The Mavericks bench reacts as the JJ Barea suspension gets announced. Too bad it was a mistake by the announcer. In fact, it was Haywood (not pictured) that has been sent home.
KneeJerk Recap (TM) Jonthefon v1.03
The Mavs (beat/l
ost to) [the San Antonio Spurs]¹ tonight (thanks to/even though) Dirk was awesome. The (cloud in the silver lining/major culprit) once more was the lack of support from his team-mates, with the exception of Tyson Chandler/Jason Kidd². Especially useless wasJason Terry/Caron Butler/J.J. Barea/Shawn Marion/Brendan Haywood³ and it is HOLY FUCK THEY’RE ALMOSTALLUSELESS.
¹ Inserted Opponent
² Only one of them, mind you
³ Two at the minimum, up to all five of them. Also, Haywood proved useful due to not playing.
Quotes
Coach Carlisle
Hmpf, out of the way guys! JJ needs to shoot more.
PreGame
(Hey, no Wood today?) "Violation of team policy, so it's a one-game suspension."
(What harm could the big 'I just work here" have possibly done to deserve this?) "I'm not gonna expound on it anymore than that. It's gonna remain an internal matter. The only thing that I'll say, you know, in two-plus years, one of the things I've grown to respect and admire about Mark Cuban and this franchise is that everyone is treated great, but everyone is held to a high level of accountability. And we expect a lot, and we're gonna make sure things are right."
(Does that mean Playingtime for Ian 'Revenge-game' Mahinmi?) "It's always all hands on deck every night with us, and especially playing against the Spurs. So, I won’t hesitate to use anybody, and we'll see where the whole thing goes."
PostGame
(On the game) "It was back and forth the whole game, and then we were able to string together some stops and scores in the fourth that gave us a bit of a cushion."
(Do you know what's up?) "All I know is we were trying out there and giving great effort. And we had great spirit out there. The guys on the bench were really helping the guys on the floor. When it's all together like that, you've got a chance."
(On Pathos) "It was a game of will, and we survived it. Make sure to write that down."
(On evaluating difference in the game) "It was plays here and there. It was back and forth the whole game. We were able to string together some stops and scores in the fourth that gave us a bit of a cushion. But it’s tough. Ginobili is playing great. He is throwing in some unbelievable shots."
(On four minute span without Spurs field goal) "I’m not sure what caused that but all I know is we were trying really hard out there. We were giving a great effort and we had great spirit out there. The guys on the bench were really helping the guys that were on the floor. When it’s all together like that, you have a chance."
(On Shawn Marion’s performance at the end of the game) "It has been two games in a row that Marion has gone toe-to-toe and really battled one of the top players in the game. Right now Ginobili is playing as well as anybody in the two position in basketball. He (Marion) had a competitiveness and intensity about him, and the rest of the group fed off it."
(On Tyson Chandler and his subs) "Chandler has been giving this to us all year. I thought Mahinmi came in and gave us a big lift. Ajinca came in there and hasn’t played the game all year and gave us length and a couple of rebounds. Everybody was supportive of those guys. That was great. The play at the end of the third and the dunk that Mahinmi got were very big momentum plays for us."
(On offense in the fourth quarter) "The Reason you get going on offense is because you are stopping people. It’s extremely hard to score when you have to walk it down the floor after the other team has scored on you. The fact we were getting some stops gave us some daylight and allowed our playmakers to make some plays. They did a great job."
(On Marion and Terry in the fourth) "We play our best when we play out of flow. We are not calling a lot of plays when we are getting stops and using the space on the floor. Our guys are veteran enough to know that this is a 48 minute game. If it was 36 minutes or 24 we would have been in some trouble tonight, but Mavs basketball is 48 minutes. We have been doing a good job in the fourth quarters. We are always looking to get better from top to bottom, first to fourth but this was a strong finish for us."
(Discussion when Mavs line-up stayed big and Spurs went small) "That lineup presented us with the opportunity to go small but we decided not to do it because we like playing to our length when we can. Ian Mahinmi did a good job. He has length, quickness and tenacity, which we like those three things about him. Things fit together and it worked out. We are very happy and get the opportunity tomorrow night to play at home and we want to finish off the week right."
(Pattern of Mavs finishing games when kept close) "These guys believe in the group. We believe in each other. I think as a team, there is nothing so far this year that has gotten us down in any situation in a game. I think that that is an important characteristic if you are trying to be great. We are not great yet but we are working on it. We have a ways to go. We have to get healthier and we have some other things to do. But we are really together right now and that’s really important."
(On Togetherness) "There's nothing that's gotten us down so far this year. We're really together right now."
Jason Terry
"Eh....Dirk? Tyson? ...Anyone?"
(When asked about stopping the Spurs winstreak) "We didn’t know what the streak was. It’s just a matter that they’re playing well, we’ve been playing pretty good and we know that this is our rival. This is what the rivalry is about. We play them three more times and probably in the playoffs again. They’re playing well this year and they’re not going to stop now just because they lost this one. I like what they have done, they have a good team."
(On that omnious 'Will to win') "No question, we have the will to win. And early on in the season, this is where you learn. This is where you grow. This is where you get the confidence, because these are the types of game that you will have in the playoffs."
Shawn Marion
Serious low-five miscommunications.
(On the fourth Quarter) "Everybody was just supporting each other and we just buckled down and did what we had to do to get some stops and make our imprint on the game."
(On Defensive) "Everybody is just taking their game to another level and we're all feeding off each other. Everybody's helping each other out on the floor - we're communicating, we're talking, we're more alert and more assertive. And it’s showing."
(On the Heat next) "We knew this was a big week for us and it was a challenge for us. And we're stepping up. But it ain't over yet. We got one more tomorrow. So, that's what's up."
Tyson Chandler
(On what Haywood's suspension meant for the team) "I knew, for one, that I had to stay out of foul trouble. I didn't want to get any ticky-tack fouls. I didn't want to put Ian in that position. I knew Ian would step up for us, though, in the minutes he would be out there. But I wanted to make sure Coach Carlisle knew that he could come to me."
(When asked what was the difference in the game tonight) "We kept to our game plan from first quarter all the way to the fourth. We made great adjustments in the game and because of that we kept them a little off beat. We played excellent defense. Shawn Marion played great defense; he was harassing Manu Ginobili. The key thing is that we got back. Ginobili and Tony Parker are two of the best in transition; drawing fowls and getting lay-ups. They’ll keep you on your heels. We got back and we had four men back at one time. That kept the Spurs from fast breaks points and made them play half court."
(On the Heat next) "It's a game that we want to win. It's a game that we feel like we can win. We're coming off two great wins in our conference and division, so this would be huge for us."
Dirk Nowitzki
(On the game) "It was a big win. We kept plugging and were right there where we wanted to be going into the fourth quarter. We had a great fourth quarter, lots of ball movement. Guys made big shots. Shawn Marion was incredible today; he had a big and one down the middle. Jet had some big shots. I have to hand it to Tyson Chandler he’s been a beast. He’s laying the ball in, he’s making his free-throws; it’s been fun to play with him. It was a great team effort."
(When asked about Coach Pop staying small when Dallas was big) "Pop is a match-up master. If he’s not the best coach in the NBA; he’s up there. He always throws different stuff at us. I liked how we moved the ball; we didn’t force anything. When I had a smaller guy, I tried to go down and post up, but they have so many schemes down there I knew they would come and double and scramble. We didn’t force anything and we kept the ball hopping. We just made some big plays when we needed to."
Ian Mahinmi
Dear Spurs... we'll meet again.
(On returning to SA) "It definitely felt great, because I've been waiting for that opportunity.I was just trying to be aggressive and it turned out well. It's a great feeling when you come back to your former team and you know you're gonna get a chance to play. I'm feeling good tonight."
Spurs
Here's some audio..video here too.
Coach Pops
2 more cars! 18 for the year! Do i look like a car saloon to you!?
(On the game) "Dallas did a great job tonight. As a group they executed better than we did. I think they were a bit hungry and a bit more competitive than we were tonight. It showed up in the fourth quarter when I think they scored 32 or 34 in the fourth quarter. They did a good job."
(On the turnovers) "Well that was a big problem. We’d get a four point lead or a five point lead, that kind of thing, and give it away two, three, four times with turnovers, so we were pretty sloppy. We had too many guys that were basically out to lunch tonight. So as a group, we didn’t execute very well on either end of the floor. Dallas took advantage of that and did a very good job."
(On the 13 assists on 31 baskets) "I think it was mostly lack of ball movement; just not being very sharp tonight."
(On the difficulties Tyson Chandler gave inside) "He came with a lot of energy. He hit the board hard on both ends. He’s a big target down there and he competed his ass off all night long."
Manu 'Hi Charles' Ginobili
The high-fives aren't any better.
(On if turnovers were the biggest problem tonight) "Yeah, especially in the first half. Down the stretch, we had a couple, but first half is what kept them in the game. We were making shots, we were playing well, but when you turnover the ball, it’s hard to get a lead. The last few games we were executing great down the stretch and making the shots, but today they did. It was pretty clear that they made all the shots they needed and we didn’t."
(On giving up 32 points to the Mavericks in the fourth quarter) "Yeah, they were pretty good. They executed very well, they made the shots they needed to make, and our defense always looked like it was a step behind them. We could never anticipate them and a team like them, they make you pay. It’s one of the top five in the league so you can’t make that many mistakes."
(On if the Spurs had a lack of focus) "We didn’t have as many players playing as well as the games before, but when that happens, if your defense is solid and you get the boards, and you don’t turn the ball over, you can make other things happen. So today there were too many things: 17 turnovers, bad defense, a few plays where we got there too late and we had to foul. So there’s too many things that didn’t go right and we lost to a great team."
(On if the Hornets are a hard team to bounce back against) "They are never an easy team and they are playing with a lot of confidence. They are going to be playing at home and it’s always tough. The tandem Chris Paul and David West is always tough to guard for us, so we’re going to have to do a great job to get this loss back. We have to get that win. It’s going to be a huge game for us because they’re one of the best teams in the league, they’re playing great."
(On if it’s a surprise that the Hornets are 11-3 12-3) "If you think about it, it’s not because they’re a great team. The thing is we kind of forgot about them last year because of injuries. People were starting to ignore them, big mistake. They’re talented, they play hard, the new coaches are making them play well and hard, so they are back."
(On becoming Barkley's Grandmother (again) for the first time )
"Those 11 Percent White are totally made up, right?"
George 'Not really' Hill
Can JJB stop you, George? - Hill: "Not really."
(On if it’s a strange feeling to lose) "Not really. I think everyone knows how it feels to lose here. We’re not focusing on it, it’s a game, it happened. You have to tip your hat to the Mavericks, they played great. And we have another one Sunday."
(On if the Spurs were unfocused tonight) "I don’t know. You try to make excuses, but you still have to go out there and play basketball because that’s our job. You can throw a lot of things in the equation. We didn’t take care of the ball very good and it cost us. We’re going to take everything we did today and learn from it and try to apply it to the game on Sunday."
(On if Tyson Chandler made it difficult for the guards to get to the rim) "Not really. We were still able to score the ball. I think it was more turnovers and transition points than anything. Anytime you turn the ball over like we did and that shoot 23 free throws in the first half, it shouldn’t be a pretty game for us."
(On if it was surprising to have that many turnovers) "It was pretty surprising. You can blame it on the turkey or whatever, but it happens. It’s been a good journey so far, so the only thing we can do is focus on Sunday. The game is over and that’s all we can do."
(On if the Hornets are a tough team to bounce back against) "Not really. They lost the other day too. We’re both coming in with about the same record. We both have a chip on our shoulders, so we’ll see how we bounce back after this. I think we have a lot of great veterans in this locker room that are going to bounce back and really play with a chip on their shoulders, so I think it’s going to be exciting."
(On if the people have forgotten about Chris Paul) "Not really. I think everyone knows Chris Paul is Chris Paul and he’s still one of the best point guards in the league. We’re going to have our hands full because he has a lot of chips around him that can make plays. But we win together, we lose together. The only thing we’re focusing on now is Sunday’s game and we’re going to have fun doing it."
Vids
Game Recap
George-Hill-suited-for-work Bonus: Brent Berry to Tony Parker (or Jason Kidd to Jim Jackson, who knows..)
FT Watch:
Dirk was fine, didn't miss a Freethrow.
Tyson Chandler missed 3 FTS. AGAIN! WTF is wrong with you?
Links:
Hoopdata Boxscore ( 11-16 at the Rim for both Teams. Does. not. compute. Mavs shoot 13-26 from long 2pt-jumpers, Spurs 5-14. That does compute)
PTR (Good Idea with the Vs-Podcast, btw) and janieannie's Game Photos
Disclaimer: If you couldn't tell by now, all italic sentences are made up thoughts, not actual quotes. Also, props to Spurs.com, they provide the best PG-collection of all NBA-sites so far. Furthermore, raise your hand if your turkey was named Brendan.....