two superstars combining for 51 points is a handful.

   But when it takes them 46 shots to accomplish that? And when they combine to make just five FTs?

   Not such a handful that it cannot be dealt with.

   DONUT 3: And the strategic advantage suddenly goes to JJB.

   Remember earlier this year when JJB was such a force against the Spurs that Pop had to assign his best defender, Bruce Bowen, to him? It was probably the greatest compliment Barea got all year.

   Well, after JJB’s sweet turn on Saturday (13 points, seven in the final quarter), the Spurs have a decision to make.

   Bowen on JJB? Then who covers Jet?

   Parker on JJB? Then how does Tony ever get a blow?

   Alter the rotation to include young Hill and or old Jacques Vaughn on JJB?

   Playoff series are all about game-to-game adjustments, and I’m sure Pop will come up with … something.

   But I’m not sure why he wasn’t able to “come up with something’’ going into G1. Didn’t he already know JJB was capable of this?

   P.S.: The JJB that demanded the coverage of Bowen earlier in the season was an inferior player to the JJB Dallas has going now. Barea is much more in control, much more of an assist threat, much more of a drive-and-dish guy (ask Bass) and even seemed semi-capable on defense as of Saturday.

   So. … your move, Pop.

   DONUT 4: I know critics say this every year. … but maybe this really is the year the Spurs show their age.

    Really. Maybe.

   Oh, Duncan’s creaky knees weren’t a negative issue. And Fin scored 19. But there is a trend this year in SA: They often start well, but they have had a season-long propensity for fading in the fourth. Therefore, they try to keep the pace slow and try to win a low-90’s half-court game.

   The Spurs got their way in some regards in G1; that was a low-possession grinder.

   But a quick start and a wobbly finish and a slow pace throughout?

   Check, check and check.

   Dallas combating that with high energy, efficient half-court offense and the scoring of 105 points – seven above their season average -- despite the slow pace?

    Check, check and check.

   DONUT 5: This Bonner character? I like him. I think he should continue to start and to play 18 minutes and to take one shot and to get one rebound and to be a Nowitness.

    Now, does this Bonner character actually get into the games for free?

    Remember, the Spurs didn’t “hold’’ Dirk to 19; a couple of ticky-tack foul calls saddled him with three and with 8:28 left in the second quarter, Nowitzki headed to the bench (with just five points). It did not look good; Dallas would go down 35-24 a second later.

    That should’ve been Dallas’ death knell right there.

    But the Mavs live. … and no way Dirk gets called for three fouls in a half in the rest of this series.

   DONUT 6: Having said that. … if Josh Howard is going to be a threat to score 25, who is supposed to guard Dirk?

   It’s be nice for SA if Bowen could check Dirk.

   They could really use Bowen on Josh.

   In that previous meeting they needed Bowen on JJB.

   On Saturday they used Bowen on Jet.

   How many Bowens do they have? Unless they have four of them – and remember, this is a guy who was fading from the team’s rotation plans earlier this year – they don’t seem to have enough.

    Now, can you count on 25 from Josh?

    I don’t know. But I know that when Howard plays against the Spurs this year, the Mavs are 3-1. You can count on that. And I know that when Howard plays at all this year, the Mavs are 34-19 (and 17-13 without him). You can count on that.

 DONUT 7: You knew the Dallas bench was going to outscore the SA bench. But let’s not take it for granted. Final tally in that department: Mavs 39, Spurs 14. … and I’m just not sure how SA ever quite closes that gap.

   DONUT 8: How efficient was the Mavs’ offense in the second half? They scored 60 points. … and committed one turnover.

   Meanwhile, Parker committed two turnovers all by himself in the oddest of ways, by being called for charging into Barea.

   DONUT 9: This Bonner character and Kurt Thomas, the veteran TCU refugee who was once Nellie’s pet in Dallas a long, long time ago, combined for zero points.

   DONUT 10: The Spurs made 11 of 14 treys. Time will tell: Is that a Mavs’ gameplan flaw? A lack of execution? A fluke? A result of SA desperation?

   DONUT 11: As you might know, you can follow the Mavs and follow me at twitter.com/fishsports, on Facebook and of course, right here on DB.com.

   DONUT 12: And before we get too far ahead of ourselves: Since 2000, the Spurs have lost a Game 1 and gone on to win the series four times.

   “We've been here before,” said Duncan. “We have the experience to beat this out.”

     Just sayin’.