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Durant, OklahomaThey played with "heart," many said. Certainly, the effort in game one was admirable. It was good enough to win. Almost.
"Good enough to win" is a strange qualifier because it is synonymous with losing. Winning teams are never categorized as playing "good enough to win."
Game two's outcome was little different than game one. The Mavericks probably played good enough to win. They didn't, 102-99.
The "heart" that excited so many after game one was lost in game two. Overall, the defense was horrible. It's basically Shawn Marion and little else. Jason Terry's one of the most atrocious defenders in Mavericks history considering how revered he is. Jason Kidd is about three steps slow at this point. Dirk Nowitzki has no real interest in truly mixing it up with Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison.
It is right now that you miss Tyson Chandler the most. Brendan Haywood played nine terrible minutes last night and I don't think he step foot on the floor in the second half. He's getting paid $10 million to basically sit on the bench in the Mavericks' biggest games of the year. Meanwhile, Rick Carlisle keeps running out this small line-up with Nowitzki at the five and he is out-muscled time in and time out. It's not a good mix.
However, it was the fourth quarter, the Mavericks had the game right there for the taking and despite all that written above and below, the game was on the line.
A Kidd turnover. Missed wide-open three from Nowitzki. Terry's insipid foul on Kevin Durant. Missed 12-footer from Nowitzki.
Ball. Game.
Ten things:
1. I wonder at what point does Carlisle say, "Fuck it. Roddy, get in there and run." Probably never because apparently Carlisle, who has certainly gained a lot of leeway, is teaching Beaubois a lesson despite the fact that this is his third year in the league.
2. Jason Terry grew on me last year after that playoff run. Despite all that he doesn't do, and it's a lot, he hit a lot of big shots. I accepted him as a shooter. Well, after a year of talking shit about respect and auditioning for opponents, I've grown tired again. People talk about Terry's motor and speed, then I see all sorts of point guards simply dribble around him, like he's standing still. Zero regard for defense. He's also the dumbest player the Mavericks have ever had, probably, considering they might hang his jersey in the rafters one day.
3. Outside of maybe Thabo Sefolosha, I can tell you something useful about every member of the Thunder. I can tell you useful things about Shawn Marion and Ian Mahinmi (of all people) and that's about it from the Mavericks.
4. If game one looked like the 2011 Mavericks, game two looked like the 2006 Mavericks. Dumb, unaggressive, sloppy.
5. Of all those guys, I think Collison might defend Nowitzki the best.
6. Thunder's big three go 17-45 from the field and the Mavericks still lose. Game was won and lost at the charity stripe. The Thunder were much more aggressive, got 39 attempts and missed just two.
7. The most maddening aspect of the Perkins-Nowitzki brouhaha: Watching Haywood just stand there with his hands on his hips. Haywood played nine whole minutes the entire game and yet his only discernible value was wasted as he watched his superstar almost get into a donnybrook with his counterpart from the Thunder. It's shocking what a waste of money and time Haywood is. I don't know how anyone defends him.
8. A lot of missed lay-ups this entire series from both teams. I think they're both mildly shocked at how easy they can get to the basket.
9. Ibaka can score 21 or two. He still has more impact than 99 percent of everyone on the court.
10. Per Roddy B, at some point you have to unleash Brandan Wright. I get that he makes a lot of mistakes, but he's also a force at the point of attack and at the basket unlike Nowitzki, Haywood or Mahinmi.
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