Dallas 119, San Antonio 111 (OT) (Mavs win series, 4-3)
This was another one for the ages. Dallas shot 69% in the first half and led by as many as 20 with 3:15 to play in the second quarter, but the Spurs were able to close the gap to 14 at halftime. Slowly but surely, Tim Duncan (41 points, 15 rebounds, six assists), Manu Ginobili (23 points) and Tony Parker (24 points, five assists) brought the Spurs back into the game. Dallas shot only 4 of 17 in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Spurs to hold a 104-101 lead (on a Ginobili three-pointer) with just 0:32 to play. But on the ensuing possession, the “new and improved” Dirk Nowitzki took the ball aggressively to the hole, got fouled and made the layup. His free throw with 0:21 to go in the quarter tied the game at 104-104. Ginobili’s final shot was well defended and the game went into overtime, which represented the ninth overtime game in this year’s playoffs – an NBA record. In overtime, the Mavs showed surprising resilience, shooting the ball well offensively while making things difficult for Duncan on the defensive end. DeSagana Diop, who was only inserted in the lineup after Erick Dampier and Keith Van Horn fouled out, was the Mavs’ MVP of the overtime period, limiting Duncan to just 1-7 shooting. With this lack of production from Duncan, the Spurs were scrambling to catch up, but it was not to be. Avery Johnson has the Mavericks playing well, and they are the team to beat in the West.
Phoenix 127, LA Clippers 107 (Suns win series 4-3)
I guess the message is that you don’t want to play a Game 7 in Phoenix – unless you’re the Suns. As they did with the Lakers, Phoenix dismantled the Clippers, shooting 60% from the field and 56% from the 3-point line. Due to scheduling difficulties with the US Airways Center, there were three days between Game 6 and Game 7, and Steve Nash appeared to be the player most helped by the extra rest. The league’s MVP scored 29 points and dished out 11 assists, slicing and dicing the Clippers defense like warm butter. In fact, the entire Suns team passed the ball well – Phoenix had 32 assists while Los Angeles only managed 11. Every player that played for the Suns scored in double digits, led by Shawn Marion’s 30 points. Elton Brand once again played well, dropping 36 on 16 of 26 shooting. This season, he has established himself as the league’s second-best (Nowitzki) power forward. I wonder if Chicago is regretting that Tyson Chandler trade.
Stay tuned for previews of both the Heat/Pistons and the Mavs/Suns series.
