Mavs Moneyball - Gameday: Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio SpursRick Carlisle approved.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50869/mmb-fav.png2015-03-24T23:37:09-05:00http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/rss/stream/80455142015-03-24T23:37:09-05:002015-03-24T23:37:09-05:00"Too much Monta, wouldn't you say?"
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<p>Dallas earns a big win.</p> <h4><span>Rick Carlisle</span></h4>
<p>On the first half recovery: "The whole thing started in the first half when Felton went into the game. They started picking up full court and applying pressure, and it's sort of a chain reaction. We just picked up our energy and we carried it forward. That's what you have to do. San Antonio plays with consistent high energy, the ball moves with a lot of energy, they play through the clock. We did a really good job playing through the entire clock tonight and that was a key to the game."</p>
<p>On Monta's game: "He stayed aggressive. I liked his game a lot. I thought his defense was good. The fact that we got into transition got him some easy buckets early and got him rolling."</p>
<p>On Dirk's impact despite 6-16 shooting: "He's been a massive factor around here for close to 20 years. The great thing about him is it's not all about the scoring or all about the shooting. He has a presence. He's a winner to the highest extreme. He finds way to help our team win games. And 10,000 rebounds? That's a lot."</p>
<p>On team's disposition: "It wasn't good at the beginning. We got off to a quick start, got a little bit of a lead, then they hit us with a bit of a mini barrage and we got into a hole. Everyone kept playing, everyone kept digging in, everyone kept believing in each other, believing in what we were doing, encouraging each other, and we got through it. It's a really important win for us."</p>
<p>On 'the team's soul at the moment:' "Too much Monta tonight, don't you think? I love the way he played. I love the way the whole team played. At the end, there was a great play where he went up and he could have taken the shot, but it was contested and he got it to Parsons and Parsons made a basketball play and got fouled. Parsons made the two free throws."</p>
<p>On whether it was a gut check game: "No question. With the schedule the way it is right now, having to go there next, and Indiana's getting their guys back, there's a good chance we see <span>Paul George</span> back that night -- I just have a feeling that's going to happen -- it's just, every team for the next week and a half is just really good and playing for something important. We have to go day to day, hour to hour, whistle to whistle, and keep doing it together."</p>
<p>On Rondo not playing down the stretch: "I thought all the guys were playing well down the stretch, so yeah. Whatever."</p>
<h4><span>Chandler Parsons</span></h4>
<p>On Monta: "He was big time. That's the Monta we know and it just shows you his confidence just to stick with it himself and our confidence to just keep giving him the ball. He's always been a great scorer and it's impressive to put 38 up on Kawhi Leonard. He's a very good defender. He got going early, we just kept getting the ball to him in good spots and he made plays."</p>
<p>On the comeback: "We started playing harder. Early on, they were getting every loose ball. They were getting all the 50/50 balls and rebounds. We knew they going to play late into the shot clock. They always go under eight seconds and make you guard for 24. We just weren't doing that early, and then we started playing hard. We started imposing our will, our style. We made them play in transition and that's when the game was won."</p>
<p>On why the team can't be more consistent: "We want to be more consistent; that's the key. The biggest thing is we want to play like we did in the second half for the next 10 games. Obviously we're going to have ups and downs but we have to learn from tonight, learn how to play for 48 minutes. Some guys are going to have off nights, some guys are going to have big nights, you just have to continue to play, stay confident, and stick with each other. It's never a question of talent with us. It's just competing and playing hard."</p>
<p>On playing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> again immediately: "Obviously [we] watch film, what they ran tonight is similar to what they're going to run Friday night. Their personnel is obviously not going to change. It's an advantage for both teams; they're going to know what we're going to do and we're going to do what they're going to do. We just got to go out there and execute tonight."</p>
<h4><span>Tyson Chandler</span></h4>
<p>On the comeback: "They came out with great momentum tonight, all over the place. We were able to come in and coach made some adjusments, picked the tempo up, and it changed the game for us."</p>
<p>On Monta's 38 points: "Him just getting out in transition. He's excellent, one of the best in the game at getting out and being able to finish in traffic. When he's doing that, it gets people on the offensive glass, it gets them in foul trouble, it opens up our shooters.</p>
<p>On how much this win was needed: "We just needed an effort like this. A good team win, Monta had great stats but I thought it was really the effort up and down the floor, great team defense. Setting up guys, that's why the reason he was able to get off tonight. People were running the wings, setting good picks and he did what he does best, finishing."</p>
<p>On responding to Rick's message: "I'm just glad we responded, regardless. Every win right now is crucial for us. Definitely a big win."</p>
<p>On playing like this consistently: "We have to. To me, it's really just the effort. ... If we do that, we're good."</p>
<p>On what a win like this means: "It shows us what we have to do to win. I think we have to play this type of basketball for us to win. It's the makeup of our team, it's the way we're built. We got small, athletic, quick guys who play well in transition. We should be all over the basketball denying wings. We get stops and even when they make it we've got to get out and run. We're not a halfcourt team, so we have to learn how to do that in the course of a game."</p>
<h4><span>Dirk Nowitzki</span></h4>
<p>On having a baby boy: "Yeah, after the Phoenix game we got home late. That was a short night, going to the hospital in the morning and then yesterday I caught a few hours. Obviously a blessing, a healthy kid, momma's healthy. It's a special time for me and my family."</p>
<p>"His name's Max. He was born yesterday morning. Spent some time in the hospital and yeah, everything's good."</p>
<p>On passing 10,000 rebounds: "Yeah, it's pretty unbelievable. I came in when I was 20, probably [was] the worst 7-foot rebounder in the league at the time. Still wouldn't say I'm a great rebounder but I learned how to use my length some. Some years where I almost averaged 10 boards, I think the closest was 9.9. I'm a little disappointed I never averaged 10 a game. But I got to be a decent rebounder and I was almost prouder of that than all the points I scored."</p>
<p>On Monta: "He had a great rhythm from the start. They started off going under on the pick and rolls like they always do and he made his first two or three pull ups. He had em going because then they started going over, he had them on the drives, he blew by the bigs a couple of times and we all know how great he is in the paint when they go under. He played a fantastic offensive game for us tonight."</p>
<p>On Steve Nash: "He was one of the greatest guards to ever play. He was an unbelievable competitor, as mentally tough as I've seen in this league. Wanted big shots, wanted every part of big games, played through injuries, just as tough as it gets and a little friend."</p>
<p>On Nash leaving: "I was pretty disappointed obviously. I originally thought me and Fin and Steve were going to have a long run here together. Just Phoenix swooped in, gave them a heck of a deal, we didn't think it was worth it, and he was gone. I was disappointed at the time but looking back at both of our careers maybe it was better that way. We both flourished away from each other. But always will enjoy our look back with a smile on my face on our times together."</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2015/3/24/8287041/quoteboard-for-mavericks-101-spurs-94-too-much-monta-wouldnt-you-sayTim Cato2015-03-24T21:38:06-05:002015-03-24T21:38:06-05:00Monta scores 38, Mavs beat Spurs
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<p>After the terrible night in Phoenix, Ellis leads all scorers in a much-needed win for Dallas.</p> <p><span>Monta Ellis</span> was put in the grave, his body covered in dirt with only his head remaining.</p>
<p>He emphatically climbed out of the plot on Tuesday night to show he can still have it all.</p>
<p>Ellis led all scorers with a game-high 38 points, tying his season high, and the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dallas Mavericks</a> got a big-time win over the in-state rival <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Antonio Spurs</a>, 101-94 at the American Airlines Center.</p>
<p>It was a hectic 24 hours after Dallas' 98-92 loss to the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a> on Sunday night. Not only did the Mavericks lose, but Ellis shot an abysmal 4-of-22 and <span>Rick Carlisle</span> claimed his team had no soul. The following day, reports and rumors start flying about the futures of almost every Maverick player, including Ellis.</p>
<p>Tuesday night's tilt against the Spurs was big on a multitude of levels. Along with the drama involving the Mavs, this was the first of a crucial home-and-home with the two rivals sixth and seventh in the Western Conference standings, respectively.</p>
<p>Not only was the chance to inch closer up the standings on the line for the Mavericks, but to see how they would respond after their coach made some questionable comments.</p>
<p>Dallas not only responded, but the Mavericks responded an emphatic way with quality defense, holding San Antonio 42 percent shooting. But an even more glaring number is that Dallas held the Spurs to just 8-of-28 from 3-point range, an area that has defeated the Mavericks in the past more times than none.</p>
<p>But it was Ellis that was the difference maker, making 16-of-27 shots to go along with five assists to give Dallas its 45th win on the year with 10 games to go.</p>
<p>It wasn't all a pretty game for the Mavs. They came out of the gates sluggish against a hot Spurs team, winners of three in a row including a convincing 114-95 win over the <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Hawks</a> on Sunday. Dallas shot 8-of-19 in the first 12 minutes, while San Antonio shot 52 percent and got eight points from <span>Kawhi Leonard</span>.</p>
<p>It was an unsurprising showcase of bad defense for the Mavs for the first 14 minutes, mostly by Amar'e Stoudemire looking lost defensively every time the Spurs passed the ball. San Antonio took a 36-22 lead with 9:37 left in the second quarter after <span>Matt Bonner</span> took proud papa <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> (more on him later) off the dribble and made a running hook shot. It was shaping up to be that kind of night for the Mavs.</p>
<p>That's when <span>Chandler Parsons</span> and Ellis began to take over.</p>
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<p>Two-thirds of Run DMC combined for 15 points in the second quarter and were the main catalysts that trimmed the once-insurmountable San Antonio lead to 46-43 heading into halftime.</p>
<p>The second half turned out to be the best display of defensive basketball the Mavs have played on the Spurs in what feels like forever. Not only was Dallas' defense in surprising lockdown mode, the offense caught fire and had a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The game was tied at 51 with seven minutes left in the third quarter. Dallas closed it on a 25-15 run and took a 76-66. San Antonio shot 38 percent.</p>
<p>Ellis scored 13 of his 38 points in the third quarter, but the real story of the third was Dirk shooting 4-of-5 and scoring eight of his 15 points in the third. It's a different feeling when those two aren't clicking offensively. When they're on, it's tough for any team to stop them, even the Spurs.</p>
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<p>On the day his son Max was born, Dirk had a 15-point, 13-rebound double-double. He hasn't been relied upon to carry the scoring load as of late, but Dirk made some timely baskets when needed, including a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter after a terrific hustle play by <span>Al-Farouq Aminu</span>.</p>
<p>And also, Dirk reached 10,000 rebounds for his career tonight, becoming the seventh player to ever record 27,000 career points and 10,000 rebounds. It's been a good day for him.</p>
<p>Parsons also had a very good game, scoring 15 points, grabbing six rebounds to go along with four assists. He also did a great job keeping Leonard quiet in the second half, as last year's Finals MVP finished with a team-high 19 points on only 7-of-16 shooting.</p>
<p>Dallas' defense also did a great job containing San Antonio's big three. <span>Tim Duncan</span> only had six points in 24 minutes, <span>Tony Parker</span> shot 3-of-11 and <span>Manu Ginobili</span> scored only seven points in his return to the lineup after a sprained ankle.</p>
<p>It was definitely a win the Mavs needed after Sunday's collapse. Especially with everything that happened the last two days, Dallas responded emphatically and have now won two in a row against the Spurs, after having once lost 10 in a row in the regular season. In both of those wins, Monta has scored 38 points. Coincidence? Maybe.</p>
<p>We'll find out Friday when these two go at it once again, this time in the AT&T Center.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2015/3/24/8286671/spurs-vs-mavericks-final-score-monta-ellis-redeems-himself-in-big-101Danny Webster2015-03-24T21:15:36-05:002015-03-24T21:15:36-05:00Dirk knows his 3-pointer is going in, starts walking away<iframe src="https://vine.co/v/O3qZ2ebm9Hx/embed/simple" width="600" height="600"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Pretty good 48 hours for Dirk.</p></p></div>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2015/3/24/8286701/dirk-knows-his-3-pointer-is-going-in-starts-walking-awayTim Cato2015-03-24T13:02:39-05:002015-03-24T13:02:39-05:00Injury Report: Barea out, Harris questionable
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<p>The Mavs could once again be shorthanded at the point while the Spurs expect to get Ginobili back. </p> <p>It seems like the health of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a>' backup point guards has been an issue for some time now. Once again, both <span>J.J. Barea</span> and <span>Devin Harris</span> find themselves on the injury report before the Mavs host the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Barea is officially listed as out. This will be the second game in a row in which a sprained left ankle has sidelined Dallas' diminutive point guard.</p>
<p>As for Harris, he is listed as questionable for tonight's game. Harris did, however, participate in Tuesday's shootaround. He has been dealing with a stomach illness since leaving last Monday's game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a>.</p>
<p>San Antonio also enters tonight's contest with a few injuries of note. Both Aron Baynes and <span>Manu Ginobili</span> have spent time riding the pine recently.</p>
<p>Ginobili missed the Spurs last four games with a right ankle injury. He is expected to play against the Mavs tonight. Of course he is.</p>
<p>Baynes sprained his right ankle in Sunday's blow-out win against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a>. He did not return to the game and is listed as questionable against Dallas.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/game-coverage/2015/3/24/8284431/mavericks-injury-report-devin-harris-manu-ginobiliDoyle Rader2015-03-24T11:25:23-05:002015-03-24T11:25:23-05:00Dirk welcomes baby boy, will play vs. Spurs<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-mavericks/headlines/20150324-it-s-a-boy-mavericks-forward-dirk-nowitzki-celebrates-birth-of-second-child.ece?hootPostID=90a4ad4280eac104c1dc31804b03b3a5">Meet Max Nowitzki: Dirk and wife have a second&nbsp;kid!</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Congrats to Dirk and his wife on the birth of their son, Max. Max is already the highest ranked player in the class of 2033 (2034?).
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<br />Dirk will play in the Mavericks' home game tonight against the Spurs.</p></p></div>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2015/3/24/8284071/meet-max-nowitzki-dirk-and-wife-have-a-second-kidKirk Henderson2015-03-24T00:00:02-05:002015-03-24T00:00:02-05:00Mavs face a tough challenge in an old rival
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<p>The Mavs need to find their composure if they hope to slow down Tony Parker and the Spurs. </p> <h4><b>What has San Antonio done lately?</b></h4>
<p>HAHAHAHAHAHA, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> lost to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a> recently. THE KNICKS!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Man, how can you even recover from that embarrassment? *checks schedule* Oh, I see. Umm, hmm. Perhaps the joke is on the rest of the league. It looks like the Knicks may have woken a sleeping tiger. Since losing to New York, San Antonio has rattled off convincing wins against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Bucks</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Celtics</a>, and a thorough trouncing of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a>.</p>
<p>Look, no one is going to blame you if you want to sit in the corner of a dark room and weep to yourself. Just save some room for the rest of us.</p>
<h4><b>Which San Antonio player might be due for a big game?</b></h4>
<p>No, just stay in the dark corner. You probably don't want read this part. <span>Tony Parker</span> will probably have a big game against the Mavs. He's made a career out of embarrassing whatever defensive scheme the team concocts to try and low him down. For his career, Parker averages 18 points against the Mavs and dishes out 4.9 assists. In the one game he has played against Dallas this season, he scored 23 points and sank all four of his 3-point attempts. You might say he likes playing against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a>.</p>
<h4><b>Which Mavericks player might be due for a big game?</b></h4>
<p>I wish I could say that <span>Monta Ellis</span> will have a big game but he is in a rut of late which has cause quite a bit of consternation among MFFLs. Therefore, it will be Amar'e Stoudemire who will produce well for the Mavs. He'll be going up against the Spurs second unit which means <span>Boris Diaw</span> will likely match up with him quite a bit. Stoudemire has only faced the Spurs once this season, scoring a respectable eight points in just over 16 minutes of play. It wouldn't be inconceivable to imagine him scoring roughly 12 points and pulling down a few boards off the bench. Dallas will need all the help it can get.</p>
<h4><b>What do the Mavs need to do to be successful against the Spurs?</b></h4>
<p>Pray? It'd be foolish to say that the Mavericks don't have a fighter's chance in this game, but they haven't shown much hope in the last two games. Their first task will be limiting penetration by the likes of Parker. However, they will have to be wary of collapsing on his drives lest they want to free up perimeter shooters like <span>Danny Green</span>, <span>Marco Belinelli</span>, <span>Kawhi Leonard</span>, and Matt Bonner. Oh, and then there's still <span>Tiago Splitter</span> and <span>Tim Duncan</span> to deal with.</p>
<p>San Antonio has had the Mavericks' number for a few years now. Dallas faces an uphill battle but it isn't insurmountable. They will just have to play more inspired basketball than what they have shown recently. Keep the French onion dip handy in the corner.</p>
<h4>Game information</h4>
<p>7:00 p.m. CT on FSSW and TNT</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/game-coverage/2015/3/24/8281433/dallas-mavericks-vs-san-antonio-spurs-preview-mavs-face-a-toughDoyle Rader2015-02-16T14:46:12-06:002015-02-16T14:46:12-06:00Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan: Style
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<p>They never go out of style</p> <p>Playing in their 13th and 14th All Star games on Sunday night, <span>Dirk Nowitzki</span> and <span>Tim Duncan</span> seemed to have a great time. With that in mind, here's an ode to the two giants of the Southwest. They'll never go out of style (out of style).</p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan: Style</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><em>By Jason Gallagher, Andrew Tobolowsky and Kirk Henderson</em></div>
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<p><em>Verse 1: </em><br>Gametime, You come and shake my hand<br>One more time<br>Long year, could end in injuries or championships<br>The jump ball, (oh!) it's been a while since I have even tried it all,</p>
<p><em>Pre-Chorus 1: </em><br>I shoulda took a DNP cause I<br>know exactly how you play but I<br>watch us go round and round each time...</p>
<p><em>Chorus 1: </em><br>You got that Kareem sky hook look in your eye<br>And I got that red hot jump shot thing that you like<br>And when we go crashing boards, it hurts more every time<br>But we never go out of style<br>We never go out of style</p>
<p>I got that one leg, lean back, thing you can't block<br>And You got that defense, footwork, box out on lock<br>And when we go crashing boards it hurts more every time..<br>But we never go out of style <br>We never go out of style</p>
<p><em>Verse 2:</em><br>How it goes.<br>He can't keep his wide eyes off of the refs <br>Spreads his arms<br>It's a foul, he can't believe it yet</p>
<p><em>Pre-Chorus 2:</em><br>I heard (oh!) that you fouled out one time in 1995<br>One time in '95<br>He says what you heard is true but I, <br>Was a really young kid, and I<br>Said I've been there a thousand times...</p>
<p><em>Chorus 2:</em><br>You got that Kareem sky hook look in your eye<br>And I got that red hot jump shot thing that you like<br>And when we go crashing boards, it hurts more every time<br>But we never go out of style<br>We never go out of style</p>
<p>You got that long bank, set shot, deep in the post <br>And I got that transition 3 with a tight little pose<br>And when we go crashing boards it hurts more every time..<br>But we never go out of style <br>We never go out of style</p>
<p><em>Chorus 3: </em><br>You got that Kareem sky hook look in your eye<br>And I got that red hot jump shot thing that you like<br>And when we go crashing boards, it hurts more every time<br>But we never go out of style<br>We never go out of style</p>
<p>You got that long leg, pivot, into the paint<br>And I got that awkward shot that can't be contained<br>And when we go crashing boards it hurts more every time.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><em>Previously on Taylor Swift x Mavericks mash-ups: Monta <a href="http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2014/11/10/7181853/monta-ellis-let-it-go-have-it-all-theme-song-hate">"Have It All" </a>and Rajon Rondo <a href="http://ballerball.com/rajon-rondo-blank-space/">"Blank Space."</a></em></h4>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2015/2/16/8047841/dirk-nowitzki-tim-duncan-style-video-songKirk HendersonJason Gallagherandytobo