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Monday, April 25, 2005
Sayson: The Mavs resort to character
By HOMER D. SAYSON
SECOND OVERTIME
CHICAGO — During my regular NBA segment over at dyAB’s Arangkada program last Friday, talkmeister Leo Lastimosa asked me which team will advance in the showdown between Western Conference giants Dallas and Houston.
I picked Dallas, convinced that the fourth-seeded Mavs have improved tremendously on defense, that they possess more depth, and that their high-octane offense will be too much for the fifth-seeded Rockets to contain.
But much to my dismay, the Mavs under new coach Avery Johnson reverted to their poor defensive ways yesterday at the American Airlines Center, losing Game 1, 98-86, as well as homecourt advantage in this best-of-seven affair.
Not only did the Dallas yield 98 points, they allowed the Rockets to shoot a high 37-of-78 from the field (47.4 percent), a relative feast compared to the 43.8 clip and 96.8 points per game they surrendered during the regular season.
And Tracy McGrady was simply sensational. He looked like John Wayne out there in Texas, reducing all the Mavs into helpless outlaws who couldn’t handle his quick draw. T-Mac went to Dallas with guns ablazing, and when his load was emptied, he finished with 34 points of 14-of-27 shooting. He also had five rebounds and six assists.
Yao Ming was one of the reasons why I didn’t pick Houston. The 7-foot-6 pivot played only 30.1 minutes per during the regular season. Although Yao has made great strides on both ends of the floor, he continues to be hounded by foul trouble, inconsistent play and lack of stamina.
As if on cue, Yao just punched in for 20 minutes yesterday. He had 11 points and eight rebounds, but he fouled out, and on some dull stretches during the game, Yao moved like a drunk carabao: painfully slow and ineffective.
Fortunately for the Rockets, aging-veteran Dekembe Mutombo stepped in the middle and performed admirably, eight points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes. The M and M center tandem of Ming and Mutombo more than offset Dallas’ Erick Dampier, who finished with just seven points, seven rebounds and three shotblocks.
But the biggest surprise, perhaps, was how badly the Mavs played at home.
Dallas made only 24-of-68 field goals for a paltry 35.3 percent. The Mavs had more turnovers (13) than assists (12), while Dirk Nowitzki settled for 23 on 5-of-19 from the field. Michael Finley didn’t show up, just had eight points and struggled with 2-of-8 shooting.
If Dallas, doesn’t shape up on D, this series could end quickly in favor of the Rockets.
RECAP. There was no surprise at The Palace as the Pistons came back from 16 points down to mangle the Sixers, 106-85. The vaunted Pistons D held the Sixers to 31-of-77 shooting (40.3 percent), while the Pistons shot 42-of-81 (51.9 percent). Rasheed Wallace led the defending champs with 29 including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.
The Pacers slept in the second quarter, and when they woke up, they saw the Celtics score a 39-11 run. That was all she wrote at the Fleet Center as the Cetics won, 102-82. The game was, yes, a sleeper.
Led by Raef LaFrent’z 23 points, the Celts paraded six guys in double figures.
Meanwhile, at the Key Arena, the Sonics built a 21-point lead on the way to an 87-82 win over the determined Kings. Sacramento crept to within one point with seconds to go, but they took ill-advised treys with lots of time remaining. Ray Allen had 28, while Rashard Lewis finished with 18.
(homsay@hotmail.com)
(April 25, 2005 issue)
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