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[Chron & Dallas News] NOTE: Please post all Post-Game 2 Articles here

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by nomaanbaig, Apr 26, 2005.

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[Chron, Dallas News and Others] NOTE: Please post all Post-Game 2 Articles here

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3153675
McGrady's dramatic jumper gives Rockets a 2-0 lead
Yao hits 13 of 14 shots, bounces back with 33 points
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

DALLAS - Dirk Nowitzki was finally magnificent, unstoppable, everything the Mavericks needed.

So Tracy McGrady was better.

When the Mavericks had to have it, Nowitzki made his move on McGrady and pump-faked until he nailed his shot, tying the game with 10.4 seconds remaining.

The roar was still echoing and the American Airlines Center still shaking when McGrady took off the other way, then nailed his jumper to lift the Rockets to a heart-stopping, 113-111 win over the Mavericks on Monday, smacking Dallas hard with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series.

"Sometimes, you have to sit there an appreciate a guy who made a great play," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "He made a great play again."

The Mavericks had 2.2 seconds left to shoot for a tie, and Michel Finley did get off a shot, just beyond Bob Sura's reach. But Finley missed, and 20,884 fans, the largest crowd in the four years of the arena, turned funeral quiet, knowing the Rockets had taken Dallas' best shot and had at least one more.

The Rockets were nearly perfect long before McGrady got his hands on the ball for the last time.

For five minutes, begun with the Rockets facing their largest deficit at eight points, the Rockets made eight of their last 10 shots to stun the Mavericks.

With the Mavericks doubling off Ryan Bowen, Van Gundy put Sura in the game with Mike James, Jon Barry, McGrady and Yao Ming.

Yao had gotten the Rockets off to a sensational start. His 23 points in the first half were two more than he had ever scored in a playoff game.

His 17 points in the first quarter were one shy of the franchise record 18 Hakeem Olajuwon had scored in a quarter in 1995 at Utah.

Yao, limited to 20 minutes in the first game, made 13 of 14 shots. The only shot he missed actually seemed to be a drive that Nowitzki slapped away on the dribble. Yao made all seven of his free throws and finished with 33 points in 36 minutes.

"Yao obviously was tremendous," Van Gundy said. "I thought everybody on both sides was tremendous. It was a great game. He just had a great game. I'm proud of him."

McGrady added 28 points, 10 rebounds, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals in 47 minutes. Barry made four of five 3-pointers to add a much-needed 16.

Nowitzki led Dallas with 26, 10 in the fourth quarter, when he made four of six shots.

But down the stretch, every Rockets player the ball found was on-target.

The Mavericks seemed on the brink of building a safe cushion for the first time in the series. But down by eight, the Rockets scored seven quick points, capped by Barry's fourth 3-pointer.

With that, the real Nowitzki checked in, replacing the imposter that had clanged his way for most of two games.

Nowitzki missed one more shot, making him 4-of-17 from the field. But then he pulled up on a break for a jumper, drained a 3 from the corner and caught the Rockets in another rotation, passing to Erick Dampier under the basket for a dunk and a 103-95 Dallas lead.

But the Rockets rallied, as they had through the second half. Until with 2:50 left, Barry found Yao on a drive, and Yao completed an 11-2 Rockets run, going back in front 106-105.

Nowitzki immediately answered with a running hook. But with the Mavericks determined to take the ball out of McGrady's hands, Sura nailed his second consecutive 3-pointer, putting the Rockets back on top 109-107, with 2:15 remaining.

Jason Terry tied the game with a jumper and McGrady missed a runner. But with Nowitzki posting up Barry, and Barry giving away seven inches, Nowitzki lost the ball inside.

The Rockets went back in front, with McGrady using a Yao pick to drive down the lane, and passing to Yao for an uncontested slam and a two-point Rockets lead with 66 seconds left. Terry missed from 17 feet, giving the Rockets a chance to finally take command of the game.

McGrady even went to his favorite spot, if perhaps a few feet deeper. But from the left elbow and 22 feet out, his missed his jumper with 28.9 seconds remaining, giving the Mavericks a last possession to force a tie or shoot for a lead.

Nowitzki nailed his jumper. But the Rockets flew back in the other direction.

"We didn't want it to come down to that," Van Gundy said. "We talked during the timeout that we didn't want to take a timeout.

"I didn't tell the other guys. Nowitzki made a tremendous shot," he said. "We felt we had a better chance of scoring in the flow of the game. Tracy had made a lot of those shots."

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

#1 nomaanbaig, Apr 26, 2005
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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3153676
April 26, 2005, 12:44AM

On this club, everybody does his part
By JOHN P. LOPEZ
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

DALLAS — You could fit the number of technical adjustments from Game 1 to Game 2 on the back of a business card.

That's what Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said before Monday night.

You might tinker with switches on defense. You might fiddle with screens or rolls. You might mess with matchups or even turn that old doodle on the back of a napkin into a bona fide inbounds play.

And maybe some of it will work, and some won't.

But come playoff time, the only real difference from one game to the next would be energy, emotion and that ever-trite coaching axiom — sense of urgency.

Van Gundy was right. And wrong.

Floor full of passion
After the Rockets out-everythinged Dallas on the way to taking Game 1 two days earlier, in Monday's Game 2 everyone from the parking lot attendants to Dallas cheerleaders to fans and certainly the Mavericks came out stronger, quicker and more determined.

The Mavericks came with all they had and then some. And it almost spelled the difference.

Almost.

It was among the greatest playoff games either of these squads has ever played, for sure. Both teams had remarkable energy, the Mavs finally matching that of the Rockets. Both hit the biggest shots and made the biggest of stops.

But two things carried the Rockets to a 2-0 series lead. The Mavericks have been able to answer neither, no matter how many adjustments or how much of that passion and emotion.

Tracy McGrady and ... Ryan Bowen?

All the ingredients
That's how weird and wonderful this Rockets playoff run has become.

That's how unique the makeup of this team is, perhaps reflecting the city it represents more than any club since the Luv Ya Blue Oilers.

It has the majestic skyscraper in the middle, 7-6 Yao Ming, who was majestic in every way in this thrilling 113-111 Rockets victory with 33 points and eight rebounds.

It has the sizzling superstar and everyone's hero, T-Mac, who has been incomparable and knocked down a game-winning shot that was only mind-boggling good, like everything else he's done lately.

And then it has the sleeves-rolled working class, the bench players, who play for not much more than a thank-you and the appreciation of those who matter most to them. Teammates.

Van Gundy was right about energy and passion making a difference. The Mavericks came out and played as well as they could, certainly as fast and furious as they could.

But the two things to which they could not adjust in Game 1 still proved to be the difference. It makes you wonder if the Mavs will ever be able to change their fortunes.

And it makes you wonder if this Rockets season, which began so inauspiciously with a 6-11 funk that prompted changes everywhere, will end with one of those special, unforgettable runs.

The last time the Rockets played this well, the battle cry for fans was "Believe it!"

This time, that's the job description of the players. They believed in themselves when few others did. They believed in each other then and do so now more than ever.

Somehow, they believe Bowen will stop Nowitzki. And he has.

They believe Bob Sura, a hybrid guard, is perfect down the stretch, which he was in knocking down a huge 3-pointer Monday night.

They believe Scott Padgett's two first-half minutes are just what they need, that Clarence Weatherspoon can play one minute and make a difference, and that everything Van Gundy tells them will work.

It has.

There was McGrady's greatness in the final seconds. There was McGrady taking more steps toward reaching a Jordanesque kind of place, where everyone knows the ball will be in his hands, the last shot will be his, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

There was McGrady elevating and there was the shot, swishing the net and sending the crowd into stunned silence.

And then there was Bowen, the gum on the bottom of Nowitzki's shoes, impossible to shake and, no matter how much Nowitzki might try to scrape it away, will go home with him.

Nowitzki made a big shot down the stretch but was again less than Most Valuable Player-like with 8-for-21 shooting from the field and a horrible turnover that led to the Rockets' winning possession.

It's time to wonder if Nowitzki will be laying awake at night, irritated and confused, asking himself over and over again: "Ryan Bowen? Ryan Bowen? Ryan Bowen?"

And yes, it's time.

Believe it III.

That must be what it says on the front of Van Gundy's business card.

john.lopez@chron.com

#2 nomaanbaig, Apr 26, 2005
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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3153669
April 26, 2005, 12:42AM

Wesley finally feeling right at home
Rockets guard happy that father now has chance to see him play
By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

DALLAS - Even when David Wesley earned a starting job for the Boston Celtics, he couldn't convince his father that flying was OK. Donald Wesley still visited, but it took hours and hours of driving. He hated flying and never was there as much as David wanted.

Wesley quickly realized there was only one way to get his father in the stands more often. He was going to have to move back to Texas.

In Wesley's 12th NBA season, his dream came true. Since the Dec. 27 trade that sent Wesley from New Orleans to Houston, Donald has been a fixture at Toyota Center on the weekends and often has made the 3 1/2 -hour trek from Longview during the week. He also made the two-hour drive to Dallas for the first two games of the playoffs.

His presence has been what David Wesley has wanted most throughout his career.

"I had a lot of people ask me if I could pick any team, who would it be," said Wesley, 34, who spent his childhood in Beaumont and Longview. "I've always said I didn't really grow up with a favorite basketball team. But if I had to pick one, it would be one of the Texas teams because my dad would get to see more games. Who would have thought this late in my career, I'd be here in Houston?"

Wesley was critical to the team's strong regular-season finish and likely will play just as much of a role against the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

Wesley arguably is the Rockets' best defender, which has been critical with him often being matched up against Dallas' Michael Finley. In Game 1, Wesley helped hold Finley to only five points — 10.7 less than Finley's regular-season average.

That might not be good enough for Wesley's father, though. Even though Wesley rarely acts on any of his father's advice, he loves hearing what he has to say after games .

"'You didn't shoot enough,' " Wesley said, quoting his father. "I could go out there and get 20 shots tonight and he'll say, 'You should have got 25.' He's always like, 'You should have done more.' "

That's the same advice Wesley used to give his dad when he was a kid staying out late in the parks to watch his father play in summer-league games.

By age 13, he teamed with his dad in the parks, and they would own the court all day. Donald would pass to Wesleyfor a shot, and then Donald would be in position for the rebound.

"It's just that father-son bond you have — going to the park, playing with grown men and I'm out there because he's dominant enough to make up for me being the youngest guy out there," Wesley said.

Those are the games that made Wesley a better player. They also instilled a love for the game in him that he carried to Temple Junior College and then to Baylor, where, despite an outstanding senior year with the Bears, Wesley went undrafted in the 1992 NBA draft.

He joined the Rockets for training camp the next season and was sure he was going to make the team. But the Rockets kept their draft pick, Curtis Blair, offseason acquisition Scott Brooks, along with Kenny Smith and Vernon Maxwell.

Wesley went on to have a strong season in the Continental Basketball Association and broke into the NBA a year later. By 1995-96, he was starting regularly for the Celtics. It wasn't until nine years later that he was where he truly wanted to be.

"When I played in Boston, we would come down for the Texas swing and (his father) would make all the games," said Wesley, who had three points and six assists against Dallas on Monday night. "That's a lot of driving. So I figured it would be a lot easier if I played for one of them and he could just come to one place and see 30-40 games. That would be great."

megan.manfull@chron.com

#3 nomaanbaig, Apr 26, 2005
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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3153670

April 26, 2005, 12:43AM

Mavericks run out of answers
Dallas' best effort not quite enough to stop McGrady
By FRAN BLINEBURY
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

DALLAS - Avery Johnson had spent so much of the preceding 48 hours talking about an energy shortage that you half expected him to show up for Game 2 with a flock of OPEC ministers in tow.

But now, after the 113-111 loss that put the Mavericks down 0-2 in the series, it's not about energy for them. It's about hope.

"We have to hope that Tracy (McGrady) doesn't go off at the end of games and make great shots like that," said Dallas' Jerry Stackhouse. "We have to hope that we can do something to stop Yao Ming from getting the ball in there so deep. We have to hope that they don't have other guys come in there and make a lot of jump shots like they've been doing so far."

In other words, the Mavericks are almost out of answers already and might have to resort to prayer.

Dallas had every reason to think it was headed to a 1-1 split when the Mavs built an eight-point lead on several occasions in the third quarter and when an Erick Dampier dunk put them on top 102-95 with just over five minutes left in the game.

But that was before McGrady turned into the late-game wizard again and was virtually unstoppable coming down the stretch. That was before Dirk Nowitzki hit his turnaround jumper in the lane with 10.4 seconds to go and McGrady took it upon himself to win it for the Rockets.

The Rockets did not call a timeout and McGrady kept the ball in his hands all the way down the court. He ran Josh Howard into a screen set by Yao and then nailed the 23-foot game-winner in front of Keith Van Horn, who did not jump out to cover on defense.

"In that situation, we like to trap," Johnson said. "But tonight we just did not do it. We want to get the ball out of (McGrady's) hands, but we didn't do it."

It was another night when the Mavericks will come away figuring they won everywhere but on the scoreboard. They shot 50 percent from the field. They outrebounded the Rockets 41-29, and they finally got Nowitzki untracked in the fourth quarter and he finished with 26 points.

"We did a lot of really good things out there tonight," Stackhouse said. "But then the guy (McGrady) goes down there and jumps over two people and makes great shots.

"We thought we had momentum and we thought we were in a good situation in that game. But then the guy makes great shots and more great shots.

"We put ourselves in a hole early by letting Yao get the ball so deep on us. He made 13 of 14 shots in there, and it's almost impossible to stop a team when that's happening. But with all that Yao did, we were hungry, we kept fighting and we came back and we had control.

"What can I say? How many times can I say it? The guy played great and he kept making great shots.

"We've got a lot of confidence in ourselves. We still think we can win this thing. Now we have to go to their place and do what they did to us here. We have to steal two games and get in this thing.

"But we have to hope that the guy over there doesn't keep making those great shots."

fran.blinebury@chron.com

#4 nomaanbaig, Apr 26, 2005
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McGrady, Yao emerging as superstars
Mike Kahn / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 41 minutes ago

We are watching the growth of a superstar.

Make that two.

In the event you were one of those people who quit on Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming as a dynamic duo capable of carrying the Houston Rockets deep into the playoffs.

Think again.

With McGrady burying a 22-footer with 2.2 seconds left, the Rockets rolled to a 113-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to complete a two-game sweep in Dallas, going home with the chance to end the series in Houston. Showing incredible confidence in McGrady, coach Jeff Van Gundy elected not to call timeout following Dirk Nowitzki's game-tying shot with 10.4 seconds left. And McGrady, who finished with 28 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, rubbed off Keith Van Horn on a Yao screen and buried the game-winner.

Yao had a career playoff-high 33 points on 13-of-14 shots, and that's not to mention clutch shots from Bobby Sura, Mike James and Jon Barry as they overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Clearly, behind McGrady and Yao, the Rockets are picking up a head of steam. Nowitzki, despite scoring eight points in the final six minutes to give the Mavericks a chance to win, was 9-of-33 from the field up to that point of the series with Van Gundy switching a variety of defenses on him.

Almost nobody expected the Rockets to win this series considering the Mavericks finished the season 13-1, including the final nine games.

Then again, the Rockets won their last eight regular season games and this stretches it to 10. Now we're seeing why the expectations were great for the Rockets entering the season. They struggled early. Never got more than four games over .500 for good until Februay.500.

Now they look capable of getting to the West finals. They still have work to do, but their confidence is brimming. Van Gundy finally has the group together playing defense the way he wants and McGrady and Yao beginning to look like Yin and Yang.

And the Mavericks are wondering what hit them.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3571016

#5 LegendZ3, Apr 26, 2005
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"Yao obviously was tremendous," Van Gundy said. "I thought everybody on both sides was tremendous. It was a great game. He just had a great game. I'm proud of him."
Click to expand...

*tear*

#6 MrRolo, Apr 26, 2005
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Dude, before this gets locked up.....

LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK

#7 TL, Apr 26, 2005

nomaanbaig Member

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All links just added.

Thanks for the heads up!

#8 nomaanbaig, Apr 26, 2005
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http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3571016

McGrady, Yao emerging as superstars
Mike Kahn / Special to FOXSports.com

We are watching the growth of a superstar.

Make that two.

In the event you were one of those people who quit on Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming as a dynamic duo capable of carrying the Houston Rockets deep into the playoffs.

Think again.

With McGrady burying a 22-footer with 2.2 seconds left, the Rockets rolled to a 113-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to complete a two-game sweep in Dallas, going home with the chance to end the series in Houston. Showing incredible confidence in McGrady, coach Jeff Van Gundy elected not to call timeout following Dirk Nowitzki's game-tying shot with 10.4 seconds left. And McGrady, who finished with 28 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, rubbed off Keith Van Horn on a Yao screen and buried the game-winner.

Yao had a career playoff-high 33 points on 13-of-14 shots, and that's not to mention clutch shots from Bobby Sura, Mike James and Jon Barry as they overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Clearly, behind McGrady and Yao, the Rockets are picking up a head of steam. Nowitzki, despite scoring eight points in the final six minutes to give the Mavericks a chance to win, was 9-of-33 from the field up to that point of the series with Van Gundy switching a variety of defenses on him.

Almost nobody expected the Rockets to win this series considering the Mavericks finished the season 13-1, including the final nine games.

Then again, the Rockets won their last eight regular season games and this stretches it to 10. Now we're seeing why the expectations were great for the Rockets entering the season. They struggled early. Never got more than four games over .500 for good until Februay.500.

Now they look capable of getting to the West finals. They still have work to do, but their confidence is brimming. Van Gundy finally has the group together playing defense the way he wants and McGrady and Yao beginning to look like Yin and Yang.

And the Mavericks are wondering what hit them.

The stud
Tracy McGrady: 28 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, three steals, three blocks and a game-winning 22-footer with 2.2 seconds left.

#9 mirror_image, Apr 26, 2005
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Originally posted by feigen

McGrady added 28 points, 10 rebounds, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals in 47 minutes. Barry made four of five 3-pointers to add a much-needed 16.
Click to expand...

you mean 10 assists, Jonathan?

Originally posted by feigen

Nowitzki missed one more shot, making him 4-of-17 from the field. But then he pulled up on a break for a jumper, drained a 3 from the corner and caught the Rockets in another rotation, passing to Erick Dampier under the basket for a dunk and a 103-95 Dallas lead.
Click to expand...

it was a deep two Feigen, check your facts before you print the article

#10 across110thstreet, Apr 26, 2005
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Quite a jam: Rockets top Mavs again, 113-111

02:05 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 26, 2005

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Tracy McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki did what superstars do.

But McGrady did it better – again. And, just as importantly, did it last. His 20-foot jumper with 2.2 seconds left stunned the Mavericks and gave Houston a 113-111 victory Monday night in what could only be called a classic NBA playoff game as well as a massive heartbreak for the Mavericks.

McGrady's shot, hoisted over the outstretched arm of Keith Van Horn, put the Rockets up 2-0 in the best-of-7 series. The Mavericks played hard and even played well in Game 2. But they came up empty at American Airlines Center. The series shifts to Houston for Games 3 and 4.

Mavericks/NBA
Rockets 113, Mavericks 111

Home wrecker: McGrady master of Mavs' domain

Tell Us: Can Mavs bounce back?

All hope is not lost. But it's a deep, deep hole that the Mavericks have dug for themselves.

"It's better than 1-1 or 0-2," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "But we all know they have been a great road team. We also know why Clutch City became the moniker of the Rockets – they started out 0-2 at home, then came back and won."

The Mavericks will have to pull off the same unlikely escape to extend their season beyond this series.

Nowitzki had done his part, coming alive after another shaky game through three quarters with a flurry of buckets. His last came with 10.4 seconds to go on a 16-footer that tied the score at 111.

After he made the shot, the Rockets did not call timeout, as per McGrady's instructions. McGrady finished with 28 points, to 26 for Nowitzki. Yao Ming made life easier for McGrady with a career playoff-high 33 points on 13-of-14 shooting.

"Yao set a good screen for me, and I was confident I was going to knock down the shot," McGrady said.

The Mavericks tried to double-team McGrady, but couldn't. "We just forgot to," coach Avery Johnson said. As a result, McGrady reared up from the right side for the winner. Michael Finley's jumper at the buzzer wasn't close to forcing overtime.

"He's a great player and was able to make great plays for his team," Jerry Stackhouse said of McGrady. "They made one more than we did."

Only once in Mavericks history have they recovered from a 2-0 hole in the playoffs – the best-of-5 first round against Utah in 2001.

Houston's Tracy McGrady dunks over Mavericks center Shawn Bradley in the first quarter. McGrady, who finished with 28 points, made the game-winning shot with 2.2 seconds left to give Houston a 2-0 series lead.
A skin-tight game throughout – nobody led by more than eight – got closer in the final moments.

The Mavericks tied it at 109 on Jason Terry's jumper with 1:55 to go. After McGrady missed a drive, the Mavs had a pitiful possession on which nobody wanted to shoot the ball and their court spacing was nonexistent.

The Rockets ran a perfect play that resulted in McGrady feeding Yao for a slam. It was McGrady's 10th assist of the night.

Both teams missed, and the Mavericks had one last chance, calling timeout with the ball and 26.4 seconds remaining.

Earlier, the Mavericks unleashed a sticky full-court press to bother the Rockets – not so much with turnovers but with starting their offense without much time left on the shot clock.

It worked well, but not well enough. The Mavericks had more life than they did in Game 1, but it didn't translate into success, mostly because of Yao, who had 17 points in the first quarter.

Anyone who couldn't see this coming wasn't paying attention. Yao was effective in Game 1 – when he was playing. But he spent most of the time in foul trouble.

"This is going to be one of those games where Yao is really going to have to really step up," Mike James had said before Game 2. "We're going to try to get the ball to him and let him work."

While Yao was shredding, McGrady was bedding down for most of the first half, which helped the Mavs stay close.

Erick Dampier came alive in the third quarter, giving the Mavs a 61-60 lead on a slam dunk. It was their first lead since it was 12-10 – in Game 1.

E-mail esefko@dallasnews.com
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/042605dnspomavslede.2143e75b3.html

#11 harumph, Apr 26, 2005
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#12 olliez, Apr 26, 2005
seclusion rip chadwick

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SEND IT IN!

I always wanted to say that

#13 seclusion, Apr 26, 2005

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Dallas Morning News

2-0 Rockets? That's how the stars have aligned

02:24 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Two games into their first-round series with Dallas, the Houston Rockets own a 2-0 lead in superstars showing up ready for playoff battle.

That's the easiest explanation for why the Rockets also possess a stunning 2-0 lead in this series.

Tracy McGrady's 20-footer with 2.2 seconds left broke a tie and gave Houston a 113-111 victory Monday and a commanding lead in the first round.

A run to the NBA Finals? Someone around here suggested that for these new defensive-minded Mavericks?

They are going to run out of season before they return to American Airlines Center for a possible Game 5 if their superstar doesn't materialize in Houston.
Whereas Tracy McGrady was the big star of Houston's Game 1 victory, it was both Yao Ming and McGrady making big shot after big shot in Game 2. Yao got every Mav who looked anything like a center into foul trouble in the first quarter and had 33 points with only one missed shot for the night.

McGrady hit the game-winner. Between the two, they were 23-for-33 from the floor.

"Our defense is what we've been hanging out hat on," Mavs coach Avery Johnson said. "But 113 points given up is not good enough and not acceptable."

As for superstar Dirk Nowitzki? We're still waiting for his debut.

He was supposed to present a matchup nightmare for coach Jeff Van Gundy? Remember that theory from three days ago?

Instead, except for a brief flurry of shots in the fourth quarter including one that briefly tied the game with 10 seconds to play, Nowitzki has been a no-show.

He finished with 26 points in Game 2. That sounds impressive. It wasn't.

Twenty-six points, two rebounds and three assists is not the line of an elite player elevating his game in the postseason. Not when it comes with 13 missed shots (8 for 21) from the floor. In two games, he is 13-for-40 (32.5 percent).

"We've obviously seen him play better," Johnson said. "His shots will start falling."

The Mavericks can't wait any longer for that to start happening. Dallas played much, much better than it had in Game 1, but the club's finest moments mostly had nothing to do with Nowitzki.

When the Mavericks finally surged into the lead in the third quarter, turning a four-point halftime deficit into a four-point lead, Nowitzki didn't score. He wasn't even on the floor for the Mavericks' highlight-reel portion of the quarter, when the club scored on seven straight possessions.

The Mavericks were almost blown out early when Yao was wreaking havoc, getting two fouls on Erick Dampier and three on Keith Van Horn in the game's first 5:02.

When Dallas was just fighting to stay alive in the second quarter, it was Josh Howard slashing to the basket that made the difference.

In the third quarter, when Dallas opened with a 12-6 run to take its first lead since midway through the first period of Game 1, it was point guard Jason Terry and Dampier outscoring Yao and T-Mac, 12-6.

Van Horn's early foul trouble was a difference-making disaster for Dallas because he brought energy to the team as soon as he stepped onto the floor. Van Horn attacked the basket in a way that Nowitzki still hasn't in this series.

Van Horn hit his first five shots. Nowitzki was efficient only from the foul line in Game 2.

He spent most of the second half with a 4-for-15 from the field tag. After missing six straight shots, Nowitzki shut down the offensive part of his game. That wasn't good news because his defense was atrocious in the first half whether assigned to Yao or Jon Barry or, even for a time, David Wesley.

Is it over?

The glass-half-full side suggests Nowitzki won't shoot below 35 percent this entire series. When he heats up, the Mavs' depth will be too much for Houston, and Dallas will get back into this series.

The glass-half-empty side seems more logical at the moment. That is that the Mavericks don't have any real good answers against McGrady or Yao, but Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy has found one in Ryan Bowen, plus the double-team help which has frustrated Nowitzki into bad shot selection.

Others have tried to pick up their games. They have had their moments. But a team doesn't advance in the playoffs unless its best player is leading and playing at his best.

Where Nowitzki is leading this team ï¿½ well, the series is 2-0, Houston. That says it all.

E-mail w tcowlishaw@dallasnews.com

#14 olliez, Apr 26, 2005
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Look at Juwan in that picture of Tmac's dunk in the background.....hahaahahaha

#15 notthefullquid, Apr 26, 2005
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Situation goes foul for Mavs

Penalty limitations, hot-shooting Yao prove too much for centers

02:39 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 26, 2005

By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News

The Mavericks had to play four centers as they fell to the Houston Rockets, 113-111, Monday night at American Airlines Center and fell behind 2-0 in their best-of-7 playoff series.

Foul problems were the main reason why coach Avery Johnson used different players on Houston center Yao Ming, who was a tall order for anyone to guard. Yao poured in 33 points on 13-of-14 shooting.

The Mavs' centers were productive at the offensive end. Erick Dampier finished with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in 25 minutes, and Keith Van Horn, who played well in the third quarter, finished with 13 points.
"When they didn't have foul problems, they have a lot of energy," Mavs forward Josh Howard said.

At one point, the Mavs were down to their fourth center, Alan Henderson.

Dampier and Shawn Bradley picked up two fouls in the first quarter, and Van Horn, normally a power forward, had three. All three players guarded Yao at some point in the first half.

Dampier picked up his second foul with 9:17 left in the first quarter and had to sit down for Van Horn. It was the second consecutive game in which Dampier picked up two fouls in the first quarter.

"It wasn't frustrating," Dampier said before the game, referring to his two early fouls in Game 1. "Once I get two fouls, I pretty much know I'm coming out and save the rest of those fouls for the second half. I wouldn't say frustrated is how I feel. Ming got two fouls [in Game 1], too, so we were on the bench at the same time."

Van Horn was called for two fouls within three minutes. He made a bad foul, his third, when the Mavericks were pressing full court and he was in the Rockets' backcourt. He was called for a reach-around foul.

Dampier started the third quarter and scored on two dunks and a tip-in to push the Mavs ahead, 66-65, with 7:42 to play in the quarter.

Van Horn became an offensive force, scoring seven points in the third quarter. His biggest basket was on a drive on which he drew Yao's third foul with 16.5 seconds to play in the third quarter.

Bradley and Henderson didn't play in the second half.

"It was hard to play early on with the fouls," Mavs guard Jerry Stackhouse said. "When Dampier didn't worry about his fouls, he did a good job on Yao on the defensive end."

E-mail cwatkins@dallasnews.com

#16 olliez, Apr 26, 2005
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" Mine is bigger than yours !"

" You call that what ?!"

#17 olliez, Apr 26, 2005
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Yao hugs.

Sura faints.

#18 olliez, Apr 26, 2005

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Is Watkins implying anything in that article? Just a whole article about the centers' fouls? Mmmmmkay.

#19 KeepKenny, Apr 26, 2005
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Hot Yao shows off his stuff

By DWAIN PRICE

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

DALLAS - Yao Ming tried to put to rest that season-long argument about who is the second-best center in the NBA behind Shaquille O'Neal.

Yao torched the Mavericks for 33 points and eight rebounds on 13-of-14 shooting. His performance, along with an 18-footer by Tracy McGrady with 2.2 seconds remaining, enabled the Houston Rockets to trip up the Mavericks 113-111 on Monday at American Airlines Center.

The victory gives the Rockets a commanding 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven series.

The series now shifts to the Toyota Center in Houston for Games 3 and 4, where the Rockets will be looking for the sweep. Game 3 is Thursday at 8:30 p.m. CDT, and Game 4 is Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Yao tallied 23 of his points in the first half, when the Rockets took a 60-56 lead into the dressing room. What's more, Yao's counterpart with the Mavs, Erick Dampier, went to the bench less than three minutes into the game with two fouls while trying to corral Yao.

Dampier, who has always considered himself the league's second-best center, re-entered the game in the second period. But four minutes later, he was back on the bench after picking up his third foul while trying to keep pace with Yao.

And to add to the Mavs' misery, Keith Van Horn - the backup to Dampier - played only two first-half minutes before going to the bench with three fouls. Shawn Bradley even took a shot at guarding Yao, but it garnered little success as Bradley collected two fouls in six first-half minutes, and also was on the bad end of a thunderous Tracy McGrady dunk.

With the Mavs paying special attention to McGrady, Yao was able to find some much-needed room to maneuver. And with Dampier and Van Horn on the bench nursing those first-half fouls, Yao put his hard hat on and went to work.

In the first quarter alone, Yao was a picture of perfection. He finished the period with 17 points on 5 of 5 field goals and 7 of 7 free throws.

During the second quarter, the third-year veteran added another six points on 3-of-4 shooting. And in the third period, Yao scored six points while converting all three of his field goals.

With all of their big men having difficulty containing Yao, Mavs coach Avery Johnson was forced to go to a small lineup that, in the first half, had Dirk Nowitzki shadowing Yao. That didn't work, either.

"We're not really a big team, as far as size goes, to score, other than Yao," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "So we're still a little bit more perimeter than maybe you would exactly like. But that's who we are, and that's worked well for us."

Yao was attempting to vindicate himself after he scored only 11 points and collected eight rebounds in Game 1 before fouling out in 20 minutes.

"We need (Yao) on the floor," Van Gundy said.

According to Van Gundy, the 7-foot-5, 310-pound Yao has experienced difficulties with defenders of Dampier's ilk. But that wasn't the case Monday.

"It's all of the physical-fronting guys who can take up the space, unless the referees are usually more prone to giving advantages to smaller people," Van Gundy said. "I'm not calling Dampier (6-11, 265) smaller.

"But (the referees give) liberties to the smaller players. How he attacks those guys, he's gotten better at it this year."

That was evident early Monday, when Van Horn tried in vain to get Yao off the low blocks.

"He needs to continue to get better knowing that they're going to give some double-team support at times," Van Gundy said. "And he has to understand where it's coming from and how he's going to have to combat that."

Yao apparently understood that strategy Monday

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/basketball/11489327.htm

#20 harumph, Apr 26, 2005

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