I wish Devean George had been healthy. I wish Greg Buckner had been healthier. I wish a foul had been called when Devin Harris was hit so hard on the head he couldn't feel his hands. I wish a fouls had been called when Amare pulled Stackhouse to the ground preventing him from grabbing a crucial defensive rebound. More than all of that I wish Dirk had made his free throws and Jason Terry had taken better care of the ball. No denying Dallas let that game slip through their fingers.
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It's funny how the regular season doesn't matter -- until it does.
Bright Side of the Sun used to think Dirk was MVP - not anymore.
The Mavs never were concerned about hitting the 70-win milestone. Their fans shouldn't be anymore, either, especially since it's a real long shot now.
The Suns are a serious threat to steal the top seed. They're well within striking distance at 2.5 games back.
"They're the ones who have to finish. And Amare has a chance to be one of the truly unique players who redefines basketball."
- Missed a free throw that would have clinched the game.
- Made a silly pass that was easily intercepted.
- Knocked down a wide open 15-footer.
- Posted Shawn Marion, caught the entry pass, then quickly tossed it back out. Reposted, caught a second entry pass, then quickly tossed it back out. From here, it looked like Nowitzki wanted someone else to take the shot.
- Pulled left and shot a 15-footer for the win that clanged off the front rim.
Try telling that to Mavericks fans, who booed their team, cheered their team and then left the arena in stunned silence.
Try telling that to Dirk Nowitzki, who seemed to have his first MVP award in lockdown, only to watch Steve Nash steal the game and maybe the trophy, too.
...And not only did Nowitzki miss a key free throw in regulation, but he lost his temper in overtime, too, getting nailed with a technical foul.
These things go a long way with MVP voters.
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Injury Update: Devin Harris says he has a stiff neck and the feeling in his hands was starting to return by games end. He expects he'll be ready for Boston.
Avery Johnson is planning to ease Devean George back in much as he did with Stackhouse.
"[DeSagana Diop] tends to play a little bit better against the small teams. It's a struggle for us sometimes to play both of our centers [Erick Dampier and Diop] major minutes against these type of teams."
Randy Galloway has a good article on 'Mavs Paranoia'.