Mavs Moneyball - Gameday: Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio SpursRick Carlisle approved.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50869/mmb-fav.png2016-04-13T22:53:09-05:00http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/rss/stream/111838632016-04-13T22:53:09-05:002016-04-13T22:53:09-05:00"We're the masking tape Mavs"
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<p>Rick Carlisle, Dirk Nowitizki, Wesley Matthews, and Raymond Felton talk about the season finale and the daunting task that lays ahead. </p> <h3><span>Rick Carlisle</span></h3>
<h4>On the team heading into the postseason</h4>
<p>"We're the masking tape Mavs. Our guys have done it on grit and guts. We're banged up, but we got a couple days to heal up more. I just love the way this team has fought for the past two weeks. Tonight was disappointing. We've got to flush it and get ready for the playoffs."</p>
<h4>On David Lee's injury</h4>
<p>"It's his right heel. We hope it's not serious. I don't have an exact diagnosis. He came down and felt something, so came out, and that's it. We'll probably get more tests done on it."</p>
<h4>On the third quarter lull</h4>
<p>"We bombed. We were struggling to make shots. Our defense was poor. Bottom line: their second half was better than our first half. We played a great first half. They played a better second half."</p>
<h4>How do the Mavs fix their trend of poor third quarters?</h4>
<p>"Play better in the third quarter."</p>
<h3><span>Wesley Matthews</span></h3>
<h4>On heading into the playoffs</h4>
<p>"I would have liked to get tonight, for our fans, our last home game in the regular season. But, we're getting guys back healthy, it was a good night for guys to rest. We just want to get to full strength, we got some quality wins under our belt, we went on a nice little treat to finish the season off. But, we will patiently wait and see who we have, and figure it out."</p>
<h4>On how their finish to the season preparing them for the playoffs</h4>
<p>"It was a good test for us, we really saw who we were and who we wanted to be. The Utah game was a great game for us, it was a playoff game before the playoffs. Houston was a playoff game before the playoffs. So, we've been in that tight situation, been in a must win, we stepped up to the occasion, especially shorthanded. We just need to continue to get healthy and get everyone back together. Just gotta get focused; play one game at a time."</p>
<h3><span>Raymond Felton</span></h3>
<h4>How do the Mavs beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> in a possible playoff matchup?</h4>
<p>"Win. Nothing else to say. Win. We gotta play harder, play smarter, and go out there and get a win."</p>
<h3><span>Dirk Nowitzki</span></h3>
<h4>On heading into the playoffs</h4>
<p>"I think we deserved it after a long year, up and down season. Last few weeks we battled and gutted out few wins on the road, at home. Fought some injury problems all year long, no different today. I think we deserved it. We'll see what happens. We would of loved to win tonight. Didn't think we had it tonight. We didn't shoot well enough. We gotta wait and see what happens in the late games and get ready for the weekend. "</p>
<h4>On turning their late season push into playoff sucees</h4>
<h4></h4>
<p>"Basically our playoffs started two weeks ago when we were three games under .500. Our intensity wasn't there. We just picked it up a notch. We just had some injuries. We played hard, played defense. Defensive rebounding was the key. And offensively, we played a slower, grind it out type game. That should carry over in the playoffs."</p>
<h4>Will Dirk watch Kobe or Steph?</h4>
<p>"I don't know. I don't have the split screen on my TV. I might just go back and forth. Kobe just made the last five and the place is going nuts. Steph already has five threes. Can't go wrong with either."</p>
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https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2016/4/13/11428656/rick-carlisle-after-the-season-finale-loss-were-the-masking-tape-mavsAustin Ngaruiya2016-04-13T21:34:29-05:002016-04-13T21:34:29-05:00Mavs lose finale to Spurs, 96-91
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>An 18 point lead wasn't enough against the Spurs "B" team, as Dallas drops their last regular season game at home.</p> <p>The 2015-16 regular season is in the books.</p>
<p>First, the good news: the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> are in the playoffs (duh), and despite this loss, chances are still good that the Mavs remain in the sixth seed and take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> in the first round of the playoffs.</p>
<p>The bad news: Dallas blew an 18 point lead at home against a team that was resting 4/5ths of their starting lineup and a couple of key bench players.</p>
<p>Not exactly the end to the season you want, but...oh well. 42-40 is still better than a lot of prognosticators expected back in October.</p>
<p>The Mavs <i>were </i>without Western Conference player of the week <span>J.J. Barea</span> -- who sat to recover from his groin injury -- and <span>Devin Harris</span>, if you want to pretend that's anything resembling an excuse. <span>David Lee</span> also took an early rest after an injury in the first half. <span>Raymond Felton</span> led the Mavs with 22 points, doing most of his damage in the first half. Dirk had a rough night shooting the ball, missing 7 of his first 8 and finished 5-17 from the field. All together, Dallas' big three of Dirk-Wes-Deron went 6-25 from three, and 13-44 overall.</p>
<p>It sucks, I know, but you really have to hand it to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a>. They rested everybody, and yet still were able to get superb performances from guys a lot of fans have probably never heard of, like former Cougar Jonathan Simmons (19 points off the bench), and possible Tolkien creation Boban Marjanovich (22 points on nine shots). 2014 first round pick <span>Kyle Anderson</span> went 15-10-4 with five steals and hit several big buckets to quell a late Maverick run.</p>
<p>Dallas did their best to try and pull out a miracle at the end, hitting a couple of tough threes and playing the foul game in the final minute. It wasn't enough, however, so now we wait the conclusion of Memphis-Golden State to find out who the Mavs' first round playoff opponent will be. For a refresher course on the possible scenarios, you can check out <a href="http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2016/4/11/11412382/mavericks-playoff-opponent-spurs-thunder-clippers-seed-standings-2016-nba">this article from earlier in the week</a>, but things are a little simper now: if Memphis wins, Dallas gets San Antonio (gulp). If the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a> win and make history, Dallas gets OKC.</p>
<p>Keep it here for more updates throughout the night and week on the Mavs playoff schedule and preview. In the meantime, sound off in the comments!</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2016/4/13/11428426/dallas-mavericks-blow-big-lead-and-lose-season-finale-to-san-antonio-spurs-96-91Ian_Miller2016-04-13T18:45:54-05:002016-04-13T18:45:54-05:00GAME THREAD: Mavericks vs. Spurs
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Mavericks still have a chance at the 5-seed, but they'll need a win over San Antonio plus some help to get it done.</p> <p> </p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph0"><strong>WHO: </strong><a data-ref-index="6" class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> vs. <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a></span></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph1"><strong>WHAT:</strong> Game No. 82</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph2"><strong>WHERE: </strong>American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph3"><strong>WHEN:</strong> 7:00 p.m. CT</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph4"><strong>HOW: </strong>FSSW</p>
<p><strong>THE STORY:</strong> Seeding is at stake for Dallas, while the Spurs wait to see who they'll host in round one of the playoffs. For Dallas, a win means they clinch the 6-seed and a date with Oklahoma City, with an opportunity to move up to the 5-seed should Denver beat Portland later in the evening. A jump to the 5-seed would mean a first-round matchup with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> and <span>DeAndre Jordan</span> in the first round. A Dallas win also means that San Antonio would face Memphis in the first round.</p>
<p>A San Antonio win means that Dallas needs a Memphis loss to Golden State to retain the 6-seed. An unlikely Memphis win would drop Dallas to the 7-seed, where they'd face the Spurs in the first round.</p>
<div class="m-entry__body" id="article-body"> <div class="m-entry__body">(RIP REGULAR SEASON)</div> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zDKO6XYXioc" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe> </div>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2016/4/13/11426994/game-thread-dallas-mavericks-vs-san-antonio-spursJamie Plunkett2016-04-13T11:47:58-05:002016-04-13T11:47:58-05:00Harris and Barea out; Spurs to rest 6 players
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It'll be interesting to see who suits up for tonight's final regular season game.</p> <p>When the Mavs and <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> tip-off tonight, sounds like it really will be the Salah vs. Boban show.</p>
<p>Per Rick Carlisle via Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com, <span>Devin Harris</span> (right thumb sprain) and <span>J.J. Barea</span> (groin) are <a href="https://twitter.com/EarlKSneed/status/720291384964452354" target="_blank">out tonight</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/EarlKSneed/status/720288520691036162">a few more Mavericks may be out</a> for rest purposes.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/jmcdonald_saen/status/720286635322056706">Per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News</a>, the following Spurs will sit tonight: <span>Tony Parker</span>, <span>Kawhi Leonard</span>, <span>Tim Duncan</span>, <span>Manu Ginobili</span>, <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> and <span>David West</span>.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for the Mavs, who will still be going for a win for seeding purposes, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Trail Blazers</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> play later than them, so they will have to go somewhat full-throttle to win to guarantee them the sixth seed and a date with Oklahoma City. (Or the less likely fifth seed date with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a>, depending on how everything plays out.)</p>
<p>The Spurs are deep, and can still be a threat no matter who is on the court. But the same can be said for the oft-injury plagued <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Mavericks</a> these days. The win is still important, but of Mavericks who may rest, per the comment above, we shouldn't be surprised to see something along the lines of <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> (rest) and <span>Deron Williams</span> (sports hernia) getting at least an extremely light workload.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/game-coverage/2016/4/13/11422130/devin-harris-doubtful-for-mavericks-spurs-to-rest-6-players-in-finalRebecca Lawson2016-04-12T23:43:27-05:002016-04-12T23:43:27-05:00Mavs close out season against Spurs
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<p>The Mavs have one last game to determine playoff seeding.</p> <p>Well, last game was fun. In game 81, the Mavs secured their playoff fate, and will be finishing no lower than 7th and maybe as high as 5th in the West. All that's left is to determine the playoff opponent, and they'll have to go through the vaunted <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> to do so. Well....maybe vaunted. Let's take a peek.</p>
<h4>What have the Spurs done lately?</h4>
<p>Win. A lot. That's pretty much it. However...</p>
<h4>Who is even playing in this game?</h4>
<p>Per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News, <a href="https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/status/720097944372953089" target="_blank">Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker are not even making the trip</a> to Dallas. McDonald <a href="https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/status/720098353929973761" target="_blank">speculated that</a> <span>Tim Duncan</span> and <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> would also sit, as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/status/720098466681208832" target="_blank">some combination of</a>West, Green and Mills. So in short, we have no idea who will suit up for the Spurs other than not Leonard and Parker. But it sounds like the Mavs will have a good chance against a short-handed Spurs squad.</p>
<p>For the Mavs' part, they'll be going for a win, no doubt, but could see <span>Deron Williams</span> and <span>J.J. Barea</span>, both of whom played hurt the other night vs. the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Jazz</a>, rest. I would normally guess that some combination of these guys, <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> and <span>Wesley Matthews</span> would sit, but there are still some playoff implications to be sorted out.</p>
<h4>What's at stake for the Mavs?</h4>
<p>The Mavs have a shot at the fifth seed for a playoff date against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a>, though they'll need a win and losses by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Trail Blazers</a> (home to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Nuggets</a>) and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> (at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a>, who are going for the all-time win record). So they will certainly be leaning towards trying to win rather than resting.</p>
<p>A win or a Grizzlies loss gets them the sixth seed and a date against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a>. A loss and Grizzlies win, and they turn right back around and head to San Antonio to face a fully rested Kawhi & Co. as the seventh seed.</p>
<h4><span>How to watch</span></h4>
<p>A little bit of an early start time -- 7:00 p.m. Central on FSSW. Otherwise, catch the matchup on NBA League Pass.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/game-coverage/2016/4/12/11419758/mavericks-close-out-the-season-against-the-spurs-to-determineRebecca Lawson