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

that guy on the right looks pretty happy. i would put my money on it that he will probably sign an extension.

 

Stunning

 

Kerr's blog: Two-stepping

By Steve Kerr, Yahoo! Sports
April 25, 2005

Steve Kerr getting again a bit more positive about the Rockets:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...NlY2w-?slug=sk-blog042505&prov=yhoo&type=lgns



Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst Steve Kerr makes his points on the postseason in his personal playoff blog.

MONDAY, APRIL 25

Houston 113, Dallas 111
Anyone who watched the Houston Rockets early in the season saw a soft, non-competitive team that had no depth and no outside shooting. But after watching Jeff Van Gundy's club out-score the Dallas Mavericks by two to win Game 2 of their best-of-seven series, I'm amazed at the Rockets' depth, their will and their toughness. They've become a different team, thanks to some great midseason pickups by Carroll Dawson and a genuine confidence that has developed over the course of the season.

Houston took Dallas' best shot Monday and still came away with the win, thanks to the stunning play of Tracy McGrady. T-Mac appears primed to win the first playoff series of his career, and a long playoff run would elevate his stature in the league. But if weren't for his teammates, McGrady would not have had the chance to hit his game-winning jumper with 2.2 seconds left. Houston got a dominant game from Yao Ming and enormous contributions from Bob Sura, Jon Barry and Mike James, enabling them to overcome a terrific Dallas effort.

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The Mavericks were much more aggressive than in Game 1, shooting well from the three-point line and attacking the offensive glass. But the Rockets continued to make things difficult on Dirk Nowitzki, once again putting Ryan Bowen on him for most of the night. As in Saturday's win, Bowen harassed Dirk all night, forcing another tough shooting night. Dallas still appeared to be in control of the game, but Houston was tougher down the stretch, hitting big shots, making stops, and, of course, relying on the brilliant play of McGrady.

This was the type of loss that can erode a team's will. The Mavericks gave everything they had, played their game, forced the tempo they wanted, got the crowd into the game and still lost. It will take a Herculean effort for them to get back in this series. The Rockets, meanwhile, are brimming with confidence and will look to put the squeeze on the Mavericks in Game 3 on Thursday.

 

From "DIME MAG"
http://www.dimemag.com/smack.asp

Whatever the Bulls fed Andres Nocioni before Sunday’s game, the Rockets gave the same thing to Yao last night. We’ve never seen him as aggressive as he was in the first half against the Mavs. He was a beast, scoring 23, grabbing boards, altering shots – he even dove on the floor to battle Jason Terry for a loose ball. Predictably, he wasn’t as aggressive in the second half but still finished with 33 on a ridiculous 13-14 shooting … Oh, Keith Van Horn, will you ever do anything to shake your rep as always being a mortal lock to come up small in clutch situations? Late in the second half, on a play designed to set up a two-man game between Van Horn and Dirk, Keith passed up an open look – clearly not wanting to shoot the ball - and then turned the ball over. Then following an icewater shot by Dirk to tie it at 111 with 10 seconds left, Keith’s man (Yao) set a screen on Tracy McGrady’s man (Josh Howard) and Van Horn inexplicably sagged way off and allowed T-Mac to take, and make, what was basically a wide open game-winning shot … So, now down 0-2, are the Mavericks done? In the first two games, they haven’t really been able to stop McGrady and Dirk hasn’t really been able to take over. Can they fix it? Nowitzki needs to be a monster for the rest of the series for them to survive … Raise your hand if you haven’t dunked on Shawn Bradley’s face. If you haven’t, you’re one of the few. Over the years, he’s been the recipient of many, many, many ferocious hammers, but there are maybe a rare handful as vicious as the one T-Mac unleashed on him in the first half last night. Tracy beat Dirk baseline and then one-handed crushed on Shawn, giving him a facefull of shorts in the process … We’re out like Van Horn.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...-?slug=ap-mavericks-rockets&prov=ap&type=lgns


Rockets 113, Mavericks 111

By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
April 26, 2005

AP - Apr 26, 1:00 am EDT
More Photos


DALLAS (AP) -- Tracy McGrady had a secret. The only people who knew what he was going to do in the closing seconds of a tie game were his coach and his big man.

Pulling off a plan arranged during a previous timeout, McGrady surprised the rest of his Houston Rockets teammates, and all of the Dallas Mavericks, by not stopping the clock and going straight up the court with 10.4 seconds left. With Yao Ming doing his part by setting a screen near the 3-point arc, all McGrady had to do was bury his shot -- which, of course, he did.

McGrady's basket, a 2-pointer, and a miss by Michael Finley at the buzzer gave Houston a thrilling 113-111 victory over Dallas on Monday night and a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

By winning both road games, the Rockets can advance by winning the next two games in Houston, starting Thursday night. But McGrady isn't looking ahead, remembering how his Orlando team blew leads of 2-0 and 3-1 in the first round against Detroit two years ago.

``It's a new series for us. We're definitely in the driver's seat,'' McGrady said. ``We've got to stay grounded. We haven't done anything yet.''

Actually, McGrady and Yao have done something -- they've established themselves as the Western Conference's new dynamic duo, filling the void created by the breakup of Shaq and Kobe.

The preseason hype and hope surrounding their union became a reality with this game, as Yao scored 33 points -- making 13 of 14 shots, with his only miss arguably a turnover -- and McGrady scoring 28.


A McGrady drive-and-dish for a Yao dunk put Houston up 111-109 with 1:06 left. Then Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki tied it by faking McGrady several times and nailing a jumper from around the free throw line with 10.4 seconds left.

During a time out with 26.4 seconds left, Van Gundy asked McGrady whether they should call time to set up a last shot. He said he'd rather spot up behind a Yao screen, then told only Yao what he was going to do.

``They tried to trap me in the backcourt, but I got away from them pretty easily,'' McGrady said. ``I just got the ball up the court. Yao set a great screen. I realized I was by myself when I came off. ... Let me be honest. I don't even know if there was someone else. I was so zoned out. I don't know, I don't care.''

Given one last chance to salvage a split at home, Dallas failed when Finley missed a jumper. Mavs coach Avery Johnson said Nowitzki was the first option, but he was double-teamed.

``He had a good shot at the free throw line,'' Johnson said. ``It just didn't go in.''

As bad of a hole as this is, Dallas has been in worse When the Mavs returned to the playoffs after a decade-long absence in 2001, they trailed Utah 2-0 in a best-of-five series before advancing. This group goes to Houston knowing it can win on the road, having won a franchise-best 29 road games.

``It's possible,'' Finley said. ``It's happened before. It's not like we have to win the lottery.''

The Rockets, however, will be carrying a nine-game winning streak, while the Mavs will be reeling from their first consecutive losses under Johnson. They came into the playoffs 16-2 in his first five weeks since replacing Don Nelson and now have that many losses in three days.


The first concern for Dallas is getting Nowitzki going. He was 4-of-17 -- and 9-of-36 for the series -- when he made a 16-footer in transition with 7:09 left. He scored again on the next trip and put Dallas head 107-106 with 2:32 left on a hook over Yao. Still, he finished 8-of-21 for 26 points. He had just two rebounds and committed three turnovers.

``Every time I come off a screen, they're running somebody at me,'' Nowitzki said. ``I still haven't found my rhythm from the floor.''

Five other Mavs scored in double figures, with Josh Howard putting up 17, Jason Terry 15 and Erick Dampier 14. Keith Van Horn came off the bench to score 13, going 5-for-6.

With Yao scoring his most points since getting 40 against Toronto on Dec. 20, and McGrady making 10 of 19 shots, the Rockets didn't need much else. They got 16 from Jon Barry, including three straight 3s early in the second quarter, and 14 from Bob Sura, including the 3-pointer that put Houston up 109-107.

It was only fitting that this game came down to the last shot considering how the teams fought on every possession. Someone wrote ``Energy, Effort, Excitement'' on a wipe board in Dallas' locker room before the game, and both teams embodied it throughout, much to the delight of 20,884 fans, the largest crowd in Mavs history.

Players were scrambling for loose balls and hurrying to help on defense. There were several collisions, one leaving Barry's nose bloodied, another sending Houston's Ryan Bowen to the locker room to check his ankle. And that was just in the first half.

The Rockets led the entire first half, by as much as eight, but the Mavericks gained control early in the second half -- for the first time since 12-10 in Game 1 -- and were ahead most of the last two quarters.

 

Man...the Rockets are still getting zero respect. On the drive into work today here in the D/FW area, I am still hearing people talking about how Dallas will take this to seven games and win this thing. They think Dallas is going to march into Toyota Center and take two wins from us the same way we did to them. We cannot let that happen.

We have to make believers out of the press, the Mavs, and the Mavs' fans by continuing to stick it to them with no let up.

 

those are dallas fans. good for them. they should be thinking that. they're wrong...but they should be thinking that.

 

"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."

I....I am ABSOLUTELY speechless....they do not MAKE rolley-eyes big enough for that BS quote. Are you JOKING?? The Dallas fans and sports writers live in some sort of La-La Land. Only THEY would think that Yao Ming needs to "put-to-rest" a "season long argument about who is second best center in the NBA".

Seriously...Yao needs to prove that he is a better center than that fragile scrub, Damp-pants about as much as a Ferrari needs to prove that it's faster than a rusted out 73 Pinto.

JESUS!

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2005/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2046560&num=0

How are the Mavs stumbling? Let's count the ways

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com


DALLAS -- Mark Cuban calls this the best and most balanced assemblage of talent in his ownership tenure.

Erick Dampier calls himself the best center in the West.

Calls have been coming into the local talk shows for months to anoint these Mavericks as better equipped for title contention than ever before. Better defensively than they've been for years. Better off without Steve Nash, specifically.

What you can say without debate is that the Mavericks who went 58-24 to generate all that chest-pounding have disappeared, most likely for good. The only way they can validate any of those claims now is to rally and win four of the next five games -- three of them in Houston -- after the Rockets dumped the new and balanced and purportedly playoff-friendly Mavs into a 2-0 sinkhole.


You should not undersell the brilliance of Tracy McGrady and the resilience shown by several of T-Mac's unheralded teammates in winning the first two games -- both on the road -- in this Interstate 45 first-round showdown.

However ...

When one of the hottest teams in the league starts the playoffs with two home defeats to a lower-seeded foe, the laws of second-guessing demand an immediate inquiry into everything going wrong for that team.


Herewith, then, is the first stab at a Top 10 list:


1. The struggling superstar
No one disagreed with Dirk Nowitzki after his 5-for-19 nightmare in Game 1 when the big German suggested there was little chance he'd have "two games like that in a row." But he did.

While McGrady continues to play the best all-around ball of his life, Nowitzki was only marginally more effective in Game 2, supplementing his 26 points with just two rebounds. Although he scored 10 points in Monday's fourth quarter on 4-of-6 shooting, including a clutch jumper in the final 10-plus seconds that looked as though it might force overtime, Nowitzki declined several invitations to attack Ryan Bowen in the post and even passed out of a late post-up against Jon Barry. Nowitzki's reluctance to put the ball on the floor when McGrady checks him is understandable, but too often he has been timid against Bowen, refusing to attack the rim.

The Mavericks' offense is flowing so poorly that Dallas needs Nowitzki, more than ever, to get to the line or create scoring opportunities for his teammates through his aggressiveness. Instead, the Rockets have happily watched Bowen -- whose only real weapon defensively is effort -- hang in there gamely and negate the damage Houston expected from Juwan Howard's absence. The only solace for the Mavericks, meanwhile, is that Nowitzki hasn't looked this lost in the playoffs since the first two games of the first-round series against Utah in 2001, which also happens to be the only series in club history in which Dallas has recovered from a 2-0 deficit.

2. The lack of a locker-room leader
Nowitzki is a lead-with-his-game type. Michael Finley has scored only 15 points in the series and was never a hugely vocal leader even in his All-Star days. And Jerry Stackhouse doesn't get enough minutes to be the Mavs' No. 1 in-your-face teammate.

This is one area where Nash's departure didn't sting too badly, because Nash really wasn't a rally-the-troops guy, but it's fairly evident that Dallas' players aren't following the lead of anyone but rookie coach Avery Johnson these days. They've been lacking an emotional compass since the departure of Nick Van Exel, and the Rockets, rallying around McGrady, have capitalized.

3. The tenseness
Johnson brings Gregg Popovich-style intensity to the Mavs' bench, which was initially celebrated in the wake of Don Nelson's laid-back reign. But Mavs insiders say the Lil' General has been even more tense than normal in his first playoff series as a coach, and that appears to have trickled down to the team.

Houston maintained its composure throughout Game 2, surviving Dallas' surprise pressing and the swarms it threw at McGrady in the backcourt and the frontcourt. The Rockets sported a collective confidence that suggested that, even down seven points with 5:41 to go, they never thought they were going to lose.

The Mavericks? They've looked jittery in both defeats. Instead of playing freely, they look afraid to make mistakes.


4. The centers of attention
Dampier's argument that the NBA offers only one center more dangerous -- a certain Shaquille O'Neal -- isn't being backed up here. Not even close.

In Game 1, Dampier wasn't the second-best center in this series: Yao Ming (though limited to 20 minutes by foul trouble) and a creaky Dikembe Mutombo combined for 19 points and 16 rebounds. And while Dampier (14 points and nine boards) had the occasional moment in Game 2, he was among the many Mavericks helpless to stop Yao in pick-and-roll coverage.


5. The role players
Dallas is billed as the league's deepest team. The Rockets' bench has ignored its reputation to outscore the Mavericks' bench in both games, with Mike James and Barry ranking as the most consistent reserves in the series to date.

6. The defense
Dallas' drastic improvements defensively, especially during the final 18 games of the regular season, made it easy to say that Nash was hardly missed. During that finishing kick, after Johnson replaced Nellie as the full-time head coach, Dallas held opponents to 92.3 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting. And as we've said numerous times lately, Dallas isn't going to lose too often if the opposition can't get to 93.

In this series, though, Houston has shot 51 percent from the floor in the first two games while averaging 105.5 points. Which means the new Mavericks aren't guarding any better in the playoffs than the old Mavericks.

7. The offense
For all the blame Nowitzki must shoulder, it can't be overlooked that he's rarely presented with an easy shot. Jason Terry has been hitting when he looks for his own offense, but nothing Dallas has been running against the Rockets puts Nowitzki in prime scoring position.

The ball and player movement Johnson stresses has vanished. The ball is pitched to Nowitzki at the elbow or on the wing, and what often ensues is little more than standing around.

Nor is Dallas running the ball. The Mavs managed just four fast-break points in Game 2 despite pounding Houston on the boards (41-29).

Then again, maybe we shouldn't be surprised. Even without Nash, Dallas was one of the top five teams in the league in terms of protecting the ball, averaging fewer than 13 turnovers per game. Yet there's a footnote that largely went unpublicized: Dallas finished 26th in assists, supporting the notion that Nowitzki has been working harder than ever for his points.

8. The bad timing
Dallas entered the playoffs with the best record in the whole league against playoff teams at 28-14. That's right: No. 1. But timing is everything and the Mavs suddenly find themselves trying to deal with a dangerous duo clicking as never before. They're not Shaq and Kobe Bryant yet, but T-Mac and Yao have never looked better together. McGrady, especially, has been sensational. The ball is in his hands, and he's controlling everything.

9. The mysteries
The Mavericks had 20 more free-throw attempts than Houston in the series opener and have totaled almost twice as many offensive rebounds (33-17) in the two games.

"You look at the stat sheet and you'd think we should be getting pounded," Rockets guard Barry said. A look at the stat sheet also reveals that Bobby Sura, who had never made a 3-pointer in a playoff game before Monday, went 4-for-5 on 3s in Game 2. We'll let you know as soon as we can explain any of it.

10. The irony
In its previous incarnations, Dallas used to be the NBA's king of Small Ball.

Now look: This has become a Small Ball series and the Mavericks can't keep up.

 

Big wow! Yao takes game up a notch
Dallas Morning News
David Moore

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...ore/stories/042605dnspomoorecol.4a04468e.html

02:27 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 26, 2005

If you want to get a rise out of Jeff Van Gundy, mention the "S" word and listen to the Houston coach launch into his dissertation.

The idea that his team would leave American Airlines Center happy regardless of what happened Monday night – the Rockets Game 1 victory assured at least a split – is one that Van Gundy couldn't accept.

"This is about winning tonight," Van Gundy said before his team's pulsating 113-111 win over the Mavericks. "That is why all those clichés about splits .... It makes you sick to your stomach as a coach because your players listen to it all the time.

"If you're a road team in a series, you have to expect to win a minimum of two road games, so why would you give one of them away by not being ready?"

The Rockets were ready. No one was more ready than Yao Ming. He missed one shot all evening on his way to 33 points. Throw in another dominant effort by Tracy McGrady (28 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds) and a 3-point barrage by Jon Barry and Bob Sura, and you have a 2-0 lead for the Rockets.

"I'm very proud of our team," Van Gundy said. "But Yao obviously had an unbelievable night. He had a great performance."

Game 2 was as spirited as Saturday's game was one-sided. The Mavericks played with a fire and intensity that was absent two nights earlier.

The Rockets responded. McGrady's offensive explosion in Game 1 meant the Mavericks defense would swing his way. It was up to Yao to make them pay.

He did. The center was 13-of-14 from the field, had eight rebounds and showed how dangerous the Rockets' one-two punch can be in these playoffs.

"Real superstars are like Tracy, who come out and do it every game," Yao said.

"I didn't think I'd shoot as well as I did today. But most of them were shots I'm comfortable with."

Yao opened the evening with a nice baseline turn. He followed that with a backdoor layup on a lob pass over the top.

Yao equaled his output (11 points) from Game 1 with 6:28 left in the first quarter. He sent Erick Dampier to the Mavericks bench in the first three minutes with two fouls. Keith Van Horn went to the bench less than three minutes later with his third foul. Shawn Bradley came in and picked up a quick two fouls.

That was seven fouls on Mavericks centers in the first eight minutes.

Yao was doing just what the Rockets wanted – punishing the Mavericks inside, forcing coach Avery Johnson to alter his rotation and giving McGrady, Barry and Sura room to operate on the outside.

It didn't stop there. Yao worked the give-and-go with McGrady. He spun past Dirk Nowitzki twice for layups. He had more points (23) at the end of the first half than he'd ever had in a playoff game.

It wasn't that Yao was bad in the first game. It's just that he got into early foul trouble. Backup Dikembe Mutombo was so effective that Van Gundy didn't have to force-feed him minutes.

But the Rockets coach knew his team was living on borrowed time.

"The formula was not there to win a series," Van Gundy. "We can't have Yao on the floor 20 minutes. We need him on the floor."

To keep Yao on the floor, the Rockets need to keep him in the paint. They can't allow him to be drawn too far outside on the pick-and-roll. They can't let him get exposed, where his 7-6 frame looks awkward rather than imposing.

The Mavericks tried to do just that by opening the game with three successive pick-and-rolls against Yao. The Rockets center turned them away with two turnovers and no points.

Yao stood his ground. His presence inside made it easier for McGrady to take over late.

"People have been saying they have to stop him ever since he's been in the league," Yao said of McGrady. "Most of the time, teams haven't been able to stop him."

And this night, the Mavericks weren't able to stop Yao.

 

2-0 Rockets? That's how the stars have aligned
Dallas Morning News
Tim Cowlishaw

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...aw/stories/042605dnspocowlishaw.4a02910b.html

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 – well, the series is 2-0, Houston. That says it all.

 

I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised that at least some folks in the Dallas media are giving T-Mac, Yao, and the Rockets some props!

I love the article on giving mad props to T-Mac while calling out Nowitzki!

 

McGrady Reaching His Peak

DALLAS — Tracy McGrady won the duel and the battle, and is halfway to winning the war.

It's not just the Larry O'Brien Trophy that's open to all comers this postseason. The floor's open for the title of Most Desirable Player, applications being accepted throughout the playoffs.

In this bracket it's Houston's McGrady versus Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, and right now McGrady is rolling.

He controlled the game Monday with 10 assists, eight rebounds, three steals, three blocked shots and 28 big points, including the game-winning shot with 2.2 seconds remaining as the Rockets beat the Mavericks, 113-111, to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

How complete was this performance? In the middle of describing his exploits in the postgame news conference, he glanced at the recorders lined up before him and an announced: "Somebody's tape just stopped, so you might want to put another tape in."

A full-service superstar, even doing the reporters' jobs for them.

Just another line in his nomination for the MDP.

Not Most Valuable. Most Desirable. The MVP reflects a player's effect on a particular season. The MDP is more forward-thinking, based on which player you'd want on your team for the long haul. When I handed out the inaugural award two years ago Kobe Bryant got the nod, primarily because of his clutch playoff performances from 2000 to 2002.

But if you can't get your team to the playoffs, you can't be the most desirable. So Bryant has to vacate the title. Scratch the initial runner-up, Kevin Garnett, as well. No playoffs yet for LeBron James. If he were Jamie Foxx, he'd still be in the "In Living Color" stage of his career.

These playoffs are McGrady's breakout performance. You have to take him seriously now as one of the elite members of his field.

See, he'd already racked up the All-Star appearances and won scoring titles. He also never made it past the first round of the playoffs. You get your Magic, Bird and Jordan status in June, not April.

"I'm just hungry, man," McGrady said. "I'm tired of getting to the playoffs and getting bounced out in the first round."

It his attitude, more than improvement, that has changed.

"He trusts the guys in this room to make plays," teammate Jon Barry said. "People say it's selfish [with Orlando] but he felt like he had to do everything. I don't think he feels like he had to do everything here. We have plenty of guys who are capable of stepping up."

Starting with Yao Ming, who had the game of his playoff career with 33 points and eight rebounds, thank in large part to McGrady's efforts to find him.

But McGrady also helped set up Barry for 16 points on six-for-11 shooting, and Bob Sura for 14 points on four-for-five shooting from three-point range.

"He's got great confidence in us, just like we have confidence in him," Barry said.

One of the knocks on McGrady is that he settles for his jump shot too often. He was in attack mode from the first time he touched the ball, and took only one three-pointer in the first half. He finished strong around the hoop, most notably when he threw down a dunk over a cowering Shawn Bradley.

But it was in the second half when he really put his stamp on the game.

When the Rockets fell behind by seven in the final two minutes of the third quarter, McGrady responded with a three-pointer off a Yao screen, a drive to the hole for a left-handed layup and a fast-break assist to Jon Barry.

It got dicey for the Rockets early in the fourth quarter, and again McGrady came through. Trailing by eight points, McGrady drove and dished to Dikembe Mutombo, who was fouled and made both free throws. After Mike James scored for Houston, McGrady got a piece of a Jerry Stackhouse jump shot, which led to a three-pointer by Barry.

Nowitzki, meanwhile spent most of the game unwilling or unable to take Ryan Bowen. Nowitzki shot fallaway jumpers and one-dribble pull-up jumpers and missed 11 of his first 15 shots and 13 of 21 for the game.

But he did come up big at the end, including a fallaway jumper over McGrady that tied the score with 11 seconds remaining.

All that did was set the stage for McGrady, who came off a Yao screen to hit the big basket.

Passing wasn't an option.

"Why would I?" McGrady said. "No, no. That's the time right there where I felt we're either going to overtime or I'm going to win the game. That's not being selfish. I don't think."

Not if you're a superstar. And with 62 points in two games, McGrady qualifies.

"After seeing him for 82 games, I really didn't think he had another gear," Sura said. "But apparently he does."

J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Adande, go to latimes.com/adande.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp...n?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=1&cset=true

 

"After seeing him for 82 games, I really didn't think he had another gear," Sura said. "But apparently he does."

 

Which, if you do the math, means they hit .696969696969696969...

No number is better than 69!

 

what a great piece by Adande, wherein he highlighted specific stretches of brilliance I didn't see anyone else speak of...and from an L.A. writer, too!

 

http://www.nba.com/features/nestle/crunch_time_stat.html

From the Nestle Crunch Time playoffs:

1. Mike James (Rockets)
2. Dikembe Mutombo (Rockets)
3. Andre Miller (Nuggets)
3. Yao Ming (Rockets)
5. Jon Barry (Rockets)
5. Bob Sura (Rockets)
5. Tracy McGrady (Rockets)
8. David Wesley (Rockets)
8. Ryan Bowen (Rockets)
8. Andres Nocioni (Bulls)

8 out of the top 10 are Rockets! Not bad...

 

I liked his article, and I like his idea of a MDP award.

-- droxford

 

Well to be fair the only reason that so many rockets are on the list is because they give bonus points based on whether the team won or not, and the Rox are the only team with 2 wins right now.