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.
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