GS/DAL thoughts

So, it was roughly 12:50 AM in the East Coast. Golden State led Dallas by about 20 very early in the 4th quarter. I kept waiting for the run and for Nowitzki to show that he was going to have SOME impact (no matter how minor) on this game. So I waited...
And I waited...
And I waited.
1:15 AM came. 111-86 Golden State.
No run. No magic comeback like game 5. This was all? Really? The number 1 seed in the West couldn't make a run on a Golden State team led by Baron Davis and his bum hamstring?

In all honesty, it felt a little like Deja Vu. I remembered the flu game of Michael Jordan where he was puking in the locker room. They said he could barely stand on his own power. What does he do? He goes out against the Utah Jazz in a crucial finals game and buries them with 38 and the tie breaking 3 pointer with 25 seconds left. And you know what? He couldn't walk. Scottie Pippen and Steve Kerr CARRIED him off the floor. Now, I'm not comparing Baron Davis to Michael Jordan by any means, but when he came back on that court, he just started burying threes and you wondered whether the hamstring injury was a bit of a god send as he was FEELING IT from deep. All that was missing was Stephen Jackson carrying a hobbling Baron Davis off the court as he pumped his fist (ok, maybe a bit much).

This game lacked the drama though. It was never close in the second half. Now, it was 50-48 GS at the half, but Golden State ran off a 24-9 run in the start of the second half and that was it. There would be no run, but there would be opportunities. Every time Dallas had a chance to make a come back, Dirk misses a jumper or someone takes a poor shot. It just wasn't their series.

Was Nellie in their head? Probably. In the first game Dallas opted to go small against the 8 seed when they should of stuck to what worked all season. They were out of their game from the very beginning. Not only that, but as Bill Simmons has said, Golden State is the only team in the playoffs to have a legitimate sixth man in their home crowd. I could only wish to be there live. Just watching it on TV I could feel an aura from that crowd that gave me chills. It really was something else.

But back to tonight's game. What happened in that 3rd quarter? Stephen Jackson, that's what. Jackson dropped 14 points in the 3rd quarter, One less than the ENTIRE MAVERICKS TEAM! This is the guy who had the most prominent role int he palace brawl and he ends up as one of the most important players in the series and the leading scorer in the decisive game. Baron Davis went off in the second and Stephen Jackson went off in the 3rd. Dirk Nowitzki apparently was at the bratwurst cart working sales for the majority of the game.

What bothered me about Nowitzki was his lack of passion (seemingly). 13 shots. Really? Just 13? This is your franchise player and your team leader and he only takes 13 shots in a do or die game!?!? To be honest, he was pretty consistent with the rest of the series. Ironically, his consistency revolved around his inconsistent play. He didn't shoot well, he rebounded fairly well grabbing 10 boards, but it wasn't enough for your star player. Look, people have been calling you out all week Dirk. They've been saying you don't have the leadership skills and can't get it done. So what do you do? You come and show them up right? Drop 45 points, grab 20 boards and absolutely stick it to your critics right? Nope. You go 2-13, score 8 points and get 10 boards. To me, Dirk's series was summed up in one play. Late in the 4th, Matt Barnes drives down the lane and absolutely POSTERIZED Dirk. This should NEVER EVER happen...and yet it did.

So where does Dallas go from here? I don't know. They have a ton of talent and a great team, but they just seem to lack leadership and a killer instict. Josh Howard is too young to take that team as his, but in a few years, he might be able to. I just don't know what to do with Nowitzki. I don't want to say he's like A-Rod because that's cruel and not true, but his killer instinct seems to have an on and off switch that he can't seem to control and that's a problem.

As for Golden State. It's a win/win situation. They move on by beating the Mavs in six AND the Utah/Houston series goes to 7 so they get extra rest. Most people slept on the Warriors. They figured that Dallas would sweep them aside on route to the Conference finals at least and that would be that. Most picked Dallas to win in 5 or 6. I would like to state that I was NOT one of those people. Call me crazy, but if a team beats a team 3 times in the season series and wins 6 straight against them (now 5 straight on the road and Dallas is an accomplished road team), I think that team is on to something. So what if I'm adopting the Warriors for the playoffs? It's fun rooting for the underdog that no one gave a chance to. Just remember the two words on the shirts of nearly every Golden State fan at the Oracle Arena in Oakland.

We Believe.
And if you didn't believe before, you will now because seeing is believing.