Before the game, the coach of the Mavs said he planned to give no more than 26 minutes of playing time in order to keep his guys fresh and injury free for the playoffs. As the game went on, the stars stayed in the game...and stayed in the game...and stayed in the game. When all was said and done, 5 players played between 31 and 36 minutes...in a game that meant nothing. Nothing that is, unless you count the mental edge that Avery Johnson thinks his team needs. He didn't want to lose this game. And he nearly did, despite the fact that Tim Duncan did not play the entire fourth quarter.
I can't wait to see these teams meet inthe Western Conference Finals. It will be a gritty, hard-fought series every step of the way. And can you imagine the intensity of each game after seeing today's "unmeaningful" match-up? It's gonna be crazy.
For the Spurs, Denver and Phoenix don't pose too many problems. But it will be a battle when they play Dallas. And if Dallas is lucky enough to get past LA/Golden State and Houston/Utah, we are in for a treat. Let's just hope that Duncan doesn't get kicked out o####ame for laughing again so we can see a true outcome. And let's also hope that Avery Johnson doesn't keep overplaying his guys so that they don't go down with injuries before the games start counting again.
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On a side-note. Referee Joey Crawford needs to be reprimanded. Kicking a guy out o####ame for laughing, without knowing for any certainty what he was laughing about, is absurd. And when that guy is one of the classiest, most professional men in all of professional sports, you definitely have to think twice before acting irrationally, as Crawford did.
Yes, I agree, the call by referee Joey Crawford against Tim Duncan in the Spur/Mav game is the most absurd in history. This probably cost the Spurs the game and it should not have been allowed. There is no law against laughing and there is no way this awful man could have known what the laugh was about anyway. Why doesn't he pay more attention to the game and not so much to the bench. Tim Duncan, as everyone knows, is one of the most congenial, professional people in sports today and this kind of accusation is really outragous. Maybe Joey Crawford made some kind of a deal with Mark Cuban? Of course nothing like that would ever happen. I was only kidding. HA,HA,HA
Last edited by muffin123 on April 15th at 4:10 PM.
Why are people whining about some Mavericks starter putting more minutes than apparently planned? A few days ago, they were whining about Mavericks giving too much rest. You cannot have it both ways. Or is it that Spurs fans somehow wanted this game to be handed out so their hope for #2 seed were alive?
Dirk is not a player who likes to sit on the bench for too long. Terry just had a day off, and it was clear that he wasn’t at his best yesterday. It is about time Mavericks got back to playing basketball, and also test the waters where they stand against potential play off match ups. I expect more of the same against the Warriors, probably close to 30 minutes for the starters.
As far as the ejection goes, Duncan is equally responsible for it. Joey is a nutcase, and Mavericks fans know it well. I am sure Spurs fans were having a gala time in game 2 of 2003 WCF when he called a tech on Dirk for asking about why he is not getting a call at his offensive end while getting (three) fouls in first quarter at the first? Don Nelson was bewildered himself, staring at Joey Crawford from the sidelines and was tossed out of the game. Not too long after that, Van Exel gets a tech, and Del Harris gets tossed out. This was a far more important game than the one played yesterday. It was also a game that allowed Spurs to tie the series.
So yes, Joey has issues. But Tim Duncan was far from being professional yesterday. He was clapping and laughing, at the happenings on the court. I was surprised that he did not get the second tech after the tech FT was missed.
I don't consider it whining about minutes at all. I'm just wondering why AJ would say that and then go against it. He could have just said, "We plan to rest our main guys a bit, but if we need them to win, then they'll play the normal minutes."
Why lie about your plans? Halfway through the game, he realized they needed this game, even though it was seemingly meaningless for them. They played to win, and I applaud that. But that also goes to show how scared they are of San Antonio.
jaysisko, Avery doesn't like to use the word "rest" either. He said it makes the situation sound like the players are tired. Time off would fit better.
That said, how is it that playing to beat a division and biggest rival an indicator of being scared? This comes after Mavericks were being criticized for "resting" their players too much. And now when they get normal minutes, they are "scared"?
Playoffs are around the corner. With couple of games against possible matchup in the playoffs (now only one), I don't see why Mavs should wait until the playoffs to tune up. In case you missed it, Dampier was still "resting". So, Mavs didn't go full force.
Another key to good coaching is to change plans dynamically, as necessitated. Perhaps Avery saw a few blemishes that he wanted to correct? You would never know. And I don't know if he was joking but he said he was unsure about 26 or 36 minutes for Dirk.
And were Spurs scared that they were playing a typical game for the starters? (Duncan was already at 28 minutes in third quarter before he was tossed out).
Please. Spurs play to win every night. And they have no fear of an inferior team. They respect them as talented competitors, but fear them? No.
We weren't resting our guys because we still had the 2 seed to play for. All I'm saying is, don't call it a meaningless game in which starters will play only half the game if you plan on playing them normal minutes in an effort to win.
Please keep underestimating the Suns. I like it that way.
Why is it that everybody makes these "factoid prognostications" based on one game? How the hell do you know what the intent or what factors were used to in determining what anybody did? None of it means diddely squat once the playoffs start.
Maybe Avery was trying to ploy the Spurs into some sort of, "this game don't mean ####" so don't take it too seriously.
Maybe Avery felt that after Duncan was ejected, it would be better for team mojo to keep his starters in and go for the win.
Maybe they should have beat the #### out of each other a week before the playoffs.
Who knows? You? GoMavs? Anybody?
It's not based on one game. It's based on like the last 17 or 18 games between these two teams where the Suns have won about 3 or 4 of them. With all players healthy, the Suns just cant compete. I'm sorry, but it's true.
jaysisko, don't tell Avery that you heard him say this was a meaningless game. He takes opportunities like this when a win or loss doesn't matter now as they did in the past to tweak his team and prepare them for playoffs.
Scared? You're stretching the logic way too much. Beyond the yield point already.
Semantics appears to be the point of this blog. Stop complaining. Why are you worried that Mavs' coach didn't continue to "rest" his players? Why shouldn't Spurs have rested? Aren't they supposed to get some too?
Another aspect you fail to recognize is that this was Mavs' last game of the regular season at home. Ofcourse, with your blinders on, you won't be able to comprehend it, much less that teams don't play to lose.
Quit complaining. It shouldn't be your problem that Mavericks didn't choose to "rest" the players. Unless you were expecting a handout.
jaysisko, are you a mind reader too?
This game meant NOTHING in the playoff seeding picture; the teams are division rivals. That's why it mattered.
Catch 22
If Avery lets the team coast, media pundits will badmouth him for allowing losses and letting the team lose its killer instinct.
If Avery plays starters, he's accused of putting starter's health in jeopardy.
Both teams wanted the win, to be remembered by the loser, if they meet again in the playoffs.
beam me up
Last edited by slshusker on April 16th at 4:20 PM.
Nice. He goes with the "pot calling kettle" line, then tells me that I have blinders on. Original.
And for sls, AJ knew this was their last home game before the game. He knew this was a division rival before the game. He knew that it would be good to get a win against the Spurs before the game. And he told the media that he was resting his main men BEFORE the game. What part of all this do you guys not understand? Why say this if he knows he won't do it?
He obviously changed his mind later on. Probably after the Spurs outplayed them on their homecourt for 3 quarters. And after barely pulling out a win (playing at full strength) at home, I give the psychological edge to SA going into the playoffs. Of course none of this will matter if Dallas gets knocked off by Golden State or Houston, the 2 teams they are likey to play and will have a lot of trouble with.
Seriously, why exactly do you have issue with Avery playing his starters more minutes than he apparently promised? Sounds like an issue with you more than anything else.
I thought you were capable of having an adult debate over the issue but apparently you are as classless and childish as Cuban. You may come back and post at my blog after you graduate high school. Until then, please keep to yourself.
Last edited by jaysisko on September 8th at 1:26 PM.
This blogger is a New Yorker, born and raised. I'm a huge sports fan, following pretty much every major sport out there. Sadly, this does not include hockey, NASCAR, or boxing. Hockey lost my affection during the lockout, NASCAR is not a sport, and boxing has become incredibly boring since the dawn of MMA. If you want to talk football, baseball, basketball, or MMA, then I'm your man. I could also debate NASCAR with anyone, but we would probably end up just going around in circles...
