Texas Rangers Comeback Bid Falls Short 4-2

Oakland Athletics center fielder Ryan Sweeney celebrates after robbing Ian Kinsler of a 3 run home run that would have put the Rangers in the lead, in the eighth inning.

This has been a rarity early in the season, the Rangers offense couldn't come through as they left 12 people on base in a 4-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics. Oakland pitcher Dallas Braden (W 3-2) pitched five innings and spread out 5 hits and 4 walks over 5 innings. Texas was able to get on base at will, getting those runners to home plate was the problem.

The fifth inning was indicative of the Rangers inability to bat runners in. The inning started out with a lead-off single to left by Ian Kinsler, followed by a double to the left field wall by Marlon Byrd. This advanced Kinsler to third, so the Rangers had runners at 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs. Michael Young followed with a pop out to second base then Andruw Jones was intentionally walked, loading the bases with 1 out in the inning. The next two Rangers up to bat were 5th and 6th place hitters Hank Blalock and Nelson Cruz. Both of these players have power, as evidenced by their 6 home runs each and Cruz is second on the team in RBI's with 17 while Blalock is 3rd at 14. Needless to say, these are two extremely capable hitters. Blalock popped out harmlessly to 2nd and Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Vicente Padilla pitched 6 innings and had to use every single one of his pitches (even his seldom used "sweeping" curve ball that was thrown between 59-62 mph) to get through 6 while only allowing 3 ER. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks in those 6 innings, so he had to battle in order to keep this game close; and he did.

Padilla had to get out of a bases loaded jam right off the bat in the first inning. Home run thief Ryan Sweeney lead off with a single to lead off the game and, after Athletics SS Orlando Cabrera grounded out, a walk to DH Jack Cust. Padilla rebounded by getting LF Matt Holliday to fly out to right but then hit Catcher Kurt Suzuki to load the bases. Travis Buck helped Padilla's cause by striking out looking to end the inning. He pretty much cruised through the next 5 innings with only a sacrifice fly in the 6th by first baseman Landon Powell, after a Kurt Suzuki double, put Oakland on the board 1-0.

Vicente faulted again to begin the 7th inning, he allowed 3 consecutive singles to load the bases again and end his night after 100 pitches. Eddie Guardado came in and immediately walked the only batter he was brought in to face on 4 pitches, allowing Oakland to go up 2-0. Guardado was pretty angry after this event and (blamed) took it out on the umpire who ended up throwing him out of the game after he had almost made it back to the bullpen. Jason Jennings came in next for relief and got Matt Holliday to ground into a fielder's choice, the fielder (Michael Young) chose to get the runner coming home. Kurt Suzuki followed with another Oakland sacrifice fly which brought the score to 3-0 Athletics. Jennings allowed another single, but not another run as he got pinch hitter Jason Giambi to pop out to end the inning. Jennings closed out the eighth well, pitching a 1-2-3 inning that gave the Rangers a chance to come back in the bottom of the eighth.

The Rangers, who lead the Majors at the start of the game with 39 home runs already this season, led off the eighth with a home run from Hank Blalock. This put them 2 runs away at 3-1. After another Nelson Cruz strikeout, Chris Davis hit a broken bat bloop single to right and then Taylor Teagarden followed with another strikeout. With two outs in the inning, David Murphy pinch hit for Elvis Andruws and was able to come back from down 0-2 in the count to coax an 8 pitch walk, thus bringing up Ian Kinsler as the go-ahead run. After fouling off the first 3 pitches he saw, Ian took a ball and was down in the count 1 ball to 2 strikes. Kinsler unloaded on the next pitch, hitting it to deep center field, looking to hit yet another big home run for this Texas team. Oakland CF Ryan Sweeney had other ideas as he jumped, reached up over the wall in center field, and brought the ball back into the park; ending the inning. Ian Kinsler saw this as he was rounding first and threw down his batting helmet in disgust.

Jason Jennings came back in for the ninth and got the first 2 outs of the inning before allowing Matt Holiday to hit a home run to center field. Jennings got Kurt Suzuki to ground out to end the ninth.

Marlon Byrd lined out to the shortstop to lead off the bottom of the ninth for the Rangers. Then on a controversial play, Michael Young was tagged out at third after hitting a pitch to deep left. Ron Washington argued the call, obviously to no avail. Andruw Jones hit a home run which brought the Rangers closer at 4-2, but Hank Blalock followed with a strikeout.

Random stats:

• The Texas Rangers struck out 11 times as a team in the game.
  

• Vicente Padilla's ERA for the season was lowered to 7.42.

• The Rangers have now hit 41 home runs through the first 21 games of the season, a franchise record.

• Texas is 2.5 games back of the Ken Griffey Jr led Seattle Mariners for 1st in the A.L. West.

• The loss brought the Rangers record on the year to 10-11.

Mavericks-Nuggets Game 1 Sunday At 2:30

Thanks to DallasBasketball.com who reported earlier when this game 1 would happen if Denver won tonight. Well the Nuggets demolished New Orleans 107-86 led by Carmelo Anthony's 34 points.

The Nuggets swept the 4 games against Dallas this season but 2 of those games were without Josh Howard and the last game (The last time the Mavs lost at home March 27th) a 103-101 loss, they were without Jason Kidd and J-Ho. Denver has averaged 108 points per game in their 5 games this playoffs, so it will be a stiff test for the (recently) defensively stout Mavs. Full preview later this week.

Texas Rangers-Oakland A's Rained Out

Make-up game scheduled for May 29th as apart of a double-header starting at 3:05. The Rangers play Oakland again tomorrow at 1:05, but Weather.com predicts a 30% chance of rain in Arlington.

This Just In From the 2009 NFL Draft!!!

Wow it sure was exciting in that 14 hour first day wasn't it?!

Alright let's settle down, now on to the day that matters for the Cowboys and the even more exciting one!!!!

Players the Dallas Cowboys drafted in the second day of the draft with NFL.com analysis:

• An "underrated" weak side linebacker who wasn't invited to the scouting combine, that played for a no-name school, and that they hope to turn into an inside linebacker. Jason Williams-3rd
  
• An Offensive Tackle who they will try to turn into a Offensive Guard who NFL.com says, "Lacks the strength to consistently sustain." Robert Brewster-3rd
• A QB who started 3 games his entire senior year. Stephen McGee-4th
• An undersized Defensive End. Victor Butler-4th
• A LB who will be turned into a DE who is an, "underclassman that may have been better served staying in school" - NFL.com. Brandon Williams 4th
• A CB who they want to move to Safety. DeAngelo Smith 5th
• A FS with good leadership skills. Michael Hamlin-5th
• A GD kicker in the 5th round??! Don't they have some guy named Nick Folk. A pro-bowler. David Buehler 5th
• A SS from TCU. Stephen Hodge-6th.
• A blocking TE. John Phillips-6th
• A CB who led the nation in interceptions. Mike Mickens-7th (That might actually be a really good pick)
• A WR who the Cowboys might use at Punt Returner/Kick Returner. Manuel Johnson-7th

The Dallas Cowboys say they were drafting for Special Teams in this draft. That's funny I didn't know the rest of the team was so awesome that they could ignore the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. NFL.com seems to think 7th round pick Mike Mickens could come in and be the Cowboys 3rd corner ( a la last year's 5th round standout Orlando Scandrick). I seem to think that Jason Williams might be the future at ILB for the Cowboys. I also seem to believe the Cowboys blew some major ass in this draft, reaching a couple of rounds for about half of their picks. Half of these guys won't even make the Cowboys roster. I give them credit for trying, but who I am, Mel Kiper? Anyone who hasn't scouted these players individually (or received scouting reports in Mel's case) shouldn't be giving draft grades the day after the draft (or 3 days in my case.) Players take time to develop, and I can't see into the future.

Here are every team's draft grades from around the internet, thanks to FootballOutsiders.com.

The Cowboys average draft grade from "experts" around the internet (aka their "GPA") was 1.66. The only team with a lower average were the Oakland Raiders at 0.63.

Mavs Win Big 106-93 With MVP Performance by Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Celebrates in the 4th Quarter of the Mavs Blowout win.

(Thought I published this last night. Blogspot Blows!)

Well it appears as though I was wrong for the first time this series on my prediction (I'm normally awesome on 50-50 chance guesses) but I can't say I'm too disappointed about it as the Mavericks crushed the Spurs 106-93.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and had 3 assists for good measure; outplaying Spurs PF Tim Duncan in the battle of the former MVP's who had 30, 8, and 1 assist. Nowitzki missed only 6 of the 17 shots he took from the floor and also went to the foul line 8 times making all of them in 43 minutes. This was the first game Dirk played like Dirk and it made this Mavericks victory that much easier for the rest of the team.

Jason Terry finally showed up and played big with 19 points on 50% shooting (3 of 5 from behind the arc) while also dishing out 4 assists. JET was guarded by Tony Parker the majority of the game as the Spurs concentrated their defense heavily on Josh Howard (as noted in my preview of the game), who was consistently double-teamed. The added pressure on J-Ho made it easier on Dirk and JET as they combined to score 50 points while shooting 58% and going 4 of 6 from long distance. Josh Howard (17 points 8 rebounds 3 steals 1 block) still played outstanding on both ends of the floor but Dirk scoring 30 and Terry getting 20 was an element (the main element) of the offense that Mavericks fans were accustomed to during the regular season, but had not seen thus far in the playoffs. With Josh Howard playing like he was along with the Mavs defense playing with aggressiveness and toughness; Dallas really didn't need their 2 best scorers to play out of their mind just to win a game, or for that matter a series. This is not only a change from this regular season, but a change from playoffs in the past.

The defense of the Dallas Mavericks did allow the Spurs to shoot 52% from the field but made the Spurs work for the majority of the open looks they got. The Mavs also ran out on 3-point shooters as evidenced by the Spurs going 3 of 16 from three. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan got theirs', scoring 56 points and shooting almost 60% combined. The rest of the Spurs, on the other hand, weren't so hot again as they (7 players) only scored 37 points combined while shooting 42%. On the bright side, this was a huge step up from game 4. Watching the game I did notice some uncontested shots, though. The Mavericks got a little lazy with this team aside from Timmeh and Frenchey and I assume it was because of how ice cold the rest of that Spurs team was. That's got to stop going into next series against (most likely) a Denver team with an outstanding group of offensive players; oh and that just beat New Orleans in New Orleans by 58 points in game 4.

The Mavericks took to the boards again and it shows how much more they wanted this game for the Spurs. Dallas out rebounded San Antonio 40-33, led by Erick Dampier's 2nd dub dub of the series with 12 rebounds and 11 points. On most occasions during a scuffle for the ball, in this series, the Mavs have won. Exhibit A: One play in the third quarter of this game saw a bad pass from JET that J-Kidd dove onto the floor for, then all in one motion, kept the ball away from Parker while zipping a pass (on his back) to Jason Terry in the front court. Jason Kidd has shown his high basketball smarts and veteran instincts all series long and I think he motivated the players around him immensely, this led to a 4-1 first round playoff win.

The Dallas Mavericks intensity, effort, and skill could not be matched in this series. San Antonio will now have to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to get rid of Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, Kurt Thomas, and Matt Bonner; and replace them with some players who can actually play some basketball.

Mavs Have Chance to End It. Game 5 Tonight 8:30 in San Antonio

Will Los Mavs succeed in defeating the 4-time champion Los Spurs?


The Dallas Mavericks have a chance to do tonight what they haven't been able to do since their NBA Finals season of 2006: advance past the first round of the playoffs. This will not be easy as the San Antonio Spurs have their proverbial backs against the wall tonight at home. I have gone through this before on here but I will do it again; the Mavericks simply have not been a very good team on the road this year especially against good teams. 18-23 was their record away from home this year, only 8 of those came against teams with winning records. San Antonio's record at home was a not too shabby at 28-13. Of course, in the playoffs, they are 1-1 so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Dallas is a veteran team, and a veteran team should know how to close the door on a beaten and demoralized Spurs team; even on the road. Isn't that why they traded a young and blossoming PG for one with years of playoff experience under his belt?

3 Keys to putting the San Antonio Spurs out of their misery:

1. Defense: The Mavericks have allowed under 90 points per game to the Spurs for the entire serious. This hasn't been because on any individually dominating defensive performance, this has been a team effort. The Mavs must keep up their defensive intensity. Jason Kidd will likely continue to guard Tony Parker for long streches throughout the game, so the anus (anus??!) is on him to make the Frenchman work hard for every basket. Kidd isn't going to shut Parker down (or even control him a little, more likely) but he can "tire him out", as Parker has been noticably winded in the 4th quarter throughout the series. (Side Note: How is a 36 year old athlete able to "tire out" a 26 year old athlete?). As has been a key throughout the series, Erick Dampier must continue to put in work on Tim Duncan while also providing weak side up on Parker drives to the basket.
2. Jason Terry: Terry has had a rough series, averaging 12ppg and shooting a horrid 34% from the field. This is a player who averaged near 20ppg during the regular season on 46% shooting. JET is due to have a break-out game in this series, and I don't see why it couldn't be tonight in S.A. The Spurs are going to continue to concentrate their defense heavily on Dirk Nowitzki, that is a given. More importantly, I can see them beginning to focus their attention on Josh Howard as he burned them again the last game of this series with 28 points on 50% shooting. San Antonio is going to have to pick their poison here, after Terry went 3 of 17 from the field in the last game, I would expect them to take some of the defensive pressure off of Terry and leave Parker on him for longer stretches. Tony Parker cannot guard Jason Terry. Therein lies a problem for San Antonio, and an opportunity for the Mavericks to get their 6th man of the Year into a rhythm for the first time all series.
3. The Role Players: How will the Dallas Mavericks that have contributed mightily to a 3-1 series lead (JJ Barea, Brandon Bass, Erick Dampier, Ryan Hollins, Antoine Wright) react to their recent success? How will the Spurs players (Entire team besides Duncan and Parker) respond after their abysmal failure in game 4, in which they combined to score 22 points? Most of these Mavericks players are younger players(excluding for Damp) with the oldest being Antoine Wright at 25. I am interested to see how they respond to the Mavericks' veteran players repeatedly comparing this situation to a game 7 in which they have to win. The Spurs team is older with only 3 of their rotation regulars (Roger Mason, Drew Gooden, and George Hill) under the age of 29. I expect them to come out with a much better effort than in Game 4 and to contribute much more than 22 points total.

This will be a tough game for the Mavericks, as the Spurs will refuse to go quietly. This is a Spurs team that was down 3-1 last year to the New Orleans and came back to win the series, so it would be unwise to count them out. They also forced an epic game 7 with the Mavs in 2006 after being down 3-1. Dallas knows what is on the line, though, and will battle throughout. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mavs lost on a last second shot, sending the series back to Dallas for game 6. Fortunately for Mavericks fans, Dallas will win game 6 at home.

Spurs Win. Series goes to 3-2.

The Texas Rangers Patience Pays Off As They Come Back to Win 6-4 Over Baltimore

Texas Ranger's pitcher Matt Harrison rebounded after a rough start, retiring 16 batters in a row and 17 out of 18 after the second inning, for his 1st victory of the season.

The first 2 innings of the ballgame took almost an hour to complete (55 minutes) as the Rangers hitters displayed their patience and Matt Harrison struggled.

In the top of the first, the Ranger's hitters forced Baltimore Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie to throw 37 pitches. The Ranger's didn't score any runs, but this long inning would benefit them later in the game. Matt Harrison took the mound and after getting a ground out to begin the inning, he allowed 3 straight singles to the Orioles 2-4 hitters which allowed Baltimore to take the lead 1-0. Harrison threw 22 pitches in that inning.

The Rangers got a hit in the top of the second, but that was all as Guthrie cruised through the inning. The bottom of the second was Matt Harrison's worst inning as he threw 28 more pitches (50 pitches through 2 innings). He allowed Baltimore DH Luke Scott to begin the inning with a 5 pitch walk. Lou Montanez doubled to left field which put Scott at third. Slumping catcher Gregg Zaun lined out to second then the ninth place hitter, SS Robert Andino, singled to right field which scored another run (Luke Scott) and put Montanez at third base. After Andino stole second, 2nd baseman Brian Roberts singled which scored both Montanez and Andino; bringing the score to 4-0 in the second. Harrison got a weird fielder's choice on a routine fly ball that was dropped by Rangers LF David Murphy, but he managed to throw the ball quickly to second getting the force out. This was the last base runner Harrison would allow until the 7th inning. Nick Markakis grounded out to end the inning.

The Rangers finally got to Guthrie in the top of the 4th as he had already thrown 61 pitches. After Andruw Jones lined out to center field, Hank Blalock crushed a pitch to deep left field off of the scoreboard for a double. Marlon Byrd immediately followed with a single to left field which scored Blalock, making the score 4-1. Guthrie then got 2 strikeouts to end the inning on long at-bats which sent his pitch count to near 90 for the game through 4 innings.

After a second consecutive 1-2-3 inning by Harrison, the Rangers were ready to score again in the 5th. After a ground out by Omar Vizquel and a fly out from Ian Kinsler, David Murphy got his 2nd hit of the season with a single to left field. Then Mr.Clutch came up to bat. After fouling off the first pitch he saw, Michael Young was ready to do some damage. Young hit the 2nd pitch that he saw to deep right field for a 2-run home run which made the score 3-4 and gave the Rangers some momentum. This was his 7th of the season and the Ranger's major league leading 39th in through 19 games. Andruw Jones struck out to end the inning.

Another 3 up 3 down inning from Harrison, and now the Ranger's were going to be rewarded for their patience at the plate in the top of the 6th. Matt Albers came in to relieve Jeremy Guthrie, after 5 innings and 101 pitches, but didn't provide much relief for the Orioles. Blalock started off the inning with another hard hit ball to the right field scoreboard, but this time he only got a single after Nick Markakis made a perfect throw to 2nd. Marlon Byrd flied out to center field and then Chris Davis walked on four pitches. Rarely used catcher Taylor Teagarden came up big with an RBI single to left field which scored Blaloack from 2nd making it 4-4. Omar Vizquel popped out and then Ian Kinsler walked which set things up for David Murphy. With his 3rd hit of the entire season Da Murph singled to center, scoring Chris Davis and Taylor Teagarden and also putting the Rangers ahead for good at 6-4. Orioles "relief" pitcher Matt Albers was yanked after allowing 3 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks in 2/3 of an inning. Michael Young grounded out to second to end the inning.

The bottom of the 6th looked the same as the last 3 innings did for Matt Harrison as he got a ground out, a fly out, and a strikeout for another 1-2-3 inning. The 7th inning started out the same as Harrison got the first two batters he faced on consecutive ground outs. After his horrific start he was one out away from having retired 17 batters straight and earning a ticket out of the game after 7 innings. Unfortunately for Harrison, 9th place hitter Robert Andino struck again, getting a bloop single to center to end his streak. Fortunately for the Rangers, no damage done as he got the next batter and finished the day retiring 17 of the last 18 batters he faced after that rough second inning.

Darren O'Day and C.J. Wilson did their jobs in the 8th, retiring all three Baltimore batters without any issue.

After retiring the first 2 batters he faced, Frank Francisco began to struggle in the 9th inning. He started out by hitting Lou Montanez with a pitch, and then allowed .102 hitter Gregg Zaun to hit a line shot to right field. Luckily for the Rangers, Francisco regained his composure to strike out 9th place hitter (and Matt Harrison killer) Robert Andino to close out the game. This was his 5th save of the year and he has not allowed a run through the first 19 games of this young season.

The Rangers concluded their 7 game road trip with a 4-3 record. They are now 9-10 through the first 19 games of the season. Oakland comes to town for 3 games starting tomorrow night at 7:05 pm central time.

Jose Juan Barea Is Playing Like a Giant Against the Spurs

Can Jose Juan Barea continue to give San Antonio problems?

Who would have thought 2 years ago that then 12th man JJ Barea would be giving anyone problems on the basketball court, much more the 4-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs? But that is the situation that Dallas is in, the Mavericks have shown their hand here and it appears as though they have an Ace in JJB. Inserting Barea into the starting lineup was the key to their dominating game 3 win and was the reason Bruce Bowen started in game 4.

After Barea dominated (yeah I said it!) game 1 off of the bench with not only getting to the basket at will, but getting the rest of his teammates involved into the game on offense. On defense he forced Tony Parker into an offensive foul, a travel, and 2 ball handling mistakes leading to 2 more turnovers. Tony Parker shot 2-6 from the field in that fourth quarter.

In game 2, the Spurs made a conscious effort to deny penetration to JJB and, in some situations, deny him the ball. Barea only scored 4 points on 2-8 shooting but did have 4 assists. Defensively, Parker ran wild and Barea was a non-factor.

Rick Carlisle didn't lose confidence in his backup point-guard after his performance in game 2. The Mavericks coach decided to start Barea for game 3, this turned out to be a pretty good decision. JJB showed that had learned his lesson from game 2 and figured out a way to keep going to the basket. He didn't see as much action on defense against Parker, (with J Kidd defending him for most of the game) but continued to be a ball of energy for the offense. Barea was efficient from the field, missing only 3 of his eight shots for 13 points and also led the Mavericks in assists with 7. He committed only 1 turnover for the game.

Game 4 was no different as Barea was viewed as important enough by his coach to start for the second game in a row. Even though he didn't play as well as his game 3 break-out game, he started off attacking the rim which immediately got his team and the crowd energized. Barea dropped 4 assists and scored 9 points in 25 minutes and only had 1 turnover again. He was 3-8 from the field while going 1of 2 from behind the arc. The most important statistic of these 2 starts is the effect on the win column: 2 wins - 0 losses.

If you watched the Dallas Mavericks this year, you might have seen a couple of games in which JJ Barea led this team to victory with his tenacious play coming of the bench. This series has shown that his play was not an aberration and he is ready to contribute (and has contributed immensely) during the most important part of the season: the playoffs. He is no longer the player you cheer for to succeed because he is "that D-league guy" at the end of the bench and it is extremely unlikely; now Barea is a player who you expect to do well and cheer for because of how he get's fans into it from the start and his positive effect on the game every time he takes the floor. JJ Barea has averaged 10 points and 4.5 assists for the series, but people who watch the games know that his effect on his teammates, the game, and the crowd goes much deeper than his statistics.

JJ Barea has only been in the league for 2 years, and is only 24 years old. His game (compared to when he first came into the league) has vastly improved and as he gains experience he can only continue to improve. In the words of Jason Terry, "The best is yet to come."

Mavericks Defense Steals the Show Again 99-90 as Spurs now in 3-1 hole

Jason Kidd Playing Tight Defense on Tony Parker. Parker scored almost half of the Spurs points (43) for the game but was held to 12 points in the second half.

The Mavericks showed up again with yet another one of their best defensive performances of the season, holding the Spurs to 90 points and 44% shooting. Although Tim Duncan and Tony Parker combined to go 25-42 from the field with 68 points combined; the entire rest of the Spurs team combined for a meager 6-28 from the field. Dallas let the stars for San Antonio get theirs' but didn't let anyone else on their team make more than 2 baskets. The three keys on defense for the Mavs:

1. Hustle, Hustle, and More Hustle: The Mavericks played this game like it meant more to them than it did to the Spurs. They took charges, got steals, and even got a few key blocks along the way.
2. Three Point Defense: The Spurs hit only 6 of their 23 attempts from behind the arc (26%). This was important because the Mavericks effectively turned the Spurs into a jump shooting team in this game. But they didn't allow many open looks, resulting in many S.A. misses.
3. Ryan Hollins: Hollins came into the game after Erick Dampier got into foul trouble in the third quarter. He played superb defense on Tim Duncan and helped control the paint getting 3 blocks and 8 rebounds in only 19 minutes of play.
   

Dallas scored 99 to beat the Spurs by 9 but only shot 38% from the floor. Josh Howard led the team with 28 points and Jason Kidd had 17 for a Mavericks team that relied on the three pointer (10) and offensive rebounds (14) to stay ahead in this game. The three keys on offense for the Mavs:

1. Rebounding: They out-rebounded the Spurs 49-35 and pulled down 14 offensive rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 13 boards but the two headed monster at center was the big story. Erick Dampier and Ryan Hollins combined for 14 rebounds (8 offensive boards) and 12 points.
   
2. Long Distance: They shot 10-25 on their three pointers which kept them in the game and in the lead. Jason Kidd and Josh Howard led the way with three 3's each.
   
3. Josh Howard and Jason Kidd: Josh Howard led the Mavericks with 28 points on 7 of 14 shooting. Howard refused to be denied going to the basket, earning 14 free throw attempts and making 11 of them. Kidd was second on the team with 17 points and also had 7 boards, 7 assists, and two steals. J-Kidd consistently got his teammates open looks throughout the game.
   

Other news, notes, and random observations from today's game:

• Jason Terry continued to struggle going 3-17 from the field, scoring 10 points in 33 minutes. Terry took the most shots for the Mavs, but also missed many of them. He did have 4 boards, a steal, and a block though.
  
• Dirk Nowitzki only scored 12 points and had some pretty bad passes that led to him committing 3 turnovers . Nowitzki did have a crucial block and grabbed 13 boards for the Mavericks. It was his first double-double of this postseason. Dirk averages a dub-dub in the playoffs for his career at 25 ppg and 11 boards.
  
• It's hard to believe that this team pulled out a game against the Spurs with Dirk and JET combining to score 22 points and going 7-26 from the field.
• Antoine Wright played 11 solid minutes, scoring 9 points on 2 three pointers and a drive to the basket in which he scored and got the foul. Wright added a blocked shot and several solid minutes on defense in the second half against Tony Parker.
• JJ Barrea started again and scored 9 points while dropping 4 dimes. Barrea went out late in the 1st quarter on what appeared to be a problem with his injured shoulder. Barrea came back into the game later in the first half and appeared to have no lingering effects.
• Dirk Nowitzki was called for a defensive foul even though Tim Duncan hooked Dirk by grabbing him on the right ass cheek.
• The officials were especially testy with Mavericks players as Dirk was whistled for a T after he proclaimed that a call against him was "bullshit". Ryan Hollins was called for a T in the 4th quarter after he dunked the ball over Tim Duncan and yelled in excitement. Gregg Popovich, however, was not called for a technical foul even though he was repeatedly berating the officials throughout the game.

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker gave the Mavericks their best shot in this game, the only problem was the rest of their team couldn't hit any.This win puts Dallas thoroughly in the driver's seat as San Antonio would have to win the next 3 games of the series in order to advance to the second round. The Mavericks, meanwhile, only have to win 1 of the next three to close out this series. Yeah, you saw it here first: It's over buddeh!

Mavericks-Spurs Game 4 Today at 3:00pm

Will the San Antonio Spurs come back with a vengeance? Can the Mavericks stand their ground?

Today's game will not be easy for the Dallas Mavericks. At least we all know it won't be as easy as the last game. This is a San Antonio team that has a lot of pride and a lot of championships. Four to be exact, in the last 10 years. This is not a team that is going to go quietly as they still see themselves as championship contenders. It's not like the Spurs played terribly at Dallas on Thursday night, the Mavericks just played a phenomenal game from start to finish. Dallas came out with an intensity on the offensive and defensive end that enabled them to take control of the game from the very beginning. If they come out with the same intensity today, I don't know if anybody can beat the Mavs, much less an old and injured Spurs team.

There is good news and bad news about today's game. Bad news first:
The bad news is I expect this San Antonio team to hit the Mavs with their best game of not only this series but the season. The Spurs were thoroughly embarrassed Thursday in Dallas. They set numerous franchise record lows for the playoffs both individually and as a team. I think they will come into this game angry and it will show as their play will become more aggressive. The good news is Dallas is still at home and that will make it much easier to take the Spurs best shot and maybe even get in a huge counter-punch. The Mavs have been the aggressors at home all season long, I don't see that changing today.

3 keys to a TKO of the 4-time champs:

1. Starting Little JJB: Barrea was like the energizer bunny in game 3: he just kept going and going and going into the paint at will against the Spurs. He is the Mavericks only player who consistently gets to the basket, no matter the situation. What has been so great about JJB's play recently is if he gets bottled up in the lane he has the ability to dish the ball out to the open man (see his 7 assists in game 3) and he keeps his dribble alive so well (homeless man's Steve Nash?) that if his penetration is turned away he can dribble back out and reset the play. JJ Barrea is a game changer because (like an energizer battery), Dallas feeds off of his energy and intensity. If he starts out well again, this might be another long night for the Spurs.
2. Dallas Must Not Rest On It's Laurels After a Big Win: Unfortunately for Mavs fans, Dallas has not been the most consistent team in the league this year to say the least. But this is not Memphis coming to town this afternoon, its the hated rival Spurs. I don't see any way the Mavericks can let up this game, they want this game bad and they especially want a defining game for them to be against San Antonio. J-Kidd, J-Ho, Damp, Dirk, Barrea, Bass: all played game 3 like it was their last and it led to their best defensive performance ever in the playoffs. There may be somewhat of a slow start compared to the last game, but overall I see the Mavs playing this game hard to the end.
3. Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard Must Continue to be a Problem for the Spurs on Offense: Both Dirk and J-Ho had very efficient offensive performances in game 3. They combined to shoot 14-24 from the floor for 37 points combined in 3 quarters of play. Dirk was not settling for contested jump shots as he manuevered his way closer to the basket and away from defenders for open looks. Howard was the slasher every Mavs fan wants him to be, relentlessly attacking the rim. Even with Jason Terry still in somewhat of a funk, the Mavericks can win this game on Nowitzki and Howard's offensive capablities alone. I expect Dirk to have a huge game tonight with at least 30 points (the Mavs will need every single one) and J-Ho will do his normal Robin thing with 15-20 points and 5-8 boards.
   

Obviously, there is a lot on the line for this game and both teams know it. The Mavericks know if they can win this game its all over, considering they would only have to win 1 of the last 3 games. San Antonio knows if it can win this game they regain home court advantage and would only have to win out at home.

Clutch defense and clutch shooting in the 4th quarter lead to a 2nd Mavs win in a row.
Mavs win, lead series 3-1.

Anquan Boldin for a 2nd round pick?

According to Espn.com , sources from inside the Arizona Cardinals have lowered their compensation requirements for the 28 year old, 6'1 217 pound receiver. The Dallas Cowboys have a pick in the second round, (51st of tomorrow's draft) which might not be exactly what the Cardinals are looking for; but combined with the Cowboys 3rd round pick (from Cleveland) might be able to get the star receiver.

Even if the Cowboys are satisfied with their receiving core led by Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton, there should be a sense of "we don't want to play against this guy in our division twice a year." According to the same ESPN article, the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles are also interested in Boldin. If either one of these teams (or the Cowboys) grab Boldin they immediately become of the favorite to win the NFC east.
Anquan Boldin is a big, fast, prototypical wide receiver, here are some of his positives:

1. 502 receptions,6,496 yards, and 40 touchdowns in 6 seasons.
2. He is an unselfish player who has shared the spotlight with Larry Fitzgerald for the majority of his career.
3. Had over 1,000 yards and 11 TD's last year in only 12 games.

However, there are also some concerns about Boldin:

1. Has been somewhat injury plagued the last two seasons, missing 4 games each season.
2. Boldin wants a huge multi year contract comparable to the best WR's in the game.
3. Had an issue fumbling the ball last year with 3 fumbles lost.

There are reasons to do this deal beyond just the value of the player, but the value of the player in this situation is extremely high; especially you consider that all you have to give up is a 2nd and maybe a 3rd. Having Roy Williams on one side and Anquan Boldin on the other would easily be the best WR tandem in football. I doubt this trade will happen, but I don't know if the Cowboys would get (with the 51st pick in the draft) a comparable talent to Anquan Boldin. Although Boldin himself was a 2nd rounder and also was the only rookie in the Pro Bowl that year. So I guess you never know, the Cowboys could find a gem in the 2nd round that is comparable.

We probably won't know who the Cowboys draft or if they trade the pick until about 7 or 8pm Saturday night because the NFL draft likes to take its time, to say the least. But it should be interesting, if I had to guess I'd say Arizona signs Boldin to a multiyear deal and he goes back to a team he knows, wants to come back to, and that really wants him back.

Here are some second round mock drafts from around the net:

NFLDraftSite

TheFootballExpert

NFLDraftDog

DraftCountdown

Michael Young Plays Hero Again, Rangers Win 5-4

Michael Young = Clutch
Michael Young does it again in the 9th, hitting a 2 run go-ahead homer in the top of the ninth as the Rangers came back from being down 4-1. Young now has 3 home runs in the last five days in the ninth inning of games. Two of those home runs won the game for the Rangers, (including tonight's) while the other tied it up.

Rangers pitcher Vincente Padilla had a shaky couple of innings but overall did OK and pulled it together to go 6 2/3 while allowing 4 ER on 8 hits. Padilla had a perfect game through 3 innings but his 4th inning wasn't very good as he allowed 3 runs and 4 hits in the inning while also committing a balk that scored one of those 3 runs. His 5th inning wasn't great either in that he allowed 3 hits and managed to get out of the inning only allowing 1 run making it 4-1 Orioles. But Vincente pulled it together in the 6th inning, striking out the first 2 batters he faced and then getting Orioles SS Cesar Izturis to ground out to second. After consecutive ground outs by 2b Brian Roberts and CF Adam (Pacman?) Jones, Padilla hit Nick Markakis in the left knee, which brought out Rangers manager Ron Washington to make the pitching change.

The Rangers offense didn't have much luck early in the game as Baltimore Orioles pitcher Koji Uehara pitched a gem. Ranger hitters were early and under Uehara's pitches all night long as high popups were hit into the air consistantly. Uehara had pinpoint control on all of his pitches tonight as he went 6 and 2/3 just as Padilla; but only allowing 2 ER and while also getting 6 strikeouts. The Rangers had to work hard for those two runs. In the top of the third after a Chris Davis strikeout, Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a broken bat double to the right field corner. Elvis Andruws moved Salty to third on a flyout to left, then came Ian Kinsler. Ian lined a single to left which scored Saltalamacchia making it 1-0 Rangers at the time. This also tied him for 3rd in the AL in RBI's (17). In the top of the 7th Hammerin Hank Blalock came up to bat and lived up to his nickname absolutely crushing a homerun over the right field wall making it 4-2 Orioles. A groundout from Marlon Byrd and a flyout (another high pop-up) from Nelson Cruz later, Uehara was done for the night.

In came the Baltimore bullpen. Jim (Jimmy?) Johnson came in for the eighth and the Ranger's hitters were ready. After getting Ian Kinsler on a bunt groundout to start the inning, Michael Young hit a single to right center field. Josh Hamilton lined out to center to make it 2 outs in the inning but the Rangers weren't done yet. Hank Blalock came up and hit a single which moved Young to third. Marlon Byrd hit a slow grounder to the Baltimore SS Izturis, and he hesitated for a split second before throwing to first. This mini-bobble allowed Marlon Byrd, who looked as if he was shot out of a canon from the batters box, to get an infield single and score Young from third making it 4-3 Orioles. Orioles Closer George Sherril came into the game after the run and got Chris Davis to strike out, ending the inning.

C.J. Wilson came in for the Rangers in the bottom of the eighth, and his wild play continued. Wilson got a groundout by Orioles DH Luke Scott to start the inning, then walked (.116 hitter) Catcher Greg Zaun. C.J. then threw a wild pitch which allowed Zaun to move to second. After a foul out from pinch hitter Lou Montanez, Elvis Andruws saved a run on a spectacular diving stop of a ground ball that was heading for left field. Zaun had to stop at third and Izturiz was credited with a single. Luckily, Wilson mananged to get out of the inning after Brian Roberts flied out to left.

The top of the ninth began with a strikeout by Saltalamacchia and a groundout by Elvis Andruws to third. Another inning began with 2 outs and another inning would end with the Rangers tacking on runs. Ian Kinsler began with a single to left field and then up came Michael Young. Mr. Clutch crushed the ball to the right field seats, giving the Rangers a 5-4 lead that they would not relinquish. Frank Francisco closed out the game with a 1-2-3 inning (with 5 strikes on 6 pitches) which earned him his 3rd save of the season.


Solid pitching, great defensive plays by Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and SS Elvis Andruws, and timely hitting gave the Rangers their 7th win of the season.

DEFENSE! Mavs Go Up 2-1 With Outstanding Defensive Effort

Dirk Nowitzki Caps Tim Duncan en route to 88-67 Mavs Win



This game wasn't even close. After getting out to an immediate 8-0 lead, the Mavericks never looked back; leading the rest of the game. "Genius" coach Popovich pulled his starters half-way through the 3rd quarter. I like that even though the Spurs waved the white flag so easily, (something to do with their French point guard and team leader?) Dallas didn't pull their regulars until the 4th quarter.

The 88-67 final scored actually makes this game seem more close than it actually was. This Spur's team had 42 points through three quarters! That's one thing San Antonio can hang their hat on after this game; their 3rd string players are better than the Mavs'. They outscored the Mavs 25-13 in the fourth quarter.

In my 15 years (9 good ones) of watching the Mavericks, I have NEVER seen a defensive effort like this. Here are some notes from the game:

• This was the lowest scoring output in San Antonio playoff history, and also the lowest allowed in Mavericks playoff history.

• San Antonio shot 32 % from the field (2-17 from behind the arc), which was again, thanks to garbage time. They shot 28% through the first 3 quarters, when the game mattered.
• The Mavs had 8 steals and 8 blocks, many of them on Tony Parker underneath the basket.
  
• Jason Kidd looked like he was about 10 years younger, controlling Parker's offensive capabilities (Parker shot 5-14 from the field) and forcing him into mistakes.
  
• Erick Dampier showed up big and didn't need to put Parker on his back so I was obviously wrong in my game 3 preview. He CAN block shots, and got three of them. One especially spectacular in that he caught Parker from behind and rejected the ball off the backboard.
  
• Brandon Bass blocked a few shots into the fifth row, dominating Drew Gooden who he was matched up with most of the night.
• Josh Howard played with a defensive tenacity that hasn't been seen much this season, but that showed up at exactly the right time. J-Ho had some turns against Parker, along with Kidd and helped to slow down the Frenchman, resulting in immediate surrender. Howard might have had the most complete defensive game statistically among the Mavs with 2 steals and 2 blocks.
  

Defense has been a "priority" all year long. Last night, the Mavericks finally showed us on the floor how important it is and what kind of team this can be if they actually practice what they preach.

Little JJB's first playoff start was a good one. I thought they were going to go with JET here to get him off in this series, but Carlisle went another way and man did it work perfectly. Barrea started out on fire and immediately got the crowd into it. He made all of his 4 shots in the first quarter, 3 of them layups and the other a 3 pointer. Barrea finished the game with 13 points, 7 assists, and a steal on 5-8 shooting. Tony Parker finished with 12 points and 3 assists.

Dirk was Dirk tonight as he led the team with 20 points while making 8 of his 12 shots from the floor. Last night it didn't matter what kind of defensive strategy San Antonio was going to try on Dirk. He made his shots, contested or uncontested, as usual. That made the game much easier for him and he mixed in some pump fakes, head fakes, and ball fakes to get the defenders off their feet which freed him up for open shots and lanes to the basket.

This was a do-or-die game for the Mavs (as playoff Mavs/Spurs playoff tendency's having to do with game 3's suggest) and they treated it like one. I think Gregg Popovich summed it up best after the game:
"Look at the stats. Good Lord, have some mercy, will ya? They kicked our ass every way but loose!’’

Mavs-Spurs Tonight 7:30

Is a win at home tonight vs the Spurs a slam dunk?


Mavs have the home court, can they capitalize?
This is the moment of truth. This Dallas team that has toyed with it's fans emotions all year has a chance to make everything right by doing what they have done all season: win at home.

3 Keys to taking care of business in tonight's game at home:

JET must be cleared for takeoff:
Jason Terry hasn't made an impact on this series at all going into tonight's game. 10-23 from the floor, 30 total points, and here's the best stat: 1 assist in two playoff games. Terry isn't going to do anything for you at the defensive end, that is a given. What he does need to do is either make plays on offense or garner enough attention from the Spurs defense that he can get easy baskets for other players. Now I'm not saying he is Jason Kidd here but he can get other player's good shots, namely Dirk when they play the two man game on the right side of the floor (which I guarantee you will see much of tonight). DallasBasketball.com writer Mike Fischer had the great idea that Dallas should start Terry instead of bringing him off the bench. I agree with this proposal in that it will get the crowd into it early and it might also help to get Terry out of this mini-funk that he is in. Expect Mr. Mav, as I like to call him,to break out in a big way at home tonight against the Spurs.

Erick Dampier must back up his tough talk by controlling the paint.
It's not dirty play it's playoff basketball. If Tony Parker wants to just stroll through the lane and hit easy baskets, the other team's 6'11, 265 pound center needs to either:
A: Block the shot or
B: Put his little ass on the ground.
Dampier doesn't get many blocks.
I'm not saying go for the guy's head, undercut him, or deliberately try to injure him; all I am saying is to make him know that this is an important basketball game and if he wants that easy two points he is going to have to earn it. No malicious intent, just a hard playoff basketball foul. The only problem is that Dampier also has to cover arguably one of the best post players in NBA history. Limit Tim Duncan to 15-20 points and Tony Parker to 20-25 (around both of their averages for the season) and this becomes an easily winnable game at home. Let either one of them go off and it's going to be a long night.

We all must be Nowitnesses to an MVP performance.
Dirk Nowitzki, like JET, has been somewhat of a non-factor this series. The fact that the series is tied 1-1 is a miraculous turn of events considering Nowitzki has gone 10-29 from the field and only scored 33 points for the series. This is a player who averaged 26 ppg on 48% shooting for the year. What Dirk has done well is the little things. Dirk is still doing some damage on the boards averaging 7 this series and has also thrown in some assists and steals to help to diffuse his rough start on offense. In order for him to come to life in the series, he needs to start using those post moves that worked out for him late in the season. If he is making shots or even if he isn't, using that little up and under move with his back to the basket or even using the baby hook that he used in flashes this season will help him to get easy baskets and increased free throw attempts. In terms of his perimeter shooting Dirk has had open looks all series, he just hasn't been able to knock them down. If he can hit the shots he normally does while mixing in some different facets of his offensive repertoire, the big man will regain his MVP form and the Mavericks will win.


This will be a back and forth game from the start with many lead changes throughout as both teams realize how critical this game three is. Dirk, Jet, and maybe even some hard nosed defense show up for the Mavericks and they win a close one late.
Mavs win, go up 2-1.

Home Sweet Home

The Dallas Mavericks return home tonight after splitting the first two games of the series with the San Antonio Spurs. Because of this split, the Mavs now own the home court advantage.

The team tied with Cleveland for the best home record since the All-Star break at 15-1; (the one loss was a 2 point loss against the Denver Nuggets wherein J-Ho and JKidd both sat out the game) the Dallas Mavericks come back home to play two crucial games of the series which will decide if the Mavericks have to win on the road again this round.
It seems simple; take care of business at home and you will win this series. The problem is that San Antonio was 11 games over .500 on the road this season (26-15), and the Spurs are one of the 9 losses Dallas had at home all season (32-9). The good news is that the Spurs needed double overtime on that night to get the victory. The other good news is that since the Mavericks lost their first 4 home games of the season, they are a total of 32-5 at the AAC.
This is another reason why that first game win in San Antonio was so huge (and completely unexpected). Although the Mavericks closed out the season strong going 7-2 in their final 9 games, 7 of those games were at home and were the 7 wins. In their last 8 road games of the season the Mavericks went 2-6 with two wins against Minnesota and Indiana. Against teams with winning records they were win less at 0-6. The only reason this team made the playoffs is because of their outstanding play at home. Now if they can play to their greatest strength and win their next three games at home (they won their last 7 at home to close out the regular season) they can win this series.
This is not to say this won't be a challenge, as stated before the Spurs are a great road team and have been for about the last 10 years now. The Spurs played 5 of their last 8 games of the season on the road. Their record in those 5 games was 4-1. Since the All-Star break, they also won 9 out of their last 13 road games of the season. The good news for the Mavs is that during this stretch the Spurs beat a team with a winning record only twice: Detroit (who was 27-26 at the time) at 83-79, and Houston at 88-85. These aren't exactly lopsided wins but on the other hand it does show that they have the ability to win close games against quality opponents in a hostile environment.
I know the playoffs are different from the regular season, but the stats don't lie bro. This is a team that has excelled in front of their home fans. This is an arena full of fans that have seriously jacked up their intensity this year and have made the AAC a comfortable and easy atmosphere for the Mavs while making it an uncomfortable experience for the visiting team again.


Nine(9!) home losses this season with final scores and ESPN box score link:

Western Conference:
Denver(2) 88-98 ; 101-103
Houston (1) 102-112
LA (1) 99-106
New Orleans (1) 97-104
San Antonio (1) 126-133 2OT

Eastern Conference:
Boston (1) 92-99
Cleveland (1) 81-100
Orlando (1) 100-102

Solid Starting Pitching From Mccarthy Leads to 5-4 Win over Toronto

Two 2 run home runs by Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz lead the way on offense as the Texas Rangers improve their record to 6-7.

The Toronto Blue Jays Roy Halladay had some of his best stuff tonight striking out nine and walking none in 8 innings; but it didn't matter as Ranger batters hit 4 doubles and 2 home runs off the two time 20 game winner. It was Halladay's first loss of the season as he dropped to 3-1 on the year.
The Rangers got off to a quick start in the top of the second inning after a leadoff double by Marlon Byrd followed by a two run blast from Nelson Cruz made it 2-0. It was Cruz 6th home run of the year, trying him for 2nd in MLB. Brandon Mccarthy, after a relatively easy first 2 innings, had a shaky start to the bottom of the third. Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Travis Snider led off with a double then after a walk to Scutaro and a lineout to right field from Aaron Hill, Alex Rios doubled home Snider and then the next at bat Vernon Wells hit a sac fly that tied the game at 2-2. The Rangers responded the very next inning after a leadoff double from Hank Blalock, Chris David singled him home to go up 3-2. This was a back-and-forth game to the end as the Rangers couldn't seem to shake the Blue Jays who came into the game 10-4 on the season, leading the American League East. In the bottom of the 5th, the Blue Jays struck again with a home run from Aaron Hill, tying the game at 3-3. Texas retaliated in the top of the 7th with a deep ball of their own from Ian Kinsler, his 5th of the year. It was a two run blast after a Jarrod Saltalamacchia double, this put the Ranger's in the lead for good at 5-3. This was not without a scare though, as the bullpen almost let one go again. After a strong 6 innings from Mccarthy, Eddie Guardado got Snider on a foul out. Jason Jennings relieved Guardado after 1 batter and retired the next 2 batters of the inning. Jennings came back out for the 8th and after an error by young shortstop Elvis Andruws on an Alex Rios grounder and a subsequent groundout from Vernon Wells sent Rios to second base; in came C.J. Wilson. Wilson has had an inconsistent season thus far and got pretty unlucky on a bloop hit to right center field by Adam Lind which scored Rios from second. Ranger manager Ron Washington didn't like what he had seen and lifted Wilson after facing just one batter. In came the Ranger's closer, Frank Francisco who immediately allowed a single and a walk to load the bases for Toronto. Francisco regained his composure and after a terrific catch by third baseman Michael Young on a (former Ranger catcher) Rod Barajas' hard hit liner down the left field line made it 2 outs; he got Snider to pop out to center. The Rangers closer got a flyout to start the ninth, but then allowed a double before calming down and getting a ground out and pop out to the shortstop to close the game for his 2nd save of the season.
The win was Brandon Mccarthy's second of the young season (2-0) and lowered his ERA for the season to a respectable 4.76. The was an excellent start for Mccarthy considering how hot the bats on this young Toronto Blue Jays team had been. The Blue Jays are first in the Ameican league in batting average and runs scored. The are also 3rd in slugging percentage and on base percentage.
This game also shows the power of the Texas Ranger hitters in that the Blue Jays starting pitching staff as a whole had only allowed 2 home runs in their prievious 32 innings, and the Rangers hit two this game alone off of their best starter.

Rejected: 84-105

Mavericks bid for 2-0 lead falls short as Parker-Duncan take care of business.

Tony Parker was unstoppable for the Spurs, especially in the first quarter as he and Tim Duncan combined to score their first 22 points from the field. Parker had 19 points in the first quarter, 29 in the half, and finished with 38 points while only missing 6 out of his 22 shots from the field including going 6 of 9 on threes.
Defensively the Spurs gave the Dallas Mavericks fits all night. San Antonio's constant switching on defense combined with their hustle in terms of running out on shooters led to the Mavericks shooting merely 40% from the field and scoring only 84 points. If a Maverick drove the lane, the Spurs defense would collapse to the paint and he was immediately met by a double (sometimes triple) team. As soon as he dished the ball to the outside, the player on the outside was not open for long as Bowen, Udoka, or Finley would be in that player's face, contesting the shot.
Dirk Nowitzki was one of the few Mavericks who had some open shots tonight, but they weren't going down (a couple even going down, and then decided to come back out). Dirk finished with 14 points, making a mere 3 of the 14 shots he took from the field. San Antonio's defense deserves much of the credit for this because they gave him different looks all night long. One possession Bowen would be on him, the next Duncan, then Bonner, then Udoka. Dirk really couldn't get into any kind of rhythm and it showed. Dirk's left knee seemed to have been bothering him for much of the second half of the game. Nowitzki bumped knees with Bruce Bowen early in the third quarter. No word today that it is anything serious.
The big three of the Mavericks struggled mightily. Dirk, J-Ho, and JET combined to go 12 of 37 from the field (32%) and scored 37 points combined. The shooting percentage and points were actually raised when Terry went on a mini run late in the 3rd quarter and early in the fourth, it could have been much worse. Tony Parker had 38 points by himself. Your not going to win any games in the playoffs when your top 3 scorers combined are outscored by the opposing team's best.
Defensively, the Mavs could not control the painted area nor could they stay in front of anyone driving to the basket. Michael Finley, Tony Parker, Roger Mason, and even Bruce Bowen (yes Bruce Bowen) drove to the basket at will. During the rare occasion that the Mavs would not let someone coast the the basket; Matt Bonner or Bowen would be wide open in the corner for an uncontested 3. The Spurs shot 53% from the game which should have been more, but was lowered during garbage time by their scrubs.
Effort wise, this game was no contest. The Spurs were not going to lose 2 games in a row on their home floor. Popovich made his adjustments, which were: "Tony Parker go out and win the game for us" and "Show more effort on the defensive end". It wasn't rocket science, The Spurs outplayed the Mavericks plain and simple. This isn't an X's and O's thing its who wants it more. Dirk is going to have to play like he is capable of playing as does J-Ho, JET, and Kidd and defensively the Mavericks need to step up and (haven't we heard this before?) stop allowing easy baskets. We are going to find out how bad these Mavs really want it Thursday night and Saturday afternoon here in D-town. The Spurs are going to find out how much different of a team the Mavs are when playing in front of the home fans.

Round 2: Tonight 8:30 pm

The bad news is that San Antonio will be ready to play tonight and will be extremely motivated to avenge losing on their home court Saturday night. The Dallas Mavericks will have a difficult task tonight in winning their 2nd road game in a row, plain and simple. The good news is that if Dallas can get up on the Spurs early, there is a favorable chance that they can demoralize this team. I know it sounds strange considering they have won 4 championships in the last 10 years, but I've got news for you: this is not a championship caliber team.

Three Keys to Victory:

1: Josh Howard vs Michael Finley.
Howard allowed Finley to score 19 points the first game of the series. That is nearly 10 points above his season average and also is unacceptable. J-Ho must give Fin respect on the defensive end because (as he showed in game one) he can still drain an uncontested 3 or mid-range shot. On the offensive end Howard must continue to drive to the basket because, frankly, Michael Finley cannot guard Josh Howard. When Josh pulls up and shoots an off balance shot, he is giving Fin an easy out. Overall Josh should win this matchup hands down, although Finley held his ground game one.

2: Dampier must again control the paint.
Damp is turning into a double-double machine! OK maybe not, but he did get a dub dub last game and his presence was clearly established down low. If he can continue to make Tim Duncan work for his baskets without fouling him and keep a lid on Tony Parker under the basket; the Mavericks will win this series. Of course, those are the Spurs two best players and this key is much easier said that done.

3: How is San Antonio going to stop Jose Juan Barrea?
The little man got whatever he wanted Saturday night. He made easy baskets, when he was covered he dished it to the appropriate player for an easy score, and he even gave Tony Parker trouble on the defensive end. Popovich is a master of matchups and I have good feeling Bruce Bowen will have a good amount of time on JJB (If Barrea starts does Bowen?). Jason Terry would like that. I garauntee without Bowen on him JET might have done a bit better than 12 points. Basically they can pick their poison. Bowen is their only reliable perimeter defender so Pop might want to break out the cloning machine, because with the Mavs role players playing this well they are going to be hard to stop. Regardless, San Antonio's interior defense will have to get better if they want to shut down the Mavericks offense or at least not allow 54% shooting.

It will be a difficult game, the Spurs will not go quietly and with a win tonight will even the series 1-1. But the Mavs still have home court.

Timely Hitting and Solid Bullpen Lead to 6-5 Rangers Win

"...I was just trying to get it up into the air and get something going for my teammates..." Young stated during an interview after the game with Fox Sports Southwest. That he did after he began the day 0 for 3 before nailing a home run which still hasn't landed yet in a gritty home win for the Texas Rangers.

The offense started strong in the first and second innings as Kansas City Royals pitcher Kyle Davies struggled with his control early, but regained his composure and held the Rangers to 3 runs through 6 innings. Rangers starting pitching was ineffective again as Vicente Padilla allowed 5 runs in 5 innings, but the bullpen showed up. Jason Jennings did what he has done thus far this season and pitched 1 and 2/3 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts and had great command of the strike zone. C.J. Wilson responded for the second straight game after getting roughed up in Detroit and came into the game and pitched 1 and 1/3 scoreless innings and had great movement on his fastball. The Rangers hadn't had a hit since the 3rd inning when their bats woke up in the bottom of the 8th. Andruw Jones crushed a pitch that bounced off the top of the left field wall for a double. After an error by Royals first baseman Mike Jacobs on a Hank Blalock grounder moved Jones to third. Nelson Cruz hit into a fielder's choice which scored Jones. Chris Davis came in to pinch hit for Catcher Taylor Teagarden and started off strong with an infield single. Hank Blalock scored from second on a great slide in which his hand hit home plate just before the catcher's glove. Frankie Francisco came in and pitched a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Then, in the bottom of the 9th, Michael Young came up to bat with a chance to win the game. On the second pitch of the inning Young crushed the ball to left center field for a walk-off home run. Gutsy performance by this team and their leader, Mike Young for a comeback win.
Rangers win 6-5.

No-witzki? No JET? No Problem. Mavs take home court 105-97.

Actually Dirk was there as was Jason Terry, but both had sub-par performances by their standards. 19 points and 8 boards for Dirk (foul trouble in the first half), and 12 points for Terry, but Josh Howard along with the Mavericks bench stole the show Saturday night in San Antonio.

Three Keys to victory for the Dallas Mavericks:

1: The Bench:
The Mavericks bench combined to shoot 17-31 from the field and outscored the Spurs bench 39-14. This wouldn't normally be a huge deal if it was Terry leading the way, but Terry only scored 4 points in the second half. The majority of the damage came from the poorest man's Steve Nash: Mr. Barea. Not only did he provide an extreme energy boost off the bench (the turnaround at the 5:00 min mark in the 2nd coincided with him and Bass coming off the bench) but he also provided some tough defense against Tony Parker, drawing 2 offensive fouls against him in crunch time of the fourth quarter. JJB finished with 13 points and 3 assists, but his +17 while he was out there shows his affect went beyond his numbers. Let's not forget Brandon Bass, the Animal only missed 2 out of the 9 shots he took scoring 14 points along with 4 boards and a not too shabby +12 point differential out there. Bass and JJB both had the highest +/- on the team. JET, although not the 20 ppg scorer he had been during the regular season, did shoot 50% from the field and nailed a couple of threes. That's the best thing about this win; JET (and Dirk) didn't have to carry the load, the rest of the bench showed up big tonight. This is definitely a good sign if the Mavs plan on going deep into the playoffs.

2: Erick Dampier:
Going back to the regular season this was the 4th time in the last 6 games that Damp has recorded a double-double. 11 points, 10 rebounds, and spectacular block on The Big Fundamental that sent many fans off their couches here in Mavs land. Although Duncan came ready to play (27 points and 9 rebounds) Dampier made him work for every basket he got. Although he did rack up 5 fouls, the Spurs didn't shoot many free throws (Duncan was 1 for 1 from the line) which helped keep the flow of the game in the Mavs favor. More importantly, Big Damp controlled the paint and didn't allow Mr. Longoria to get many of the easy baskets he normally does. Tony Parker missed 13 of the 22 shots he took, largely because of the big man defending him at the rim without fouling him.

3: Josh Howard:
After a shaky first quarter which included 2 wild passes thrown into the 5th row along with ill advised shots and defensively letting old man Finley take him to school on the offensive end; J-Ho came to life from the 4:00 mark of the second quarter on. Howard began to show the same positive tendencies he had shown the last 5 games of the regular season. He led the team with 25 points and threw in 4 boards, 3 assists, and a steal while shooting 50% from the field. Josh started with 4:00 minutes left in the second quarter. He scored 9 points to close out the quarter which coincided with the Mavericks cutting the deficit (after being down by 13) to 45-49 going into halftime. J-Ho scored the majority of his points when the Mavs began to take control in the 3rd quarter. He scored 13 points in the quarter, while also making a great pass on a resounding dunk from Erick Dampier. Howard didn't play in the fourth quarter because his ankle began to stiffen up. But he didn't have to, as he had dropped 25 in the first 3 quarters.

Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry combined for 31 points and the Dallas Mavericks still beat the San Antonio Spurs by 8 points. Unbelievable effort from the role players tonight as the Mavs made the Spurs fans file to the exits with about a minute and a half left in the game. What is going to happen when Dirk and JET get going and if the rest of the team keeps playing with this chip on their shoulder? Talk amongst yourselves.
Final score 105-97.



Side Note: During the first quarter, Dirk Nowitzki was being consistently beat-up by SA defenders so he decided to let the referees know about it. Just before Dirk started walking over to the bench after receiving his 2nd foul, the PA announcer decided he was going to tell Dirk over the Arena loudspeaker to "stop whining".
Number 1: This is outlandishly unprofessional to talk to a player on the opposing team over the loud speaker period, even more so when you are antagonizing said player.
Number 2: Isn't it ironic that someone who announces for Crater Face and the Palms Up Gang (see picture above) would call out a player from the other team for whining? Tim Duncan is one of the whiniest players in all of sports but somehow he has this reputation among commentators [who haven't watched a game featuring the team they are commentating on] that he "never complains" and only does when "he knows its a foul".
Number 3: I say its payback time. Humble Billy Hayes anyone? Next time Duncan goes palm's up at the AAC: "Stoooooooooooooooooooooooooop whining bitch"

Mavs-Spurs Series Going to be Epic...Timmeh!

Get ya popcorn ready. One of only 2 teams to beat the Spurs in the playoffs since the start of the millennium (the other is the L.A. Lakers), the Dallas Mavericks begin the difficult task of trying to knock off their hated rival. In order for the Mavericks to succeed in this series, there are a few things that must happen:
Three Keys:
1: Dallas must find a way to contain the paint against the Spurs only driver, Tony Parker.
Parker has absolutely ripped the Mavs this year averaging 31 ppg (up nearly 10 ppg over his 22 point average for the season). Parker will inevitably look for his shot even more with Ginobili out, as he proved the last two times these two teams faced wherein he averaged 38 ppg and took 32 and 25 shots in those two games. His strength is getting to the rim and finishing. Antoine Wright must stay in front of Parker and if he gets by him it's up to Damp (and maybe Hollins?) to make sure these buckets aren't so easy but to also maintain their responsibilities in defending Timmeh Duncan. Jason Kidd must offset some of Parker's scoring by making a few baskets of his own and turning the tables on S.A.'s big men by driving the lane, posting up Mr. Longoria from time to time, and finishing at the basket (yes I'm talking to you Kidd).
2: Josh Howard must play like he has the final 5 games of the season.
Diving for loose balls, fighting for offensive rebounds, scrappy play leading to steals, lockdown type defense and a propensity for getting to the rim - all while having a chronic left ankle injury. J-Ho has shown what so many have said he has lacked at times during last two seasons: Heart. Now its time to continue the trend against a team he has had success against in the past. In two games against the Spurs this year he has averaged 21.5 points and 9.5 boards. In the last game on March 4th in a win he scored 29 points while also grabbing 7 boards and relentlessly attacking the basket in crunch time. If he can show this is no mirage and that he is a fighter, the Mavs have a good shot.
3: Dirk has to be Dirk.
It sounds simple and most of us forget about it (until the Mavs lose so we all blame it on him) but Dirk Nowitzki has to perform like the MVP player that he is in order for the Mavericks to advance. Mavs fans take this guy for granted all year long: 26 ppg, 8.5 boards, 3 assist, 24 straight 20 point or more games (longest in the league this year). Dirk has to do what he hasn't done only once his entire career. Show up. Only vs Golden State two years ago was there a playoff series where Dirk has not played like himself. This is the easy one. Dirk has had success against S.A. in the past and has shown a real tenacity (hatred?) to work hard and get to the rim against this team which elevates his game even higher. If Dirk plays like himself that is the first domino to fall and it makes this series much easier for the Mavs fan to watch.

Tony Parker will get his and Tim Duncan will show that he has been saving up for the playoffs all year, but Dallas will stand its ground. Dirk will play like the MVP player that he is, J-Ho will tough it out on his bum ankle, Kidd will provide the toughness and leadership this team needs, and the bench will severly outperform the Spurs. This will culminate in a 7 game series and the Mavs will get out of the first round for the first time since 2006.
Mavericks Over Spurs 4-3.

One Good Eyed Chris Canty Hints Romo is "Overrated"?

He is looking past you, well around you . OK technically one eye is looking at you while the other looks around you.

Uh oh. Get your I hate NY shirts out. On SNY TV in New York, newly hated "Giant" Chris Canty was asked the question "Do you think Tony Romo is overrated?" To which he replied, "no comment". Now I think this is all about adding more fuel to the flames of the Dallas-NY rivalry, I understand that. But I also see how he might be a little pissed at the Cowboys for giving him a re-up on a deal. Oh and he loves him some T.O. He referred to Owens as a "scapegoat" and said that Owens was not the problem in the locker room. Hrmm I wonder why they are both gone now...

Oh and he is either really stupid or blinded by his new found loyalty to his NY teammates. On this same show he was asked who was better Justin Tuck or Demarcus Ware. Of course he said...WHAT?! Tuck is better than the player who should have won Defensive Player of the Year Ware? H-o-l-y Shitballs, lets go to the stats:

Ware: 84 Total Tackles, 9 For Loss. 20 Sacks. 6 Forced Fumbles.
Tuck: 67 TT, 10 FL. 12 Sacks. 3 FF.

In all fairness to Justin Tuck, he had a solid if not spectacular year. But the year Ware put up is one for the ages, arguably the best year for a LB in Cowboys history. Not a fair comparison but the one eyed monster does have a new team and he gots to show respect.

Royal Ass Whipping

In the DFW area, if you've heard it once you've heard it a thousand times; "I can't believe those Ranger's pitchers are that terrible". Well this is one night you heard it more than a thousand if you were at the ballpark because tonight was fireworks night at the ballpark, so not only were there more than a couple thousand people in the seats tonight (24,062 to be exact) but also most people stayed. What a night for fireworks, the Rangers get their ass kicked 12-3 (should have ended 12-0 but the Kansas City Royals took pity on us an unleashed their shitty pitcher parade) and the forecast called for a mild, rainy night. On this night you couldn't blame the hell on earth Texas summer jet stream for this pathetic outing. No the temperature at game time was in the low 60's, and although it didn't precipitate during the course of the game; it did rain hits for the opposing team. 19 to be exact. 3 home runs completely crushed. There are a couple of good things to point out though:
Starting pitcher Matt Harrison is only 23 years old and he did not quit out there (maybe that was the problem?). Give this kid some time and we might just have a good young pitcher on our hands that we can trade away for nothing.
This loss puts the Rangers 1 game under .500 which, considering the last few years, is an extremely strong start from this team.
The Rangers on paper did well putting up 12 hits themselves but weren't able to string much together (aka hit in the clutch) and only got 3 runs in garbage time on whom one Ranger announcer called the "worst pitcher in the league last year...statistically."
All-in-all most of us don't expect all that much from the Rangers this year, keeping this up while letting the younger players get some much needed experience while finishing somewhere around the .500 mark would be a good start. But for now the Rangers just lost to the Royals, and that is certainly not good.