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DallasNews: Rockets run Mavericks off the road, 101-98

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by olliez, Mar 7, 2004.

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  1. olliez

    olliez Member

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    Man, I cann't believe how arrogant Mavs have become regarding Rockets as free kick !


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    Rockets run Mavericks off the road, 101-98

    09:54 PM CST on Sunday, March 7, 2004

    By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News


    HOUSTON ¨C The 18-inch gimme is beyond them. They no longer can strike out the pitcher. They completely whiffed on the empty-net shot.

    The Mavericks can't do anything right any more. Even the Houston Rockets ¨C the closest thing to a free kick for the Mavericks ¨C took great glee in ending a six-game losing streak against their in-state rivals Sunday.

    At the same time, they put a cap on the Mavericks' worst road trip of the season. The Rockets got 29 points from Yao Ming, including a crucial three-point play with 15.4 seconds left that put them ahead to stay, as the Mavericks succumbed, 101-98, in their first game at the Toyota Center.

    As much as Yao did in getting his first win against Dallas, it was what the Mavericks didn't do that hurt them most, which was the way the entire road trip through the Midwest Division went.

    "It was a tough road trip," said Dirk Nowitzki. "We were right there in third [in the conference] when we left, and we dropped three straight games against Western Conference teams. If we want to do something in the playoffs, we're going to have to get back to doing something on the road."

    Scott Williams likened it to a hitter who bats .300 for his career but can't get the ball out of the infield for a series.

    In the Mavericks' case, it's more a swing and a miss ¨C three of them, which added up to a foul trip.

    Yet, they had a wonderful chance against the Rockets, whom they'd beaten 10 of 12 times. But they could not make the plays at either end of the court. After a 12-4 blitz tied the game at 92, the Mavericks' defense, which forced a franchise high-tying 30 turnovers including a team-record 20 steals, saw Yao take a nice feed from Steve Francis for a three-point play and 95-92 edge.

    The Mavericks weren't finished making mistakes. Antoine Walker, who had been sitting on the bench for nearly 10 minutes, was brought in to trigger the inbounds play, but his lazy pass to Steve Nash on the perimeter was picked off by Jim Jackson, and the Mavericks had to foul Steve Francis.

    "The play was for Steve, and I didn't expect them to step out on him," Walker said. "Jim Jackson read the play well."

    The Mavericks still had chances. First, Steve Nash was sent to the free throw line with 2.9 seconds left and the Mavericks down 100-97. He made the first, then intentionally line-drived the second into the rim. The ball was up for grabs, except that Nash was called for stepping over the free throw line before the ball hit the rim.

    As Don Nelson added: "They let Shaquille O'Neal step over the line every time."

    Even at the end, the Rockets were down 101-98 and two seconds were left. But when Michael Finley got the ball at midcourt, he didn't try to maneuver any closer, instead heaving and missing from 45 feet.

    "They were saying 'Foul him, foul him,' " Finley said. "So I thought if I got the shot up they may not have time to react. It didn't work out."

    Which gave it plenty in common with the rest of the road trip.

    E-mail esefko@dallasnews.com
     
    #1 olliez, Mar 7, 2004
  2. Hippieloser

    Hippieloser Member

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    Well, the Mavs didn't write it, Eddie Sefko did. The same Sefko who used to cover the Rockets for the Chronic.
     
    #2 Hippieloser, Mar 7, 2004
  3. Dirk_Diggler

    Dirk_Diggler Member

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    Didn't Sefko write for the Post in the past, covering the Rockets even?
     
    #3 Dirk_Diggler, Mar 7, 2004
  4. jelanit

    jelanit Member

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    Yeah I was just about to ask wheter he covered the Rockets for the Chronicle or the old Houston Post. Couldn't remember.
     
    #4 jelanit, Mar 7, 2004
  5. meh

    meh Member

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    Pretty funny Sefko talks about how the Mavs beat themselves, when the Rockets had 30 TOs, most of them due to just carelessness. If anything, it's the Rockets who were shooting themselves in the foot, trying desperately to lose the game.
     
    #5 meh, Mar 7, 2004
  6. Sishir Chang

    Sishir Chang Member

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    I hate to agree with an enemy paper but I think Sefko's analysis was right on. This was a game the Rox should've lost and if not uncharacteristic cold shooting from the Mavs, including a few blown layups and dunks. While many of the 30 turnovers were due to sloppy play on the Rox the Mavs were also making sloppy plays and turnovers too. At the same time the defense the Mavs played on Yao with Najera led to critical turnovers.

    We can't on winning 30 turnover games in the future.
     
    #6 Sishir Chang, Mar 7, 2004
  7. R0ckets03

    R0ckets03 Member

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    Eddie Sefco definitely covered the Rockets. I remember because he is one of the worst writers ever.

    Me thinks he is just a little bitter from having to go from covering the Rockets in Houston to covering that no-d playing team Mavericks in that crappy city of Dallas.
     
    #7 R0ckets03, Mar 7, 2004
  8. room4rentsf

    room4rentsf Member

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    if we didnt turn the ball over so much we would have crushed them.

    J
     
    #8 room4rentsf, Mar 7, 2004
  9. Charvo

    Charvo Member

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    Rockets and Mavs swap point guards, and you basically have the Mavericks losing every single game to the Rockets until Steve Nash's knees go out due to old age. I hope the Mavericks let Steve Nash go to Toronto. I hope Cuban is a dumbass.
     
    #9 Charvo, Mar 8, 2004
  10. topfive

    topfive CF OG

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    I disagree that those TOs were due to carelessness -- the Rockets are simply not used to running JVG's offense at this type of tempo. When they grind it out, they're starting to look pretty smooth, and they can dictate the tempo against most of the teams in the league now. Some of the more up-tempo teams, though (Mavs and Kings, for example) don't let the Rockets do that. These teams dictate a faster tempo, and the team hasn't yet gotten the offense down to the point where they can run it consistantly at those speeds.

    And of course, there WERE the standard-issue dumba$$ turnovers as well.
     
    #10 topfive, Mar 8, 2004
  11. rvpals

    rvpals Member

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    You're right. We're lucky to survive this one, although we deserve it because we played with more heart, and Mavericks were just so cold. Next time we play them, I expect us to take it to them again.
     
    #11 rvpals, Mar 8, 2004
  12. TraJ

    TraJ Member

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    What does this have to do with anything? If they had been playing the Lakers, maybe he would have had a point. Shame on the officials for calling this according to the rules.
     
    #12 TraJ, Mar 8, 2004
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