Playoff Matchup Round 2: Lakers (2) vs Mavericks (3)

The Lakers knew they weren't coming back and decided to take their frustrations out in other ways. The Mavs kept playing like it was a 10 point lead, not the huge lead they had. Add that all up and you just might get some altercations like what happened today.

 

But at what point do you decide to play like you have a huge lead? Because at some point, you can risk losing the actual game - see the 23-point game Dallas lost against Portland that was nearly to the fourth quarter. To me, there has to be a clear line to take your foot off the gas and go into "prevent offense" mode - and nearly nine minutes left in the fourth (earlier than that, for events that led to Odom) is nowhere near that line.

 

Excuse me for pulling The Cat card, but again you say this like you know what it's like to be in both situation. Your really think the Lakers could come back if Barea held the ball for a few seconds longer and NOT elbowed Steve Blake beforehand?

 

Again, my opinion is 10 seconds or less. The Mavs decided to keep the foot on the pedal and Bynum responded in such (Odom just wanted let Dirk know goodbye and good luck in his own way, IMO lol).

 

So what's the line? You're dancing around it. At what point in the game should you conceivably go into "prevent offense" mode? I've seen the unthinkable happen in sports too many times to run the clock out with almost a full quarter to go.

Moreover, in the specifics of this situation, look at the reason Barea pushed off on Blake. Blake was guarding him tightly out to halfcourt! If the Lakers had truly given up and wanted the Mavs to take the air out of the ball, you would've seen the perimeter defenders play back and let them dribble. Instead, when you play press defense, you're forcing the dribbler to try and drive (because otherwise, he'll get called for 5 seconds).

You can tell when an opposing defense has called it quits and expects the other team to milk clock - and when they do, they don't extend out to halfcourt the way Blake did on that possession.

 

Bahahahaha!!!!! I knew this would happen. Voted for Mavs to sweep 4-0 at the beginning of this series!

 

Bow before my prescient analysis.

 

No, I get that your opinion is 10 seconds or less. My question is at what point in the game does that rule apply? When is a game so over that you take the foot off the pedal? Keep in mind, the Mavs led Portland by 23 with barely over a quarter left against Portland - and lost.

 

I saw nothing wrong with the Mavs not letting up. Especially since it's the defending champs. The Lakers on the other hand exposed themselves for the classless babies they really are.

 

ha.ha.ha.

 

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IMO, if you handled your business in the past and not let this happen before, you as a team would know when to let up on the pedal. Maybe the Mavs were scared it might happen again and acted like such. I can't give you an exact basketball 101 guideline on when to let up when you have a seemingly insurmountable lead, the players know it when they come across it and apparently the Mavs still haven't learned when that is since they choke repeatedly in the past.

And Blake was playing ordinary man defense, he wasn't reaching in, just tight man D. IMO.

 

Twitter comedy: #hahalakers

 

I forgot the other game was on TNT so missed the pregame. What did the crew have to say about LA?

 

If a lead is capable of being choked away, it's not insurmountable.

 

Again, if you don't know how to hold that lead, you don't know what is the definition of insurmountable. Example: Mavs.

I mean really, if you're a good team and have playoff experience, is a 32 point lead with 8:21 left in the game should still get you worried enough to keep putting the foot on the pedal? Apparently the Mavs think so. And that's not a compliment to them.

Correction: it was a 30 point lead before the Barea layup. Didn't want to make the lead sound too "insurmountable" at the time of the altercation.

 

i just voted Mavs winning in 4 games.

 

LOL DAMNNN that was quite a beatdown. Oh well can't win em all. Lakers will be back next year

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH



.....haha.


Now hope Memphis beats the Mavs. :grin:

 

At the end of the day the Mavs were the better team. Their team cohesivness is off the charts. I respect the hell out of Kidd and Dirk, the rest I could care less about. Those guys deserved to move on.