Dallas Beat Miami Links

by Wes Cox on Jan 22, 2007 12:42 PM CST in News

OK, there's about million articles on yesterdays game; this isn't everything. It's safe to say it wasn't just another game -- just look at all the stuff in the papers today, and even look at Mavs players who had a 10 o'clock curfew Saturday night.

The game may been a big deal, but don't start believing the game actually meant anything. Just ask Ethan J. Skolnick of the Sun-Sentinel.

The Mavericks did close the Heat out, as they have closed out 20 of their last 21 games.

Now I'm going to close my mouth, because I just yawned.

The league is imbalanced. The regular season is insignificant.

And so, even while winning only 18 games all season, the Heat remains more likely to reach the Finals than the deep and determined Mavericks.

That's right. Not almost as likely. Not equally as likely.

More likely.

Thanks for filling me in Ethan. I guess I'll just stop watching the games now...

I suppose articles like that shouldn't shock me. At least Dirk has a firm grasp on how things work.

"It was a lose-lose situation," Nowitzki explained. "If we lose, it's because we can't win in this building. If we win, it's because Shaq is out. We couldn't win."

Del Harris realized it too.

"It's no big deal to win this game, but it would have been a big deal to lose it."

OK, so a Miami loss didn't mean they had to turnover their rings and pull down their banners. And the Dallas win didn't make them the new champions. Doesn't matter. It was still a game Dallas had to win, and they did.

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David Moore thinks by the way Miami played it wasn't just another game to them either.

I can tell you this: If the Heat played all season with the pride and intensity it showed Sunday, it would not be four games under .500.

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Dan LeBatard has a bunch of quotes from the Mavs about losing last season - if that souns like something you might be interested in, feel free to read it.

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Jon Barry of ESPN invents the Dallas 3-D's

Back in the 90s, the Mavs had some good teams known for the three Js -- Jim Jackson, Jason Kidd and Jamal Mashburn.

The Mavs had a down time, but they're back. Now Dallas has the three Ds -- Deep team, great Defense and Dirk.

I'm still a little confused by these 'Daily Dimes'. Are the writers interviewing themselves? It's all a little confusing to me.

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Jerry Stakchouse made an entry for his NBA.com blog last week - his first in over a month. He writes about his ankle, his movie, and says their a growing rivalry with Houston.

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Remember Josh Howard's technical for talking to the Miami bench? Well he wasn't looking at the players but the coach.

"I was talking to the coach," Howard said. "He said something to me. Nothing major was said. There were no cuss words. The next time I came back down the court, he told me he loved me.

"There was nothing bad going on. The ref just made it like there was."

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Injury Update: Art Garcia fills us in on Devin Harris.

Harris didn't have a solid meal from Wednesday until Saturday night in Miami. He said before the game he felt fine and actually felt somewhat refreshed by the time off. But during the game he hardly looked 100 percent.

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Around the NBA: Josh Smith gave the finger to the fans in Charlotte after he was ejected yesterday.

Pau Gasol wants out of Memphis. Gasol hasn't made the comments to the press, but it has been made public that he and his agent have pretty much demanded to be traded. Definitely something to keep an eye on. I can't imagine the Grizzlies are real eager to meet the demands. Memphis management is probably pretty excited by the idea of being able to add Oden or Durant to a team that was good just one year ago and already has one star player in Gasol.

The Suns killed Minneosata. Garnett missed the game because he serving a one game suspension from the McDyess "fight".

The Nets Richard Jefferson had surgery on his ankle and will miss six weeks.

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Comments

that skolnick guy

needs to get over Shaq. He's a married man!

by dignan @ Mavs Moneyball on Jan 22, 2007 1:00 PM CST reply actions

New here

Long time visitor, first time commenting since I finally got to registering. I thought I'd share this; it's from Ben Maller's Rumors:

Reflecting via e-mail last week on the Finals and other topics, Mavs owner Mark Cuban was asked if he agrees with Dirk Nowitzki's earlier comment that Dallas handed the championship to the Heat. "No question about it," he wrote. That doesn't sit well with Heat owner Micky Arison. "[Nowitzki] should keep saying it and hopefully we'll meet in the Finals and put that up in the locker room," Arison said Friday. "That takes away from...an absolutely amazing performance from Dwyane [Wade]." Some people who have watched the erratic Heat and steamrolling Mavericks this season probably wonder how Miami won the Finals. Cuban confirmed that thought has come to mind. Said Arison: "No matter how his team plays, or our team plays, we're still wearing the ring."

by Marie on Jan 22, 2007 2:28 PM CST reply actions