Rangers Weather The Storm, Beat Yankees 7-3.

Texas 1st baseman Chris Davis celebrates after hitting a solo home run, Davis hit 2 home runs on the day to help the Rangers to victory.
The Texas Rangers weathered not only an actual storm (which delayed the start of the game 2 hours and 24 minutes) but a storm of Yankee hits (13 to be exact) to pull out a win.

Texas managed to knock Joba Chamberlain out of the game early after scoring 3 runs on him in only 4 innings of work. The Rangers then knocked around the New York bullpen to the tune of 4 more runs in their 4 innings of pitching. Yankees' relief pitcher Alfredo Aceves allowed 3 earned runs and saw his ERA jump from 1.84 to 3.24 and received the loss (3-1).

Ranger starting pitcher Kevin Millwood managed to get through 5.2 innings but faltered after the Rangers gave him a 3-0 lead after 4 innings. Millwood walked 4 batters, allowed 9 hits, and 3 earned runs. Jason Jennings relieved Millwood to get the final out of the top of the 5th and the first out of the 6th before his night was done. Jennings got the win (2-1). Texas managed to persevere through New York's 13 hits by turning 3 double plays on the game. New York left 12 runners on base for the game.

The Rangers bottom of the 1st started out with a triple from Ian Kinsler that turned out to be insignificant. Michael Young followed Kinsler with a grounder to the third base side. Kinsler tried to fake to home in order to create some hesitancy in New York 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez but his plan backfired as Rodriguez faked a throw to first and immediately ran at the 3rd base bag. A-Rod dove and touched the bag with the ball in his hand and in a close play Kinsler was out at 3rd on a fielder's choice. Amazing play by Rodriguez, somewhat of a head-scratching decision on Ian's part. Josh Hamilton came up next and hit into another fielder's choice, this time Young was out at second. The inning that started out with a runner on 3rd and 0 outs was now 2 outs and J-Ham on 1st. Luckily for the Rangers, hot hitting Nelson Cruz came up to bat next and knocked a double to left field that put runners on 2nd and 3rd. David Murphy followed with a walk to load the bases and then Marlon Byrd hit a 2-2 pitch to right field for a single. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz both scored, giving the Rangers their first lead of the series at 2-0. Chris Davis followed with his 67th strikeout of the season to end the inning.

Texas struck again in the bottom of the 4th in their first at-bat of the inning. Chris Davis ended a 1 for 30 slump on an 0-1 pitch that he sent deep over the center field wall, making it 3-0 Rangers. That would be all for Texas though as Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out and Omar Vizquel and Ian Kinsler both flied out to end the inning.

The Yankees would strike back quickly in the top of the 5th. Kevin Millwood started off the inning strong as he got New York shortstop Derek Jeter to ground out and then left fielder Johnny Damon to fly out to get 2 quick outs. Unfortunately for the Rangers Ace, the first pitch Yankees 1st baseman Mark Texeira saw was driven deep to right field into the upper deck for a home run that put New York on the board 3-1. Yankees 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez reached next on an infield single that bounced off of Millwood's hand, but that was all for New York as 2nd baseman Robinson Cano hit a liner to Ian Kinsler's glove to end the inning.

New York wasn't finished yet and continued their string of hits in the top of the 6th. Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner (who came into the game in the 1st inning after Melky Cabrera was injured chasing Ian Kinsler's triple) led off the inning with a single and then stole second base. New York had 5 steals and Gardner had 3 by himself for the game. Yankees DH Hideki Matsui followed with a double to right field that scored Gardner and reduced the Rangers lead to 3-2. Kevin Millwood got right fielder Nick Swisher to strike out but then allowed catcher Francisco Cervelli to single to center field scoring Matsui from 2nd base, and tying the game at 3-3. Derek Jeter followed by hitting into a fielder's choice in which Cervelli was out at second, New York was down to their final out of the inning. Jeter stole second but it didn't matter as Millwood walked Johnny Damon who would be the last batter he faced. Millwood was done after 5 2/3 innings with 2 on and 2 out and Jason Jennings was brought in to clean up his mess. Jennings made a great defensive play after Mark Texeira hit a weak ground ball down the first base line that Jennings charged and made a great throw to 1st to end the inning.

The Texas bottom of the 6th started out harmlessly with a David Murphy groundout to 2nd base. Marlon Byrd followed with a double down the right field line. Byrd was 2-4 on the day with 2 RBI's and 1 run. Chris Davis was next and struck out for his 68th of the season. Jarrod Saltalamacchia came up to bat next and delivered with a single to right field that scored Byrd and gave Texas the lead back at 4-3. Omar Vizquel fouled out to end the inning.

The bottom of the 7th started out quick for Texas after Ian Kinsler hit a single on the first pitch he saw and Michael Young hit a double on his first pitch which combined to end the night for Alfredo Aceves. Phil Coke relieved Aceves and the first batter he faced was Josh Hamilton. Hamilton grounded into a sacrifice fielder's choice that scored Kinsler from 3rd and made it 5-3 Rangers. Nelson Cruz was intentionally walked which led to David Murphy hitting a sac fly to center field that scored Michael Young from third and gave Texas even more distance from the Yankees on the scoreboard 6-3. Marlon Byrd flied out to end the inning.

Texas wasn't finished padding their lead yet and the bottom of the 8th started the same way the 4th did; with a Chris Davis home run. Davis took a 1-1 pitch deep over the right field that hit the Kia sign just below the upper deck. Davis was 2-4 on the day with 2 solo home runs and 2 strikeouts. Texas led 7-3 with no outs but the inning would end after a strikeout from Salty, a groundout by Vizquel, and a fly out by Ian Kinsler.

Frank Francisco came for the bottom of the 9th (even though it wasn't a save situation) and didn't allow the heart of the Yankees order to hit the ball beyond the infield. Francisco got Texeira to ground out to second, A-Rod to pop out to the short stop, and the only hit he allowed was an infield single to Robinson Cano. After getting behind in the count 3-0 to Brett Gardner, Francisco settled down and got 3 consecutive strikes looking to end the game.

Texas Wins 7-3

News and Notes:

• Texas is now 27-18, the best record in the American League.
• The Rangers now have a 4-game lead on the Los Angeles Angels after their loss against the Chicago White Sox 4-2.
• Texas has the best record in the American League and the 2nd best in the entire Major Leagues behind the Dodgers. (Didn't know if you saw that the first time and yes I know its early)
• Texas is tied with New York with the best road record in the American league at 12-11.
• Chris Davis hit his 11th and 12th home runs of the year and is now tied for the team lead with Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler. Each are tied for 5th in the American League.
• Rangers Closer Frank Francisco still has not allowed a run this year in 16 and 2/3 innings.

The final game of the New York-Texas 3-game series is tomorrow at 7:05 pm central time. It will be the Yankees final game in Arlington this season. The Rangers go to New York for a 3 game series starting next Tuesday (June 2nd).

Orlando Wins 116-114, Takes Commanding Lead 3-1.

LeBron James was spectacular again with 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists; but yet another amazing 3-pointer at the end of the game (4 seconds remaining in OT) couldn't save the Cavaliers as Orlando now has to win just 1 of the next 3 games to advance.

The Cleveland Cavaliers led by 8 at halftime but their lead had diminished by the 4th as Orlando (who began to take over in the second half) had chipped Cleveland's lead down to 1 at 79-78. The Magic got ahead by as much as 8 in the fourth but couldn't hold on late. Orlando was down 98-97 with 6 seconds left until Rashard Lewis made a turnaround 3-point jumper that gave the Magic a 100-98 lead with only 4 seconds remaining. Then the referee's got involved and bailed the Cavs out with less than a second remaining (0.5). LeBron James drove wildly to the basket and it appeared as though he had tripped over his own feet while simultaneously losing the ball and pushing his defender (Mickael Pietrus) to the ground. Of course, King James got the call and made both free throws including the second which hit every part of the rim before going in, tying the game at 100 all with 0.5 to go. Then, on the other end, Orlando had one last shot to prevent overtime. It appeared as though Dwight Howard was clearly fouled by Anderson Varejao on a lob attempt to the basket, but the refs swallowed their whistles and Overtime was guaranteed.

The OT period was extremely close and the largest lead was when Orlando pulled away and got up 111-105 with 1:12 remaining in overtime. LeBron James immediately brought the Cavs back to within 2 after he got a dunk and made 2 free throws in less than 30 seconds. Orlando responded by going into the paint to Dwight Howard who got fouled and made both of his free throws to give the Magic a 113-109 lead with 21 seconds remaining. Howard made another great play, this time on the defensive end on a James drive to the basket, as he completed capped LeBron which resulted in a jump ball. The Cavaliers managed to steal the tip from Orlando as Delonte West ended up with the ball. James subsequently missed a 3 pointer but Zydrunas Ilgauskas got the offensive rebound and was fouled. After 2 made free throws from Big Z with 7 seconds remaining made it 113-111 Magic, Cleveland quickly fouled Rashard Lewis on the in-bounds play with only 1 second going off the clock. Lewis made both free throws (making it 115-111) and the Cavs took a 20 second timeout with 6 seconds remaining on the game clock. Then it was time for another Horse shot from the King. LeBron James put up a fall away into the Orlando bench three pointer that somehow went in and made it a 1 point game with 4 seconds left. Rashard Lewis was fouled again and only hit 1 of 2 free throws but Cleveland had no more timeouts and couldn't advance the ball. This resulted in a 38 foot shot from LeBron that grazed the left side of the basket to end the game; 116-114 Orlando Magic. Dwight Howard had 10 of Orlando's 16 total points in Overtime after scoring only 4 points in the 3rd and 4th quarters combined.

Orlando's Dwight Howard had 27 points (62.5% shooting), 14 boards, 4 assists, and 3 blocks but the real hero was Rafer 'Skip To My Lou' Alston who had 26 points on 10 for 17 shooting and also went 6 of 12 from distance to lead Orlando's 3 point brigade. The Magic had 80 total field goal attempts for the game. Of those 80, nearly half were from three (38) and Orlando made 17 of those (44.7%) to break their previous franchise record for made three pointers in a game. Who says "jump shooting" teams can't win in the playoffs?

Cleveland, on the other hand, had over 50 points in the paint but were dreadful from behind the arc as they only hit 6 of the 22 three's they attempted (27.3%). Although LeBron was a monster scoring the basketball, on the boards, and in getting his teammates good looks at the rim; critics will note that he did have 8 turnovers for the game including 6 in the 4th quarter and Overtime combined.

• Only 8 teams in NBA history have come back from being down 3-1 in a 7 game playoff series.

Texas Loses The Game 4-3; Gets Swept For The Series.

Nelson Cruz tagged out trying to score a run in the top of the 2nd inning. Texas had the bases loaded and only 1 out in the inning but could not capitalize.


Texas rallied back from down 3-1 in the top of the 8th to tie it at 3-3 but Millwood couldn't hold the tie in the bottom of the 8th and the Rangers lost their 3rd straight game.

The Detroit Tigers, on the other hand, have now won 6 straight games and were led by their starter Edwin Jackson. Jackson came into the game 2nd in the American League in ERA at 2.42 and did not disappoint as he only allowed 3 earned runs, had 7 strikeouts, and scattered 7 hits in 8 innings of work. He improved to 4-2 on the season with the win. Fernando Rodney pitched for the 3rd consecutive game and got his 2nd straight save for his 8th of the season.

Kevin Millwood, 8th in the AL in ERA, had a normally adequate outing with 8 innings pitched and 4 earned runs on 6 hits; but the Rangers couldn't put enough runs on the board to win the game. Millwood got the loss and is now 4-4 for the season. Home runs led to his downfall as he allowed 2 for the game which led to 3 runs for the Tigers. Both pitchers combined to throw 253 pitches for the game.

Texas started it off in the top of the 1st, after an Ian Kinsler pop out, David Murphy took the second pitch that he saw deep over the right field wall to make it 1-0 Rangers. It was his 2nd home run of the season. The runs would stop there, though, as Michael Young and Hank Blalock had consecutive ground outs to the shortstop to end the inning.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, Detroit came right back in the bottom of the 1st to tie it. After a fly out to center field by Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson and 2nd baseman Placido Polanco grounded out; Clete Thomas hit a monster home run over center that tied the game at 1-1. It was Thomas' 1st home run of the year. Millwood got Detroit DH-first baseman Miguel Cabrera to ground out to him to end the inning.

Texas had the bases loaded with only 1 out in the top of the second but couldn't take advantage. It all began after Marlon Byrd grounded out to start the inning. Nelson Cruz singled to center field and then Chris Davis followed with a walk on 4 pitches. This was a wild inning for Edwin Jackson as he walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia next on 4 pitches also. Elvis Andrus followed with a fly ball out to right field. Nelson Cruz tried to tag up and score on the play from 3rd but was called out on a close play at the plate. 2 quick outs and Jackson survived the inning.

Detroit shortstop Adam Everett led off the bottom of the 3rd with a walk on 5 pitches. The Tigers back-up catcher Dane Sardinha struck out looking and then Millwood made a pitch to Curtis Granderson that he would regret. After getting down in the count 2-0, Millwood hung a breaking ball that Granderson took deep over the right field wall for his 11th home run of the year and Detroit had gained the lead 3-1.

Texas came back in the top of the 8th starting with a David Murphy walk. Murphy was 3 for 3 on the day with 2 walks, 2 runs scored, a homer, and an RBI. Michael Young followed with a pop-out but then Hank Blalock scorched a double to right field that gave the Rangers runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out in the inning. Marlon Byrd came up to bat next and couldn't capitalize as he lined out to the shortstop. Nelson Cruz stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball into the gap in center field for a bases clearing double that made it 3-3 all. Nelson Cruz then stole third and he was 2-4 on the day with 2 RBI's and 2 steals. Chris Davis followed with a walk that gave Texas runners on the corners with 2 outs. Unfortunately for the Rangers, Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out swinging to end the inning.

The bottom of the 8th started out well for Millwood after he got Dane Sardinha to strike out and Curtis Granderson to ground out to begin the inning. Placido Polanco was next in the order and knocked a single to center field. Millwood then walked Clete Thomas to put 2 on with 2 outs for the inning. Miguel Cabrera took advantage with a single to center field that scored Polanco from 2nd and gave Detroit a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish. Millwood got the next batter, 1st baseman Kevin Larish, to ground out to end the inning.

Texas threatened again in the top of the 9th after Elvis Andrus walked and David Murphy singled but Ian Kinsler struck out and Michael Young grounded out into a double play to end the game.

Rangers Lose 4-3.

News and Notes:

• Texas had 5 steals as a team for the game (2 by Nelson Cruz). Texas in 6th as a team in Major League Baseball with 29 steals on the season. Ian Kinsler leads the team with 10 and is 8th in the American League.
• Texas has now lost 3 games in a row after winning 7 straight.
• The Rangers have lost 11 games in a row in Detroit dating back to September of 2007.
  
• This was the first series Texas has lost in the month of May.
• Texas is now 23-17 for the season and still in 1st in the AL West; leading the Angels by 2.5 games.
  

Detroit comes to Arlington starting July 27th for a 3 game series.

Texas Wins With Pitching, Defense, and Clutch Hitting 3-0

Rangers starter Scott Feldman went 6 innings and didn't allow a run on 4 hits. The Texas pitching staff combined to throw a 5 hit shutout against The Los Angeles Angels.

The Texas Rangers continue to surprise baseball fans everywhere with their play in the month May. Texas is now 13-3 this month and have won 7 straight games overall.

This game was tied 0-0 until the bottom of the 7th inning when the Rangers' batters got it going. Hank Blalock led off the inning with a double to right field on a 1-2 pitch, Blalock was 1-4 on the day. Nelson Cruz got his first and only hit of the day also as he hit a single to left field which put runners on the corners with 0 outs in the inning. David Murphy followed with the go-ahead Sac Fly that scored Blalock from 3rd and gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead. A Chris Davis fielder's choice and a Jarrod Saltalamacchia ground-out ended the inning.

Texas wasn't done as Omar Vizquel began the bottom of the 8th with a triple to the left field corner. Ian Kinsler didn't waste any time and hit the first pitch he saw to deep left field for a double that scored Vizquel, making it 2-0 Rangers. After Michael Young struck out swinging to record the first Texas out of the inning, Marlon Byrd hit another pitch down that same left field line for another double that scored Kinsler from second, giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead. Consecutive strikeouts by Hank Blalock and Nelson Cruz ended the inning, but the 3 runs were all Texas would need going into the 9th.

Darren O'Day came into the game and got the final out for the Rangers for the 8th inning. He returned for the 9th and got the save as he struck out 2 Angels batters and retired all four of the batters he faced for the game. It was O'Day's second save of the season.

Rangers Win 3-0

News and Notes:

• Texas is now 6th in the American League in ERA (4.54), 5th in opponent Batting Average (.260), and first in Saves with 12.
  
• Josh Hamilton made a spectacular catch in the top of the 7th which likely prevented a run from being scored, but injured his groin on the play. He is listed as Day-to-Day.
• Ian Kinsler was 1-3 for the day and collected his 32nd RBI of the season, tying him for 8th in the American League.
• Texas drew their largest crowd of the season with 37,146 fans in attendance.

The Texas Rangers go to Detroit next for a 3-game series starting Tuesday at 6:05 pm.

The Texas Rangers Win In Walk-Off Fashion For the Second Straight Game 3-2

Chris Davis is mobbed at home plate as the Rangers get yet another come from behind victory.

Texas Gets It Done Again Using Great Starting Pitching and The Long Ball
For the second straight game the Rangers refused to quit, as they were down late in the game. Chris Davis hit a 2-run walk off home run to center field to win it for Texas in the bottom of the 9^th. Matt Harrison pitched his second consecutive complete game and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits to go along with 7 strikeouts to get his 4th win of the season (4-2). Harrison lowered his ERA on the season to 4.23.

Felix Hernandez was brilliant for the Mariners as he pitched 7 innings, had 6 K's, and didn't allow a run on 4 Ranger hits. Mariner closer Brandon Morrow couldn't hold it again as he allowed 3 runs on 3 hits (2 home runs) and only got 1 out before the game was through.

Rangers starting pitcher Matt Harrison went into the top of the 4th with 23 consecutive innings without allowing a run. The inning began for Seattle with a single from 2nd baseman Jose Lopez. DH Mike Sweeney followed with a fly out to center and then 3rd baseman Adrian Beltre doubled to deep right center that advanced Lopez from first to third. Seattle had runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out in the inning. 1st baseman Russell Branyan was next up and hit a grounder to Matt Harrison who got the out at first, allowing Lopez to score from 3rd which put Seattle on the board first with a 1-0 lead. Left fielder Wladimir Balentien continued the inning with a double into the left-center field gap that scored Beltre and gave the Mariners a 2-0 lead. Seattle catcher Rob Johnson popped out to end the inning.

Brandon Morrow came into the game in the bottom of the 9th and the first batter he would face was the same one who hit a game-winning 2 run double off of him last night: Hank Blalock. Blalock came up to bat and worked the count to 3-2 before unloading on a high 95 mph fastball. He absolutely crushed the ball as it ended up landing 8 rows deep in the upper deck, narrowing the defecit to 2-1. Nelson Cruz try to follow with another home run but got underneath the pitch and hit a sky high pop up to the shortstop. David Murphy came up to bat and got his only hit of the day at the right time; a double to the right field corner. Chris Davis laid off of the first two high fastballs he saw that were out of the strike zone to get ahead in the count 2-0. Morrow threw another high fastball that was actually in the strike zone and Davis was behind the 96 mph pitch and popped it up into the stands behind home plate. Davis wasn't fooled on the next one as he knew immediately after the ball hit the bat that it was gone as he flipped his bat and ran the bases with his head down, never once looking at the ball. Rangers flooded the field from the dug-out, Davis had hit a 2-run home run to win it.

Rangers Win 3-2

News and Notes:

• Texas has won 4 straight games and their record is 20-14 on the season.
• Texas has now beaten Seattle every time they have played this season (5-0).
• The Rangers are now 9-3 in May with a 3.06 team ERA in the month.
• Matt Harrison won his 4th straight start, improving his record to a team leading 4-2 on the season. His ERA was 7.98 at the start of his winning streak (4.23 now).
  
• Hank Blalock and Chris Davis continue to be tied for the team lead in home runs with 10. Blalock went 1-4 with a home run and Davis was 2-4 on the day with a 2-run home-run.
• Michael Young went 2-4 and has continued to surge since being injured for 2 games earlier in the month. Young leads the team (minimum 50 AB's) with a .348 batting average.
• Ian Kinsler continued his mini-slump and is now 0-7 his last 2 games.

This was a great game to relieve a Mavs induced (maybe some alchohal too?) hang-over, maybe the Rangers are actually going to do something this year (haha jk). Texas now has a 2 game lead on the Los Angeles Angels, who come to town for 3-games starting tomorrow night a 7:05.

Dirk Nowitzki Named To All-NBA First Team

I know this isn't exactly breaking news, but Dirk Nowitzki was named to the All-NBA first team today for the 4th time in the last 5 years. This is the 9th straight year in which Dirk has been on an All-NBA team. Dirk led the NBA this year with the most 20+ point games in a row at 25. His scoring averaged was 25.9 and was good for 4th best in the league. Nowitzki also had a career high tying 26 30+ point games on the year. Dirk was also Western Conference player of the month for Apirl. Nowitzki is the only Dallas Maverick ever to be named to the NBA first team. The Dallas Mavericks also became just the 4th team in NBA history to win 50 or more games for 9 straight seasons. No other Maverick was an All-NBA selection.

Dirk had the lowest amount of "All-NBA points" and "first team votes" of the first team, narrowly defeating Tim Duncan (Dirk had 383 points and Timmeh had 378) who actually had more votes for first team All-NBA with 39 compared to Dirk's 35 (wtf?). Lebron James was the only unanimous pick.

Kobe Bryant, D-Wade, Dwight Howard, and the aforementioned Lebron James round out the first team.

Full ESPN Story.

allas Mavericks Lack D, Composure Needed To Send It Back To Dallas as Nuggets Win 124-110.

Dahntay Jones slams it home as Mavericks' "defenders" look on.

The Dallas Mavericks season is at an end and although the score looks like the Mavericks were dominated...well I guess they were dominated but they tried to make it a game in the 4th quarter. The Mavericks trailed by 7 after the first quarter and 14 in the first half after they allowed 69 points in a single half, the most in franchise playoff history. Denver's lead was still 14 going into the 4th and although the Mavericks continuously got the lead down into single digits in the final period, the Nuggets still finished with that 14 point lead. Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 5 boards to lead the Nuggets to their first Western Conference Finals since 1985. Chauncey Billups was their second leading scorer at 28 and was a leader on the floor both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor all game. It must be nice for Denver fans to have a veteran point guard that they can rely on in the clutch. Denver has won 16 straight games at the Pepsi Center dating back to March 13th.

Dirk Nowitzki led the way for the Mavs with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and a playoff career high with all of his 7 assists in the first half. Dirk was also a beast going to the basket as he attempted 12 free throws and made all of them. Just as the first two games in Denver, Dirk couldn't do it alone and no one else picked up the slack. Kidd was second on the team with 19 points on 6-10 shooting (5-9 from 3-point range). Brandon Bass and JJ Barea played well for the second consecutive game off the bench. Bass was third on the team in scoring with 17 points on 5-9 shooting (7-8 from the free throw line) and also added 7 rebounds. Barea had 7 points and continuously drove to the basket. Dirk can't do it alone, and Dallas is going to have to find some complimentary players this off-season if they want to be a true championship contender (more on that in the weeks to come). Dallas has lost 13 of their last 15 road games in the playoffs.


You may be asking yourself, "How did the Mavericks lose this game?" Here are the many Keys to defeat:

• The Dallas Mavericks allowed the most point in a single half that they have ever allowed in a playoff series (69) on their way to the off-season. The 55 they allowed in the second half wasn't great either.
  
• Jason Kidd was turnover-prone again in Denver with 5 for the game and careless decisions as a team with the ball (13 turnovers) combined with a lack of self control (3 technical fouls) led to the Mavericks demise.
  
• Jason Terry was awful shooting the ball again going 4-13 from the field with 3-10 from behind the arc. The 6th Man of the Year didn't bother to show up for these playoffs and that's a big reason why the Mavericks are going home.
  
• The Mavericks took 34 threes as a team and only made 12 of those (35%).
  
• Dallas allowed Denver to shoot 68% in the first half and 58.5% total for the game.
  
• Chauncey Billups thoroughly outplayed Jason Kidd (more on Kidd's struggles against opposing PG this playoffs coming later in the week) as he scored 28 points on 10-16 shooting (62.5%) while also dishing out 12 assists, grabbing 7 rebounds, and only turning the ball over twice. Obviously it's not just "quick" point guards that give Kidd trouble these days, it's any PG with any sort of offensive repertoire
  
• Dallas was beaten in almost every statistical category. (Points, Shooting Percentage, 3 Point Percentage, Free Throw Percentage, Points in the Paint, Fast Break Points, Second Chance Points, Offensive Rebounding, Defensive Rebounding, Total Rebounding, Assists, and Steals. They tied in blocks and turnovers.)
• Josh Howard was 6 of 16 from the field for 14 points, but was 1-6 from behind the arc and 1-5 from the free throw line while showing the same non-existent defense he has been playing the whole series on Carmelo Anthony as he scored 30 points.
• Erick Dampier played 23 largely inconsequential minutes as he had 6 points and 2 rebounds.

Dallas did fight hard throughout this game but it just wasn't enough as Denver has better talent and a superior team overall. Defensively, this Dallas effort was pathetic and there is no excuse for their lack of effort on that end of the basketball floor. The Mavericks are now faced with many questions going into this offseason, including what to do with Jason Kidd.

Dallas Loses 124-110, Offseason Questions Loom

Mavericks-Nuggets Game 5 Tonight at 8pm.

It looks to get physical again tonight as the Mavericks are fighting for their lives while the Nuggets might end up just fighting.

The Mavericks are going back to Denver tonight, a place in which they have not won since December 31st 2006(6 games including playoffs), with a chance to make the series 2-3 and have another game in Dallas. There has been a lot of bad blood between the Nugget players/family and the Dallas fans so it will be interesting to see how Denver fans respond. There have also been some issues between Antoine Wright and Carmelo Anthony (cheap shot from Anthony pictured above) that have still not been resolved

Three Keys to the First Win in Denver in a LONG time.

1. Dirk Nowitzki: Dirk is going to have to put up the same numbers he did in Game 4 in order for the Mavericks to have shot. Other players on the Mavericks are scoring adequately, but Dallas is playing such terrible defense that they are going to have to score in or near the 110's in order to win and even though Dirk had been averaging 32 points a game before Game 4, it didn't result in a Mavericks victory. That's why this game is going to be so difficult, the Mavs will be in a hostile environment and Dirk will have to score 40+ in order for them to win. If things change on the defensive end (which they won't) Dallas might have a better chance.
2. Jason Kidd: Kidd almost had a triple-double in the last game (15 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists) and must continue to play aggressive yet controlled basketball. He only had 1 turnover in Game 4 and added 3 steals which helped the Mavericks tremendously. J-Kidd is the glue that holds this team together, if he can ramp up his defense and make the 4th quarter plays that he has made all season long, the Mavericks have a chance in this one.
3. Jason Terry: Mavericks fans have been waiting all playoffs for that one breakout game from Terry, especially in the 4th quarter where the Mavericks have struggled the most against Denver. JET has shown that (when he wants to) he can get to the basket on this Nugget team. If he can mix in the occasional drive to the basket while also shooting a good percentage from downtown, Dallas has got a shot. They need 25+ from Terry tonight.

All-in-all it doesn't look good for Dallas this evening. Denver hasn't lost at home thus far in the postseason and their average margin of victory is 18.2 points in their home arena. The Mavericks need big scoring games from Dirk, J-Ho, and JET in order to get this series back to Dallas. The good news for Dallas is that Dirk will post his usual 35+, but unfortunately for the Mavs J-Ho will continue to throw the ball away at inopportune times and throw wild shots toward the rim from the perimeter, Terry will continue to struggle with his shot, and most importantly the defense will be non-existent just as it has been all series long.

Mavericks Lose-Season Over 4-1

Texas Rangers Win 7-1 With Another Strong Outing From Pitching Staff

Texas starting pitcher Scott Feldman earned his second consecutive quality start Tuesday night at the ballpark.

The Texas Rangers won for the 2nd straight game behind 6.1 strong innings from Scott Feldman. Feldman allowed 1 earned run on 4 hits with 109 pitches (68 strikes) on the night. Rookie Derek Holland got the first victory of his Major League career (1-1) and pitched 1.2 innings of no hit ball, throwing 16 of his 20 pitches for strikes. Eddie Guardado also did not allow a hit as 12 of his 16 total pitches were strikes to close the game. Needless to say, Ranger pitchers were aggressive all night long.

Michael Young and Josh Hamilton both returned to the Rangers lineup from injuries tonight and proved how valuable they are for the offense. Michael Young went 3-4 with 3 singles, a walk, and a run scored. Josh Hamilton provided the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 7th when he crushed a high fly ball over the left field wall for a two run home-run. It was Hamilton's 3rd home run of the season and 11th and 12th RBI's. It was his only hit of the day,though, and he did leave 8 runners on base. Seattle starting pitcher Jason Vargas pitched 5 strong innings, only allowing 1 earned run on 5 hits; but Seattle's bullpen failed to hold it late in the game as Mark Lowe blew it by allowing 6 earned runs in 2/3 of an inning pitched.

The Rangers got on the board in the bottom of the 5th on the first pitch of the inning. Chris Davis knocked his 9th home run of the year over the right-center field wall to make it 1-0 Rangers. Jarred Saltalamacchia followed with a groundout to the shortstop and then Elvis Andrus fouled out near the right field wall for the first 2 outs of the inning for Texas. Ian Kinsler and Michael Young followed with back-to-back singles giving the Rangers 2 on with 2 out. Josh Hamilton struck out looking to end the inning.

Texas loaded the bases with only one out in the bottom of the 6th inning, but where unable to capitilize after Jarred Saltalamacchia struck out and Elvis Andrus grounded out to end the inning.

Seattle struck back in the top of the 7th inning. Seattle 1st baseman Russell Branyon led off the inning with a fly out to right field. Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez followed with a single and then subseuently stole second to put him in scoring position. Catcher Kenji Johjima then hit a double to right field that scored Gutierrez and ended Feldman's night with 1 out in the inning. Derek Holland came into the game and got 2nd baseman Yuniesky Betancourt on the first pitch to ground out to second base which advanced Johjima from 2nd to 3rd and made it 2 outs for the inning. Holland then got pinch hitter Wladimir Balentien to ground out to Elvis Andrus to end the inning.

The Rangers started off the bottom of the 7th with an Ian Kinsler groundout. Michael Young followed with his third hit of the night, a single to right field. 3rd place hitter Josh Hamilton came to the plate and crushed a 0-1 pitch to deep left field, giving the Rangers a 3-1 lead they would not relinquish. Andruw Jones followed by beating out an infield single to the shortstop. Marlon Byrd followed with a double but Ichiro's arm strength in right prevented Jones from trying to score on the play. Nelson Cruz came up next and hit a sac fly to deep right field that allowed Jones to score and Byrd to advance to 3rd base. The Rangers were up 4-1 but down to their last out of the inning. Cruz was 1-4 for the game with an RBI, his 22nd on the season. Chris Davis came to the plate and hit a line shot off of 1st baseman Russell Branyon's glove that was charged as an error and scored Byrd from 3rd, making it 5-1. Jarred Saltalamacchia followed with a double all the way to the right field wall that scored Chris Davis and allowed Saltalamacchia to move to 3rd on the throw to the plate, giving Texas a 6-1 lead. Elvis Andrus continued the inning by beating out an infield single that was bobbled by Seattle 3rd baseman Adrian Beltre, scoring Saltalamacchia from 3rd and giving the Rangers a 7-1 lead. Ian Kinsler followed with a single and Michael Young walked to load the bases for Josh Hamilton. Hamilton was unable to duplicate his heroics from the beginning of the inning and struck out swinging to end the 7th. Texas scored 6 runs on 7 hits and batted around in the inning.

Derek Holland came back out for the 8th for a quick 3-up 3-down inning on the Mariners 1-3 hitters (Ichiro, Jose Lopez, Ken Griffey Jr.).
Eddie Guardado came in for the top of the 9th and pitched a perfect inning with no hits and a strikeout.

Texas Wins 7-1.

News and Notes:

• Texas is now 18-14 on the season and are 1 game ahead of the surging Los Angelos Angels for the American League West division lead.
• The Rangers have now won 6 out of their last 8 games.
  
• Texas has won 2 straight games and 3 straight at home dating back to May 2nd against the White Sox.
• Texas leads the Major Leagues in strikeouts (259). Seattle pitchers had 8 K's on the night.
  
• Texas is last in the Majors in walks (83).
  
• The Rangers team ERA for the month of May is 3.24 and they are allowing opponents a lowly .216 batting average against.
  

Dirk Nowitzki Leads Mavericks to First Victory of Series 119-117

Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 44 points(19 in the 4th quarter) and 13 rebounds to will the Mavericks to a win.


"We are going to keep our composure, and we are going to win this game." - Carmelo Anthony in a halftime interview for TNT.

Denver did keep their composure(somewhat) but Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks had different plans as they outscored the Nuggets in the second half of tonight's game 66-54 to stay alive another game. Denver led by 11 after the first quarter and were up by as much as 14 in the second before leading by 10 at halftime. Tempers flared all night long with Dallas (after Carmelo pushed Antoine Wright's face and only received a technical) coming up on the short end of the stick with 4 technical fouls and 2 flagrant fouls for the game; Denver had 3 techs and 0 flagrant fouls. The Mavericks fought through this, however, and trailed by only 5 going into the 4th quarter. Dallas took the lead 114-112 on a Dirk Nowitzki jumper with 1:05 left in the game. This was the first time Dallas had led in the game since being up 6-2, three minutes into the first quarter and Dallas would not relinquish it this time. After 2 Dirk free throws, the Mavericks were up 118-114 with 8 seconds left. Carmelo Anthony tried to play hero again for the Nuggets and hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left. Denver fouled Jason Terry and he made the first free throw then intentionally missed the second which gave The Mavericks a 119-117 lead and left Denver no time for a desperation shot.

Carmelo Anthony led Denver with a career playoff high 41 points and also added 11 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to back up his winning prediction. Chauncey Billups was second in scoring and had 24 points and 7 assists while going 10-10 from the free-throw line. J.R. Smith was deadly again from behind the arc going 2-3 for the game and hit 3 shots to beat the buzzer (one was off the backboard and in from deep; Bobby Jackson style) in the 4th quarter that kept Denver ahead. Smith had 19 points for the game on 70% shooting from the floor. Without Chris Anderson, Denver's interior players were largely ineffective as Nene went 2-5 from the floor and had 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Mr. Tough Guy Kenyon Martin showed his awesomeness as he went 1-4 from the field for 2 points and 2 rebounds in 33 minutes. Dirk Nowitzki scored 43 on him (mostly) and K-Mart committed a foul on Dirk with 8 seconds left that fouled him out. But at least he is still supa gangsta though and tried to taunt Mark Cuban after the game was over (as he stood a good 100 feet away from him) by saying "Keep walking, f*ggot mother f*cker! Keep walking. You still have to go to Denver b*tch!" That's some true gangsta shit when you antagonize people you know aren't going to do anything. Not to mention he was yelling obscenities at random Maverick fans (who were just trying to get a drink after the game), security personnel, and anyone else who would listen to his crazy ass ramblings.
Note to K-Mart: Cuban could buy you and sell you in 5 minutes and your not tough dude and your not hood, you live in the richest suburb of Arlington (before that you lived with your mother in Denver). Just because you date a female rapper that USED to be somewhat famous and you went to Bryan Adams High School doesn't make you Tookie Williams.

Josh Howard was beaten on the defensive end consistently all night long (hence Melo's 41 points) but did score 21 points and grab 11 rebounds in a gritty effort. Jason Terry only scored 12 off the bench but Brandon Bass and JJ Barea stepped up big as Bass had 11 points and 6 rebound on 4 of 6 shooting in 28 minutes. Bass was the primary option at center after Erick Dampier fouled out in the 4th quarter. Barea had 10 points on 5 of 8 shooting and relentlessly attacked the basket while he was on the floor. This got the crowd into it and for the first time this series Barea made a positive contribution to the Mavs. Jason Kidd was beaten off the dribble guarding Billups all night long but did contribute as he scored 13 points on 50% shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds, dished 6 assists, and got 2 steals while only committing 1 turover for the game. His sturdy play in the 4th quarter was a big reason Dallas won this game. Erick Dampier had 0 points, 5 turnovers, 6 fouls, and only 4 rebounds in 23 minutes; but did play OK defense on Nene. Score!

Just like the last game there is only 1 key to this one:

Key to Staying Alive:

1. Dirk Nowitzki: Dirk's stat line for the night: 44 points, 14-25 from the floor, 16-17 from the line, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block. If that's not an MVP performance I don't know what is. Much was made of his inability to score in the 4th quarters of this series as he had only averaged 4 points per 4th. Dirk scored 19 of the Mavericks 34 total 4th quarter points ( 56%). He also led Dallas to win the rebound battle at 50-34 while also leading the Mavericks in inside baskets as they beat Denver in points in the paint for the first time all series. Dirk also had the highest +/- of any Maverick with +12. Nowitzki just refused to lose in the 4th quarter of this game especially and this is why Dallas won for the first time in their last 3 games.
   

Dallas has still never been swept in a 7-game playoff series, although this moment might be fleeting for Mavericks' fans as Dallas' season will likely come to an end Wednesday in Denver. But, hey, at least they didn't get swept by these knuckle-heads.

The Dallas Mavericks Look to Avoid Getting Swept Tonight in Big-D at 8:30pm

Is a win tonight in Dallas a slam-dunk for the Denver Nuggets?

The Denver Nuggets have won 8 straight games against Dallas dating back to last season. Dallas has shown ineptitude in the fourth quarter throughout the series and a sweep looks imminent after the heartbreaking game 3 loss on Saturday. The good news, however, is that Dallas has never been swept in a 7 game series.

3 Keys to Avoiding a Sweep:

1. Inside Presence: The Mavericks attacked the basket in game 3 and that led to a winnable game at the end of the fourth quarter. Brandon Bass led the way with 16 free throws and the Mavericks shot 49 as a team. Because of the combined foul trouble on Denver's bigs (which can be attributed to getting to the basket) Dallas was also able to play with a smaller lineup featuring Bass at power forward and Dirk at center. This is the optimal Dallas scoring lineup, especially inside. They are not likely to get that many calls in game 4, but driving to the basket opens up the offense for everyone on the floor. Three point shots become less contested as defenders tend to collapse on the paint when perimeter players drive or when Dirk Nowitzki or Bass take it down low with their back to the basket. On the defensive end the Mavericks also made Denver work for the majority of the game to get easy baskets. Erick Dampier must play with a sense of enthusiasm that he has lacked the majority of the series.


2. Bench Play: The Mavericks bench also played better in game 3 as they outscored Denver's bench 35-18 for the second time in a row this series. Denver's 6th man J.R. Smith was limited to 10 points on 3 for 10 shooting which allowed Dallas to have a chance late. Jason Terry must step up in the fourth quarter like he has done all season in order for the Mavericks to avoid elimination. JJ Barea has been held down this series and likely won't contribute tonight either. Brandon Bass' strong play must also continue if Dallas wants a shot at a win.


3. Jason Kidd: Kidd's greatest strength this season has been the way in which he has played in close games in the 4th quarter. He has not shown this same characteristic thus far against the Nuggets and also hasn't shown a penchant for finding open players as he has only averaged 5.3 assists this series down more than 3 from the 8.7 he averaged throughout the course of the regular season. He has averaged more than 10 ppg and shot 48% for the series, and this needs to continue into the 4th quarter when it matters the most. This is the biggest key because in order for the Mavericks to win this game, Kidd must outplay Chauncey Billups in the 4th quarter.

I expect Dirk Nowitzki to have another huge game as no Denver defender can stop him anywhere on the basketbal floor. The last game will not faze the Mavericks and they will come out with an energy that Denver will lack. I expect a big lead in the first quarter but Denver will make it a close game late but late game heroics from the Jasons (Kidd,Terry) and maybe even a big shot from Dirk wins it for Dallas. Unfortunately for Dallas, this will not be the case Wednesday in Denver, but they live to fight another day and the Nuggets will get to celebrate their first playoff victory in 15 years on their home floor.

Dallas Wins. Down 3-1 in Series.

Rangers Beat White Sox 7-1 Behind Vicente Padilla's Strong Outing

Vicente Padilla (W 2-2) Pitched 7 Innings and Only Gave Up 1 Run on 1 Hit For the Game.

Hank Blalock had 2 home runs and Chris Davis added another as the Texas Rangers continued their recent hot steak. The offensive performance combined with an excellent start from Padilla gave the Rangers a solid win in Chicago. Let's break it down:

Texas got on the board first early in the 2nd inning when Hank Blalock crushed a 2-1 pitch over the right field wall to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. That would be all for the inning as Nelson Cruz, David Murphy, and Chris Davis were put out in order to end the 2nd.

Chicago came right back in the bottom of the 2nd as Padilla struggled with his control. He started off with a walk of White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye on 5 pitches. DH Jim Thome followed with another 5 pitch walk and the White Sox had runners on first and 2nd with no outs. Padilla started out the next batter with 2 straight strikes and caught a break when he got Paul Konerko to ground into a double play, Dye advanced to third. Vicente then threw a wild pitch to Chicago third baseman Wilson Betemit, which allowed Dye to score from third. Padilla then settled down to get Betemit to pop out to end the inning. His stats for the inning: 1 run allowed on 0 hits, 2 walks, and a wild pitch.

The Rangers got off to a quick start in the 5th inning on offense after Chris Davis hit a 1-1 pitch for a home-run to right-center, giving Texas a 2-1 lead. The inning was not done yet this time, though, after Jarred Saltalamacchia struck out Elvis Andrus singled to center field. Ian Kinsler followed with a bunt down the third base line for a single which gave the Rangers runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Omar Vizquel followed with a double that scored Andrus from 2nd and put Ian Kinsler on 3rd to give Texas a 3-1 lead. A drawn walk from Marlon Byrd loaded the bases but Hank Blalock followed with a pop out that left the Rangers with 2 outs. Chicago White Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon seemed to be having some control issues of his own as Nelson Cruz followed with a walk that brought home Kinsler and gave the Rangers a 4-1 lead. This left the bases loaded and finished Colon's night at 4.2 innings pitched and 5 earned runs on 5 hits. Clayton Richard relieved Colon and David Murphy hit an infield single that scored Vizquel from third, making it 5-1 Rangers. Chris Davis flied out to end the inning.

After consecutive fly-outs to the center fielder by Omar Vizquel and Marlon Byrd to start the top of the 7th, Hank Blalock came up to bat. Blalock hit yet another home-run over the right filed wall to make it 6-1 Rangers. Nelson Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Vicente Padilla pitched a perfect bottom of the 7th against Chicago's 5-7 hitters. Padilla started the inning with Jim Thome and got him to strike out swinging. He followed that with a 2 pitch at- bat to Paul Konerko who popped out to left field and other 2 pitch at-bat that got Wilson Betemit to line out to Elvis Andrus to end the inning. Vicente Padilla night was finished and he got his ERA under 5.00 for the first time since his first game of the season (April 8th).

David Murphy led off the top of the 8th for the Rangers with a single to center field. Chris Davis followed with a double to the right center field wall that scored Murphy and made it 7-1 Texas. Saltalamacchia popped out, Andrus struck out, and Ian Kinsler grounded out to end the inning for the Rangers.

With the win today, the Rangers completed a 7 game road trip with a 5-2 record to bring their record to 17-14 on the season. Texas is 7-3 so far in the month of May.

Rangers Win 7-1

News and Notes:

• Hank Blalock is now tied for the team lead in Home Runs (9) with Ian Kinsler. Both players are tied for 4th in the American League.
• Chris Davis is tied for 8th at 8 Home Runs on the season.
• Michael Young missed his second consecutive game and is listed as Day-to-Day.
• Hank Blalock (2 RBI's) and Nelson Cruz (1 RBI) now both have 21 RBI's a piece for the season and are tied for 2nd on the team behind Ian Kinsler's 28.
  
• Vicente Padilla is now 2-0 in the month of May after starting 0-2 for the season. He has allowed 1 earned run (this game) and had 0 earned May 5th, against Seattle.
  

Non-Call (After 61 Calls) Leads to Mavericks Demise: 106-105

Whistles blew all night with both teams combining to shoot 89 free throws.

The Dallas Mavericks lost a heart-breaker Saturday night in Dallas after officials (including 2006 Finals nemesis Bennett Salvatore) refused to blow the whistle on an obvious Antoine Wright foul on Carmelo Anthony with 3 seconds remaining. With 5.5 seconds left Denver in-bounded the ball down 105-103 to the Mavericks. Carmelo received the pass, bobbled the ball and was obviously fouled twice (as the Mavericks had a foul to give) without any of the three officials blowing the whistle. Carmelo put the ball back down on the floor after the foul and faded to his right behind the three point line near the Mavericks bench and drained a 3-pointer with 1 second left; putting the Nuggets ahead 106-105. The league officially admitted they were wrong in not calling the foul on the play, unfortunately for the Mavericks this was 2 hours after the game was over.

It all began Jason Terry hit a 3-pointer with 31 seconds remaining to put Dallas ahead 105-101. Terry had 17 points for the Mavericks off the bench including 2-4 from behind the arc. Denver followed 3 seconds later with a Carmelo Anthony dunk that made it 105-103. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs with 33 points and 16 rebounds but it wasn't enough at the end and Dirk missed 4 good looks at the basket in the last 2 minutes of the game; including a crucial miss with 7 seconds left which gave Denver the opportunity they eventually capitalized on. Brandon Bass had 16 off the bench and was a monster in the paint as he shot 14 free throws and made 12.

Chauncey Billups led the Nuggets with 32 points and Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points and had 8 rebounds in Denver's winning effort. It was not an especially stellar shooting night for either team as the Nuggets shot 42% from the field and Dallas shot 40%. The majority of scoring for the game was at the free throw line. Dallas went 40-49 and Denver went 32-40 to account for 72 of the games' 213 total points.

No Three Keys are needed for this game, only one.

Key To a Mavs Devastating Loss:
Many Mavericks fans will point at the last play of the game and the non-call as the reason Dallas is now down 0-3 in this 7 game series. I will agree (and so has the league) that obviously the officials for the game missed one here, but the Mavericks had every opportunity to distance themselves from the Nuggets late in this game and didn't capitalize. Dallas allowed an easy dunk to Carmelo and their MVP player settled for contested shots at the end that allowed Denver a shot at winning that they should not have had to begin with. If the Mavericks were truly ready to advance to the Western Conference finals they wouldn't have had to rely on a foul call to win a game. A few thoughts:

• Antoine Wright should have wrapped Carmelo Anthony up immediately after he bobbled the ball to get the call. Many times referees will let physical play slide at the end of games. Except for when D-Wade has the ball...
  
• I thought there was no way in hell that fade away 3-pointer from Melo was going to go in, give Anthony all the credit in the world for an incredible shot to win it.
  
• Even if Dallas had gotten the foul, Denver would have still had 2 seconds to in-bound the ball and they have the shooters (Billups, J.R. Smith, Carmelo) that could have hit that 3.

All in all, Mavericks fans are used to getting screwed out of games; was anyone really that surprised Salvatore would screw them again? The Dallas Mavericks need to cut down on their excuses and realize that they had this game and they alone lost it, they gave Denver that chance and it cost them. The good news for Mavs fans is that the Mavericks have never been swept in a 7 game series, so history tells us Dallas will take one on their home floor before bowing out.

Mavs-Nuggets Game 3 in Dallas Today at 4:00pm

Dirk Nowitzki has fought hard trying keep the Dallas Mavericks in this series. Will anyone else?

Dirk Nowitzki has averaged 31.5 points and 9.5 rebounds this series. Unfortunately for the Mavericks this hasn't led to a win. Look for things to change tonight at home as I expect a revitalized effort from this Mavericks team and a big game from Jason Terry. The Mavericks are 17-1 at home since the All-Star break (yes I know the one loss is Denver but Dallas was without Josh Howard and Jason Kidd for that one and still only lost by 2 points) including the playoffs; so if they are going to win a game in this series its going to be today. In order for the Mavericks to get a win these questions must be answered.

Three Key Questions:

Will Josh Howard Play?
Josh Howard has not practiced since the loss Tuesday in Denver, but has continually stated that he will go on Saturday "no matter what". How long he will last is another story as he said the same thing before game 2 and only lasted 6 minutes out there while going 0-3 from the field. The Mavericks need J-Ho in order to get a victory here and if he can't go or is ineffective this will be an uphill climb for Dallas all night long. If I were a betting man, I say he plays and the 3 days between games helps him to be somewhat effective if not his usual self.

Will the Mavs Defense Show Up?
Erick Dampier is a big component of this as is Josh Howard, Antoine Wright, and Jason Kidd. Dampier needs to step up and at least stop allowing Nene to have a career game every time these two teams play. If Damp is ineffective yet again I say the Mavs go with Ryan Hollins for the duration. Not just game 3, I'm talking starting game 4 also. If Erica Dampier can't cut it then Dallas needs to put in someone who will at least put up a fight. Josh Howard on Carmelo Anthony is a tricky situation with Howard's ankle injuries so I could see Antoine Wright on Carmelo when he is on the floor. The problem is that Rick Carlisle started Wright in Game 2 and assigned him to be Billups primary defender and put Jason Kidd on the much bigger Melo. This backfired both ways as Billups went for 18 (compared to 6 the last game when he was being guarded the majority of the time by Kidd) and Anthony went for 25 (compared to 23 the 1st game). Carmelo did go 8-21 from the floor so maybe there is something to that match up but if Billups gets hot like he did in the last series its lights out for the Mavericks. I don't see the Mavericks putting up all that much resistance here on the defensive end. The Nuggets are too athletic for Dallas and are getting into the paint at will, but the good news for the Mavs is that Denver is capable of falling in love with that 3-point shot. Bottom line: This is going to be a game in the 110's and Dallas is going to have to have a good amount of offensive firepower to win.

Will Dirk Nowitzki's Recent Off-Court Issues Effect His Play?
I'm sure many people have heard by now the story of Cristal Taylor, (AKA: Chrystal Ann Taylor, Crystal Ann Taylor, Debra Johnson, Shana Mancini, Krista Santiago, Crystal Ann Santiago, Cristal Westerhaus and Crista A. Westerhays) the ex-stripper who was picked up from Nowitzki's house by the FBI. This is new for Dirk and many Mavericks fans because no one has had to deal with something like this from the normally private Nowitzki. Mavs players and Dirk have been saying the right things all week that he is "extremely focused" and the basketball floor will be his "sanctuary" to get away from his problems and that is all well and good but does anyone really know how Dirk is going to respond? I don't know about you, but if I found out that a women I had been seeing exclusively for quite some time was wanted by the FBI, I might not only be freaked out that she was staying at my multi-million dollar house but also distraught that I just lost someone that I really cared about(Dirk had allegedly proposed to on New Years Eve). This also coincides with Dirk being ripped by the two idiots at TNT (Barkley, C-Webb) about letting an opponent know he can "check you", although I think Nowitzki couldn't care less what those 2 geniuses think of him. All-in-all this is going to be a new experience for everyone (players, media, fans, DIRK) involved. Dirk has been in tumultuous moments regarding things that have happened on the court, but never things that involved is personal life. What we do know is that Nowitzki is a professional, and I would expect him to have a big game tonight regardless of what is going on outside of the arena.

Even if Josh Howard cannot play or is ineffective, I could see the Mavericks taking this game at home tonight, simply because of how well they have played(with and without J-Ho) there the last 3 months. Expect a high scoring game and maybe even an overtime or two but also a Mavericks victory.

Mavs win. Series at 2-1 Denver.

Rangers Win 6-0 over White Sox, Move 1.5 Games Ahead of Seattle For Divison Lead

Matt Harrison pitched a complete game shutout and the Texas Ranger hitters manufactured runs tonight against the Chicago White Sox. Harrison allowed only 4 hits for the game, all singles, and had 5 strikeouts in the 2nd complete game shutout of his career.

Rangers starting pitcher Matt Harrison came into the game with 10 straight innings without allowing a run, dating back to April 27th against the Baltimore Orioles. Harrison's streak is now at 19 innings after his 4 hitter tonight. In the third inning of that game in Baltimore, Harrison's ERA had risen to 10.37 for the season; after this game it is 4.79. A key component to his renewed efficiency and effectiveness is his increased sense of urgency on the mound. Instead of wasting time after pitches, Matt Harrison and the rest of the Rangers pitching staff as a whole have been getting into their delivery more quickly which has helped the staff as a whole.

Harrison did get into a bit of trouble in the eighth inning after White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko led off the inning with a routine fly ball that Ian Kinsler dropped (4th error of the season), putting Konerko on first. Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski followed with a pop up near Kinsler that first baseman Chris Davis called for and caught. Harrison then threw his worst pitch of the night as Chicago 2nd baseman Jayson Nix crushed a hanging slider to deep left field that David Murphy caught at the wall. After a single from White Sox center fielder Brent Lillibridge, Harrison settled down and got 2nd baseman Chris Getz to ground out to end the inning.

Even though he was over 100 pitches in the ninth inning, Harrison continued to pitch quickly and had great velocity on his fastball as it was consistently hitting 93 mph on the radar gun throughout the inning. He got a strikeout and consecutive groundouts on Chicago's 2-4 hitters (J.Fields, C.Quintin, J.Thome) to end the inning. Harrison is now 3-2 on the season with the win.

The Chicago White Sox started former 15 game winner Jose Contreras and he continued to struggle with his control as he allowed 2 walks, threw 2 wild pitches, and hit a batter in only 3.2 innings. Contreras allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits in this brief outing and received the loss (0-5). The Chicago crowd cheered loudly as White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen went out to the mound to end Contreras' night and wildly booed him as he walked to the bench. Chicago's bullpen pitched well and only allowed 1 run the rest of the game (4.1 innings) and got the Rangers to strike out 8 times.

The Ranger hitters didn't rely on the long ball to score runs in this game, they relied on small ball. The first inning was a prime example: Ian Kinsler led of the game with a walk and immediately stole second. Omar Vizquel followed with a single up the middle that scored Kinsler from second. This was the only run scored in the inning but was a precursor to the way the Rangers would manufacture runs on the evening.

The Rangers second inning began with a Nelson Cruz strikeout. Cruz had 4 strikeouts on the game for only the second time in his career. The next hitter, David Murphy, hit a grounder to Chicago third baseman Josh Fields but was safe at first after Fields threw too high for the first baseman Paul Konerko who was pulled off the bag. Chris Davis and Taylor Teagarden followed with back-to-back singles which loaded the bases for Ian Kinsler. Kinsler knocked a hard-hit ground ball to the shortstop (former Ranger Lance Nix younger brother) Jayson Nix who threw to second on a fielder's choice and David Murphy scored from third. Jose Contreras followed this up with a wild pitch that allowed Chris Davis to score from third, giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead. Omar Vizquel fouled out to end the inning.

The Rangers' fourth inning began with a double by David Murphy. Contreras threw yet another wild pitch (this time to Chris Davis) that allowed Murphy to advance to third. Davis struck out on the next pitch. Jose Contreras followed this up by hitting the next batter Taylor Teagarden, which gave the Rangers runners at first and third with only 1 out. Ian Kinsler stepped up to the plate and caught everyone off guard by dropping a bunt down the 3rd base line. It will go down as a sacrifice bunt because Ian was thrown out at first but he was going for a single on that one. The sacrifice scored Murphy from third and brought Texas' lead to 4-0. Omar Vizquel followed with a double to right field that scored Teagarden and increased the Rangers' lead to 5-0. Michael Young ended the inning with a strike out.

David Murphy led off the top of the 6th inning with a single to right field. Murphy had a good game and went 2-4 on the night with 3 runs scored. The next batter, Chris Davis, struck out swinging but Murphy was able to move to 2nd on a wild pitch during the at-bat. Taylor Teagarden scored Murphy from 2nd with a double to left field giving the Rangers' a 6-0 lead. After an Ian Kinsler single, Omar Vizquel popped out and then Elvis Andrus grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Rangers win 6-0, are now 16-13 on the season, and have won 6 of their past 7 games.

News and Notes:

• Michael Young's 11 game hitting streak came to an end as he had to leave the game in the 5th inning. Word from the Rangers' trainers is that Young tweaked his back, but will be ok for tomorrow's game.
  
• 42 year old Omar Vizquel replaced Young at 3rd and made an amazing play in the bottom of the 6th as he caught a ball that was smoked his way and managed to throw to second to begin a double-play that got Matt Harrison out of a mini-jam to end the inning. Vizquel has played 5 innings total at 3rd base his entire career. Elvis Andrus replaced Vizquel at second.
• Seattle lost tonight 11-0 to the Twins and have lost 5 straight games going back to Monday against the Rangers'.
• The Rangers are 5th in the American League in steals with 21. Individually, Ian Kinsler (who had another tonight) leads the team with 8 steals and is 5th in the American League.
• Kinsler also leads the Rangers' in RBI's with 27 and is 7th in the American League in that category. Ian also leads the team in Home Runs with 9 which is tied for 3rd. Chris Davis is 10th with 7.
  

Ranger's Five Game Winning Streak Comes to an End in Oakland 9-4

Kris Benson managed to find his way into a game again, and Matt Holliday (pictured above) decided to nail a 3-run homer over of him in the 5th inning. Oakland scored 4 runs total in the fifth inning (2 of them charged to starter Brandon McCarthy) which increased their lead to 9-1 at the time.

Rangers starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who had been having success early in the season, only lasted 4 innings and gave up 7 hits and 7 runs. McCarthy started the fifth inning but quickly allowed consecutive singles to Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki and first baseman Jason Giambi before being pulled in favor of former starter Kris Benson. This was McCarthy's first loss this season (3-1). Oakland started 21 year old Trevor Cahill and he had an impressive outing with only 1 earned run on 5 hits in 7 innings for the first major league win (1-2) of his career.

The two big innings for Oakland were the 4th and the 5th innings in which they scored all of their runs (9).

The Oakland 4th started just as the 5th did with a Kurt Suzuki single. McCarthy followed this up by walking Jason Giambi and outfielder Matt Holliday to load the bases. Oakland designated hitter Jack Cust made him pay by launching an 0-1 pitch over the right field wall for a grand slam, which made it 4-0 Oakland. A's center fielder Ryan Sweeney followed with a strikeout, and then 2nd baseman Bobby Crosby singled to left field. After right fielder Travis Buck flied out to left, third baseman Jack Hannahan doubled to right which scored Crosby and made it 5-0 A's. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera lined out to Marlon Byrd to end the inning.

Texas struck back (somewhat) in the fifth inning after David Murphy led off by flying out to right. Chris Davis came up to bat and on an 0-2 count did to the ball what the Rangers have been doing better than any other team in the majors all year long; hit it out of the ballpark. This brought the lead to 5-1 A's. Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed by flying out and then Ian Kinsler grounded out to the pitcher to end the Ranger 5th.

Brandon McCarthy started the 5th inning but didn't record a single out before being relieved by former 5th starter Kris Benson. Giambi and Suzuki (on a single each) both reached base just as they did in the 4th inning and this inning wouldn't turn out much better. On Benson's third pitch of the game, Matt Holliday hit the ball for a 3-run home run over the wall in deep left center to make the score 8-1 Oakland. Jack Cust grounded out and then Ryan Sweeney singled to left. Former Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby hit a double to the gap in center field which scored Sweeney and made it 9-1 A's. A Travis Buck ground out and a Jack Hannahan strikeout ended the inning.

The Rangers tried to make a comeback in the top of the ninth, down 9-1, against Oakland closer Brad Ziegler who's ERA at the beginning of the game was an outstanding 1.59. Rangers recent call-up Greg Golson, who pinch hit for Marlon Byrd, struck out to start the inning. After Nelson Cruz was safe at first on an Error by Orlando Cabrera, David Murphy hit a double which scored Cruz making it 9-2. Chris Davis followed with a single that put runners on the corners with just 1 out. Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed with a single, scoring Murphy from third and making it 9-3 A's. After old Omar Vizquel came to plate (hitting for Ian Kinsler) and knocked in another run with a double, Brad Ziegler's night was done and the Rangers were within striking distance at 9-4. Unfortunately for Texas, Elvis Andrus and Michael Young each popped out to center field to end the game.

Rangers lose 9-4

News and Notes:

• Even with the loss, Texas is still 15-13 and lead the American League West by 1/2 a game as Seattle lost to Kansas City 3-1.
• Michael Young continued his hitting steak to 11 straight games as he went 2-5 for the game with 2 doubles.
• The Rangers had 11 hits for the game but also left 8 runners on base for the game.
• In 5 games in Oakland for his career Brandon McCarthy has a 11.57 ERA and is 0-3.
• This was the first relief appearance for Kris Benson in his career. He gave up 5 hits and 2 earned runs in 3 innings but did have 3 strikeouts.
  

Apple Computers Not Applicable With Right Wing Propoganda?

Interestingly enough, it seems as though the operating system Mac OS X 10.4.2 becomes unresponsive after too much FoxNews. This is also common with most intelligent people across America and the world.

See for yourself: Apple Support

Dallas Keeps it Close Early, Folds Late 117-105

Chris Anderson dunks the ball with ease as the Mavericks allowed Denver over 50 points in the paint for the second consecutive game this series.

Dirk Nowitzki did his part, but the rest of the Dallas Mavericks didn't contribute much even though Dirk willed Dallas to be down by only 3 points at the end of the third quarter. Josh Howard left the game midway through the first quarter after it appeared that he could no longer play with his injured ankles. He did not return and really no Maverick stepped up in his absence. The game changed when the Nuggets began to double Dirk in the fourth quarter. This set up his teammates for open shots, which they repeatedly missed. An 11-2 run midway through the fourth quarter sealed it as Dallas could not respond to Denver's easy transition buckets and wild three pointers.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 35 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists for the game on 11-20 shooting. Dirk was relentless attacking the basket as he had 13 free throw attempts for the game while making 12 of them. This loss can't be pinned on Dirk as he played MVP caliber basketball throughout the game.

There are many more than 3 keys to this loss so I will break all of them down.

• Jason Terry hasn't played like the 6th man of the year the entire playoffs and although he did score 21 points this game, it took him 18 shots to do so and his +/- while he was on the floor was an atrocious -21; the worst of any Maverick that played in the game. When Josh Howard went out in the 1st quarter, Terry was expected to carry J-Ho's percentage of the burden on offense, but he did not rise to the challenge. Terry continued to get himself into the air without a place to go with the ball (something that is taught on a child's basketball level) which allowed him to give the ball away in the fourth quarter (twice on crucial possessions) when the Mavs needed him the most. Terry missed 11 of the 18 shots that he took from the field.
  
• Erick Dampier continued to prove that he can't cut it on either end of the floor against the Nuggets. Damp allowed Nene to get yet another career high in scoring for the second consecutive game in the playoffs at 25 points. Nene also chipped in 8 rebounds and only missed 4 of the 12 shots he took from the floor, largely because the majority of his baskets came from the painted area. Dampier, on the other hand, played 20 minutes and had 4 points and 4 rebounds to show for it. This is simply unacceptable for the starting center of a playoff contending team.
• Jason Kidd was outplayed thoroughly by Chauncey Billups and missed 5 of the 6 shots he attempted from the field for 4 points on the night, even though all six of the shots he took were almost completely uncontested. On the other side, Billups scored 18 points and dished out 8 assists. Kidd did have 7 assists and 6 rebounds on the night, so he wasn't completely humiliated and he didn't kill the Mavs with turnovers as he only had 2 compared to the previous game's 8.
  
• The Mavericks team defense was horrific all game long and they allowed Denver to shoot 50% or more for the second consecutive game of the series. Dallas' defensive performance was so bad that after 1 quarter Rick Carlisle decided it was time to go to the zone defense. This approach didn't work either as the Nuggets either drove the lane for an easy basket (which they did for quarters 2 and 3) or hit a largely uncontested shot from beyond the arc (which they did in the 4th quarter). Dallas did hold Denver to 28% on their 3 point shots for the game, but in the 4th quarter the Nuggets hit 3 three pointers to ice it.
  
• Josh Howard gutted it out for 6 whole minutes on the night. Kudos J-Ho!
• The Mavericks shot only 76% from the free throw line for the game. In game 1 they only shot 69%. This was a team that was second in the league during the regular season at 81.86%.
• JJB was a non-factor again as Antoine Wright started for Dallas. Barea went 2-5 for 5 points in 20 minutes as he had the second worst +/- for the game at -18. JJB's defensive deficiencies have come to light more in this series than the regular season.
• This was the Dallas Mavericks 12th road loss in their last 14 playoff road games.
  

Believe it or not, there are also some positives from this game:

• Dirk Nowitzki (as stated above) proved his naysayers wrong as he went for 35 points against the greatest defender all time Kenyon Martin
• Antoine Wright started for the Mavs and did provide good defensive intensity and even contributed at the offensive end with 10 points.
• Ryan Hollins (Isn't it about time to start this kid and see what he's got?) showed some emotion for the Mavs on the floor as he played aggressively in his 14 minutes on the floor. Hollins was 4-4 from the field with 8 points and 4 rebounds and actually showed some backbone for Dallas.
• Brandon Bass made up for a sub-par game 1 with 8 points on 4-6 shooting in 14 minutes.

This isn't the end of the world for the Dallas Mavericks as they are a much better home team than on the road and are coming to Dallas for 2 straight home games. But if Josh Howard can't go for game 3, I give Dallas NO chance to win another game in this series. Denver goes 4-0 if J-Ho isn't on the floor as they have shown an ability to pull away late in games with Howard off the floor. Dirk can't do it by himself and someone else will have to step up to ease the burden on Nowitzki. As it stands now, Dallas is 0-2 in the series and have had no answer for Denver's inside presence on the offensive end of the floor. The Mavs will have 3 loooong days off before game 3 to soak this loss in. The next game is Saturday at 4:00pm.

Mavericks-Nuggets: Game 2 Tonight at 9:30.

The Dallas Mavericks come into game 2 tonight down 0-1 in their best of 7 game series with the Denver Nuggets. Although the Mavs did lose by 14 points in their game 1 defeat, the score was not as lopsided as the play indicated throughout the game. While 14 points is troubling, Denver did do what they are supposed to do: win at home. That's why all these teams jockey for position during the regular season so that they can play at home and win. The Mavericks led by as much as 14 points in the first quarter of game 1 but really just let the game get away from them at the end of the half and the end of the game. Dallas has a chance to win an ugly one in Denver tonight and give themselves the home court advantage.

Three Keys to Steal One On the Road:

1. Jason Kidd must play like he did all season long. Granted, he did score 15 points in game 1 which is all fun and good but he only dished out 4 assists and had 8 turnovers with many of those unforced. Jason Kidd had 3 turnovers the entire series against San Antonio. Dallas has relied on J-Kidd all season long to get the team easy baskets and to guide players on the floor to good transition bucket opportunities. I believe Kidd will take game 1 for what it was; an embarrassing performance and not only will he move on but he will not make the same mistakes that he did in game 1. If he can keep hitting his shots while getting Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and other Mavs scorers open looks at the basket; the Mavericks have a good shot at winning game 2.
   
2. Erick Dampier and Josh Howard must be healthy enough not only to play, but make a difference. Both players rolled an ankle in game 1. Both players came back from the injury later in the game and didn't play like themselves. Most reports are that Dampier feels good and hasn't had much of a problem with the ankle, so he will be good to go. Will he be an impact player? That's another story as no one got that great of a look at what he could do on the floor as he was injured in the middle of the first quarter. He had 5 boards before going out in the first but only 1 more for the rest of the game. Howard on the other hand now has 2 bad ankles. The left ankle is going to require off-season surgery and now he rolled his right one and it is in considerable pain. J-Ho says he will go no matter what but he also stated that driving to the basket would be much more difficult with two faulty ankles. I like Howard as a slasher to the basket who occasionally uses that against his defender to get an open mid-range or 3-point shot. I don't like Howard as a mid-range fall-away jump shooter who has stated to the media that he can't drive to the basket so now the other team knows he is one-dimensional. Can he be an impact player if he's unable to drive to the basket? NO.
3. Someone outside of Dirk, J-Ho, Jason Terry, and J-Kidd must give the Mavericks a consistent offensive presence. I wrote about this after game 1 and I'll do it again, the role players on the Mavs completely let this team down Sunday in Denver. In order for the Mavericks to win they have to have some sort of production from the two players who gave them the most in round 1: Brandon Bass and Jose Juan Barea. Brandon Bass had 2 points in game 1 on 24% shooting. He averaged 8 points per game against the Spurs while shooting 56% from the floor. His production must increase as he will likely see more minutes if Damp is ineffective. JJ Barea started again for the Mavericks and he only scored 4 points but did contribute with 5 assists. Barea has to show that fearlessness going to the basket that he showed in the first round of the playoffs, in which he averaged 10 points per. JJB can be a difference maker, even against a bigger and more athletic Denver team.

The Denver Nuggets will likely continue with their plan on defense to play Dirk one-on-one. This means Nowitzki will again get 25+ points in game 2. Jason Kidd will likely have a rebound game and won't commit the costly unforced turnovers he did in game 1. Howard will be gimpy, but I can see an average performance for him. The thing that gets lost in the first game of the series is how poorly the Mavericks played defense, especially underneath the basket. Denver treated Dallas like they were running a lay-up drill for them and when the layups didn't go in they got sent to the line 36 times. The Mavericks have to play better team defense and that means that coach Rick Carlisle might have to again tinker with playing the zone more. Also I can see that free throw discrepancy coming back to the Mavs favor as the new Refs try to make up for the game 1 debacle. This, however, will not matter as Denver is a great home team and will likely beat the hell out of the Mavericks again.

Denver Wins, Lead Series 2-0.