# GAME 1: Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets



## Tersk

vs








*Dallas Mavericks (58-24) - Houston Rockets (51-31)
 Mavericks at home: 29-12 - Rockets away from home: 25-16
 
Starting Lineup

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Jason Terry | Michael Finley | Josh Howard | Dirk Nowitzki | Erick Dampier




































David Wesley | Bob Sura | Tracy McGrady | Clarence Weatherspoon | Yao Ming

Key Reserves

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Van Horn - Stackhouse - Daniels - Harris - Henderson - Bradley
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Mutombo - Padgett - Bowen - Barry - James


My Key Matchup







against









Erick Dampier against Yao Ming. Tracy McGrady will get his points one way or another, Dirk Nowitzki will get his points one way or another, Yao Ming will get his points one way or be a non-factor. Erick Dampier can and should have a big DEFENSIVE series, we don't need him to be forcing shots in the paint when we have many other players who can carry the offensive load. We will need Dampier to muscle up with Yao Ming and force him out of the paint. The biggest problem Dampier faces is getting into early foul trouble.

However, Damp getting into foul trouble wouldn't be as bad as I originally thought. After reading a well written article about Bradleys play against Yao, and some reminiscing to one of the few Mavericks games I got over here. I remember Bradley casually sinking open 15 or so footers on Yao. It was truly amazing

Go Mavericks!!

Predict the score and have the chance to win 1000 uCash. If you are the closest predictor, you'll earn heaps of uCash points
   *​


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## xray

I think this will be the widest margin of victory for the Mavs, and the Rox to have trouble putting points on the board. The rest of the series will see these teams "evening out", but out of the gate, Mavs big.

Mavs 110
Rockets 84


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## DwyaneWade4MVP

My prediction:
Mavs 102
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Rockets 98


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## symphonix

112-98

Mavs


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## Elyas

Mavs - 105
Rockets - 91


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## Zach

Dallas 112
Houston 93


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## Gambino

Dallas has not lost at home since Mid March. Winning what 9 straight at the AAC i think they will continue there long stretch in game 1.

Dallas 103
Houston 93
Final.


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## mavsmania41

Mavs 103
Rocekts 97


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## master8492

Rockets to Win

Rockets 100
Mavericks 97


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## TheRoc5

master8492 said:


> Rockets to Win
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> Rockets 100
> Mavericks 97


 sounds good to me


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## mav78

I think it will be a blowout win for Dallas

104 - 89

Join the fun :banana: 
*no spamming*


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## Pasha The Great

Rockets will steal this game from Dallas.


Rockets 115 Dallas 109


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## Drewbs

That pic of Spoon reminds me of a cupcake. 

Mavs win 95-90


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## fuzzrhythm

I'll be in attendance...hopefully that means we'll see an exciting series like the 02-03 Blazer series that I got to see, too :clap: 

Mavs 97
Rockets 92


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## Tersk

Take a witty sign


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## aussiewill

Expect Dirk to come up big in this series as the Rockets are without Juwan Howard and Spoon cannot hold a candle to Dirk, Dirk will explode for 42 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals. JHo will do a decent job on TMac who will score 28 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assisist and 2 steals. Yao will be owned by Mantis who will be injected early and often for a battle of the tallest players in the league. In fact I will guess that Bradley will score more points that Yao with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Our bench will be the icing on the cake as I expect KVH to have a HUGE impact and knock down 3's from everywhere and end up putting the Rockets away in the 3rd. Mavs win 98-86.


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## xray

Wild prediction:

Devin Harris will absolutely posterize Yao Ming at least once in this series.


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## BaLLiStiX17

Game Prediction 
Mavs 105
Rockers 95
Hey good luck guys root for you guys if i see the game..


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## SMDre

Rockets: 95

Mavs: 108


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## Tersk

Click here to bet on the upcoming 1st round match between Mavericks and Rockets


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## mavsmania41

I allready did 1000 big ones.


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## mavsmania41

I picked the mavs 3 days ago 103-97 and I am sticking with it I hope they win by at least 6 cuz that will cover the spread.


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## nutmeged3

mavs 104
rockets 95


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## The Future7

Im so confident that we will win this series. Its just the fact that who will stop Dirk.
The Rockets cant say the same about Tmac because we have Josh who may be able to stop him. Unless Tmac gets on fire he wont do as much. The Rockets will also have problems scoring in the paint. 

101-93 Mavs.
Dirk: 37 points, 11 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
McGrady:28 points, 7 boards, 4 assist, 1 steal


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## Drewbs

Theo! said:


> Key Reserves
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> [img]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/keith_vanhorn.jpg
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> Van Horn - Stackhouse - Daniels - Harris - Henderson - Bradley
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> Mutombo - Padgett - Bowen - Barry - James
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Man, that looks lopsided as hell.​


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## The Future7

Exactly. The Mavs will win this in 5. There is only so much Yao and Tmac can do.


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## The_Franchise

Everyone is underestimating JVG and his masterful scheming with defensive rotations. It's not going to be a situation where Bowen or Padgett is asked to guard Dirk and every time he scores it's on them. There will be doubles, traps and Bowen will overplay him all series long, forcing him to drive right to Yao. You guys may not be underestimating Yao and TMac but you sure don't know what you're in for when you face Jeff Van Gundy.


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## mavsmania41

That makes me laugh Avery drove a stake right threw JVg back in 99 judt like the Mavs are gonna do to the Rockets.


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## Tristan

Im an idiot, i accidentally put all my points on the bet. Mavs better win


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## The Future7

About an hour until Avery Johnson coaches his first playoff game.
About an hour until Jason Terry plays his first playoff game.
About an hour until Devin Harris plays his first playoff game.
About an hour until Erick Dampier plays his first playoff game. I think.


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## The Future7

The game is about to start everyone.


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## mavsrock27

They showed the Dirk trophy love commercial :biggrin:


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## texan

So far the Mavs have looked good defensively. Dirk is getting open looks, and Damp is controlling the paint.


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## texan

Niceee dunk by Dirk! 12-10 Mavs and there is a timeout. They have been playing well so far. They have already forced 2 Tmac turnovers, and are getting good looks on offense.


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## The Future7

What a dunk by Nowitzki. Everyone is playing well so far. We are obviously trying to get Yao in foul trouble.


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## TheRoc5

poor yao lots of people dont like him lol


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## mavsrock27

Arg. NO MORE FOULS!! :curse:


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## texan

Mavs down 6, 20-14. Someone needs to step up and stop McGrady. By the looks of it, he is going to have a monster game. Yao got his 2nd foul, on a questionable call, but Mutombo shouldn't be too big a drop off. The Mavs need some stops so they can get out on the break more, and get Dirk started(well he has 7 points already, but I want to see him completely go off).


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## The Future7

Another one of those bad 1st quaters for the Mavs. Hopefully we can pick up on our Defense.


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## texan

End of 1st quarter and only 16 points. This is supposed to be one of the best offensive teams in the league. Dampier getting 2 fouls hurt them inside, but they aren't getting any stops and Houston is forcing them to play a half-court game. They need to get out in transition to take advantage of their offensive superiority.


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## The Future7

Dirk needs more help. Everyone else needs to contribute more on offense.


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## Kekai

Wow, Rockets are up by 10 now. Eh..now 12.


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## texan

Stack is stepping up on the offensive end, but to get back into this game, the Mavs need to start playing defense. If this is a half-court game, they will lose.

Devin Harris is in.


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## The Future7

What the hell is going on. Where is the defense. It must have taken a nap today.


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## texan

Rockets now up 16, and the Mavs aren't playing very inspired. McGrady is creating at will, and the role players for Houston are knocking down all their shots. Hey, they can't stay hot all game long can they? Not if the Mavs decide to play D.


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## Kekai

TMac is killing ya'll. Lighting it up.


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## mavsmania41

Gosh this is terrible we are getting raped by these guys where is our offense and defense we just dont match up with these guys but they cant keep up thier shooting % the whole game. Glad I paased up my tickets.


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## The Future7

We need some perimeter defense. McGrady is hitting shot after shot. We need to keep it close and get everyone else into it. Dirk only has 7 points. He also needs to score and help the Mavs get into it.


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## The Future7

Ok the Mavs made a short run. We can still get back into it. Maybe the return of Marquis Daniels would help.


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## mavsmania41

Then everyone the defends Dirk gets away with Bloody Murder.


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## mavsmania41

Finally thank you basketball god!


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## mavsrock27

We are finally gaining momentum thank god.


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## mavsrock27

Go Keith!! Where's Theo?


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## mavsrock27

Nice shot by Dirk, it's about time. :clap:


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## mavsmania41

We have got to find the miss match and get to the Line. WE have gotta play defense.


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## mavsrock27

Yep and we need to also do better offensively, hit more open looks, find the open man, drive it and such


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## mavsmania41

The Refs suck but we gotta over come that someone picked howard and that was Illegal. But there is no way they shoot that % in the second half.


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## The Future7

Im a little disappointed in how we have played. We need to pick up it up in the 3rd.


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## Pasha The Great

It comes to my attention that everyone thought the rockets couldnt handle dirk... you guys still think that?


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## mavsmania41

WEll Dirk is playing the double team well he has got to pass and find the open man which he hasnt done and the Mavs need to box out better on the defensive boards.


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## Drewbs

The mavs need a way to defend Tmac on the pick and roll as well as him coming off screens for catch and shoot. Dirk really looks tentative out there. He is having some trouble dealing witht he double when he is trying to post up Tmac, but no one else can hit a shot out there. They REALLY need to get him going out there or else the Mavs are going to lose, clear him out for a few possesions, or let him post up off the ball and get position and see if he can draw some fouls and get to the line. Yao has been a nonfactor, but we need to find some way to stop Tmac from scoring off the ball.


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## The Future7

I still think the Rockets cant handle Dirk. Dirk just has not got his offense going today.


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## texan

Well yall finally started to play something that resembled basketball. They got a little cold which allowed yall to get out into the fast break and gain some momentum. Yall are still down by 12 at half, and yall are lucky Dirk doesn't have 4 fouls right now. Once Dampier got back in the game, the pickn roll was a lot less effective, and he stopped the Mavs from getting dominated on the inside.


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## texan

The Future7 said:


> I still think the Rockets cant handle Dirk. Dirk just has not got his offense going today.



No one can handle Dirk, but I think with the way the Rockets play team defense, they can contain him somewhat. I don't forsee any 40+ point games from Dirk unless he starts going insane with the 3, or if Houston goes into a state of delirium and tries to guard Dirk one on one with Ryan Bowen.


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## mavsmania41

Dirks passing is gonna be a key he is gonna have to be more efficent.


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## mavsrock27

I still think the Rox can't handle Dirk. I saw Dirk during pregame warmups and his shooting was horribly off then too, so I don't think it has anything to do with the Rox defense.


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## texan

Shot clock violation. They need that kind of defensive pressure every time.


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## Drewbs

Could Ryan Bowen set anymore illegal screens?


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## mavsmania41

Jet and mike have gotta step up.


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## mavsmania41

Man our defense is terrible.


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## The Future7

He need help. Mentally, offensively, and defensively.


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## texan

Dirk is just completely off his game today. Bowen is doing a good job keeping him from driving, but honestly if Dirk wanted to he could get to the basket. He needs to be more assertive in getting to the basket, and take over this game. He is settling for jumpers.

Meanwhile, Terry is quietly having a good game, and is keeping the Mavs in this one. He needs to keep this up.


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## mavsrock27

Yao with his fourth foul! :biggrin:


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## mavsrock27

I wish we would stop turning it over!! :curse: 
Bowen with his fourth!!


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## texan

mavsrock27 said:


> Yao with his fourth foul! :biggrin:



With the way they are reffing the game, I don't think that should have been a foul. However it was stupid for Yao to put himself in that situation. Nowitski is now getting every call he could ever dream of.


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## The Future7

Maybe we can get into it now with the Rockets over the foul limit.


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## mavsrock27

I love Stackhouse!! Great pass by Dirk!!!


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## The Future7

7 point game!!!


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## texan

Now this is Maverick basketball. They are forcing turnovers and running the floor, and getting to the foul line. They are within 7 now.


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## soulhunter

Sorry guys, I slept throughy the first half 

Back to seven after two quick baskets, Houston calls thier 3rd timeout


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## Kekai

Avery was yelling at Dirk? haha


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## texan

They have really picked up their defensive intensity. That was the 2nd shot clock violation and they gave no one room to shoot the ball. 8 point game, and McGrady comes out of the game.


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## soulhunter

In comes Harris and Yao, hopefully devin can be a spark


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## soulhunter

7 point game after 3quarters :S

We need to keep the defence up, while continuing to attack the basket.


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## mavsmania41

Its gonna be a heck of a 4th quarter but we are gonna have to keep playing the way we have been. And make our free throw we arnt shooting that great from the line.


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## The Future7

Its 4th Quarter time and we must make stops. Ryan Bowen has 5 fouls. Lets hope Dirk works Tmac.


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## mavsrock27

Yao and Bowen both have 5 fouls!! :banana:


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## soulhunter

A string of missed layups for the mavs, eventually josh grabs the offensive rebound and gets fouled by Mcgrady going up.


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## soulhunter

Yao fouls damp to get his fith, houston brings in mutumbo


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## mavsrock27

Wow rox out of team fouls with 9:16 left and stack gets 3 free throws


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## soulhunter

down to a 4 point game


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## texan

Stackhouse had a nice acting job, because that was not a foul. ESPN is actually correct on their in-game analysis for once. Its a close game, and the Mavs are playing great on the defensive end right now. This is their game for the taking right now.


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## Tersk

Awake now, someone, tell me whats been happening


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## Tersk

soulhunter said:


> down to a 4 point game


are you watching it soul, if so, where?


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## mavsrock27

I was wondering where you were. The Mavs have made a run and were down by as many as 19 and are now down 6 with 8:33 left and the rox are out of fouls


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## soulhunter

Theo! said:


> Awake now, someone, tell me whats been happening


lol theo!, i did the same thing. but my little brother came and worke me at 9 (about half time) :banana: 

Our first half and parts of the 3rd sucked (up to 14point(+?) leads) but were coming back thanks to "favourtism by the refs" or so houston fans have said


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## soulhunter

Theo! said:


> are you watching it soul, if so, where?


Nopes, no watching for me :curse: damn australian TV


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## mavsmania41

man James is cold man we cant stop him.


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## Tersk

I Can"t Believe They Showing Arm Wrestling Instead

God, I Hate You Espn


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## soulhunter

Theo! said:


> I Can"t Believe They Showing Arm Wrestling Instead
> 
> God, I Hate You Espn


rofl :clap:


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## Kekai

Wow. Rockets are shooting the lights out. Mavs are in trouble fellas.


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## Tersk

Barry for 3, Rox up 11

Give Devin Harris minutes, to put on Mike James!


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## mavsmania41

Man I dont think we have a chance to win this game it is over.


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## mavsrock27

Lol they are showing arm wrestling? I didn't know it was a sport, but I also don't get how darts and billiards are sports so I guess I may just be dumb.


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## Kekai

Dirk will probably step it up. 6 minutes left and he will show he is a real superstar.


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## soulhunter

Damn its been blown out again


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## Tersk

I hope, go Mavs!

Please win!


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## mavsmania41

crap man if Dirk doesnt get out of his slump we are in trouble.


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## mavsrock27

Yeah I'm starting to think it's over too. We have to watch the film and work on some little defensive mishaps and also offensive mishaps.


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## The Future7

The Rockets are having a nice game against the Atlanta Hawks right now. Their wearing Mavericks Jerseys.
Dallas need to make a few stops and go on one of those 10-0 runs.


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## Tersk

Why's Dirk so off?


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## Tersk

Dirk with the J

Barry misses a layup, bah Mutombo O. Rebound

TMac with the layup


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## Tersk

****, TMac steals it


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## mavsrock27

Hmm... I loved Dirk's tackle with no call it was great :biggrin:


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## soulhunter

I dunno, he needs to hit his shots. But if that isn't working he needs to go to the line (he did sometime in the 3rd about 6 attempts in as many minutes) I hope he can figure it out.


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## Tersk

Mavs steal, we're going to the line -- foul on Tmac

Howard misses 1st FT :angry:
Dallas Timeout

Rip into them AJ!


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## soulhunter

**** **** ANAL POO
down 11 with 4 minutes left


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## mavsmania41

are defense is half decent our offense is what is slumping.


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## mavsmania41

If the mavs dont come threw for us our Message board is gonna be a Houston Rockets message board cuz of the bet.


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## The Future7

This has not been a good game. The Rockets came out lucky today that Tmac and Mike James got it going.


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## The Future7

mavsmania41 said:


> If the mavs dont come threw for us our Message board is gonna be a Houston Rockets message board cuz of the bet.


Not happening because we will win this series.


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## mavsrock27

Yeah definitely not happenin! No way I'll let this board be a Rockets board I like it too much!


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## Tersk

Tmacs resting, this is our time to shine

Josh makes 1st FT, makes second

Dallas down 11, easy!


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## mavsmania41

Gosh this is crap man i cant even stand watching the game. i am glad I passed up my ticekts to go to the game.


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## Tersk

Evidently he's not off

He misses a ****ing three and then they get the offensive rebound, then its an and1 from TMac

Rockets up 14

Play ****ING DEFENSE DALLAS


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## The Future7

McGrady with shot and a foul


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## soulhunter

TMac drops a three point play on josh howard to pretty much secure the game


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## mavsrock27

What the hell is up with all the turnovers???


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## mavsrock27

Bowen fouls out!!


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## The Future7

2 minutes. down 10. we can do it.


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## Tersk

Dirk makes the FT tech after defensive 3 seconds on the Rockets, Mavs down 13

Dirk loses the ball

Terry for 3, Mavs down 10

Mike James Turnover, Josh Howard to the line
hits the 1st
hits the 2nd
Dallas down 8


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## Tersk

Yao drives to the FT line
Makes 1 of 2, Dallas down 9

1:49 left, let's get the lead down to 5 before the minute mark


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## DaUnbreakableKinG

Mavs have played poorly tonight. 

Now they lose the HCA. Not good if you ask me.


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## The Future7

Theo! said:


> Yao drives to the FT line
> Makes 1 of 2, Dallas down 9
> 
> 1:49 left, let's get the lead down to 5 before the minute mark


Yes Please. I hope so.


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## mavsmania41

If we dont win game 2 I think we dont have much of a chance at all but Im not gonna count us out just yet because we did come back agaisnt Utah down 2-0 in best of 5. But Dirk hasnt been Dirk from the season. Usally Dirk takes his game up to really good numbers he only has 3 boards and 19 points most of them from the free throw line. The mavs are gonna be desperate game 2 is a must win.


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## c_dog

t-mac showing why he deserved MVP consideration. the good players can up good stats in the regular season but a superstar raises his game to a different level come playoff time. people often give him too much crap for not making it to the 2nd round and forget that this is what he's been doing for the past 4 years(well, except last year).. he is always spectacular at this time.


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## Gambino

Frustrating game and this should be a wakeup call for Dallas. I will have my thoughts on this game when it's over.


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## mavsmania41

Everything went thier way Dirk has gotta be more aggresive lack of free throws. He needs to put the ball on the floor.


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## mavsrock27

Damn. this is quite upsetting


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## Kekai

Ehh..game over. Wow.


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## mavsmania41

Suns fans I would look out cuz the Rockets got your # as well.


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## Gambino

This game is over so here are my thoughts. When you start the game tentative and the other team plays with more energy. You will see that you will be in a whole early. Then you have an uphill battle throughout the rest of the game and then you will find out that you will finish the way you started because you spent alot of energy trying to catchup. That's exactly what happened today. Dallas played scared and tentative. They are a much much better team then what we seen out there today. 

Players that made played there first playoff game showed today with the exception of Dampier. Terry grew up and i believe will have a much better game in game two.

Hats off to the Rockets. They earned this win and played hard and well and played with more emotion because they know they have nothing to lose. We had home court advantage not them. All in all bad game for the Mavs. 

But this is only game 1. I guarantee the Mavs wont play this bad in game 2.


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## Tersk

Abso****inglutely pathetic

4-22 in the 4th quarter

Avery, don't take this, get them fired for game 2

Im so disapointed, terrible efffort by Dallas, wheres the ****ing offense


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## mavsmania41

gambino your thoughts give me hope One thought how come Tmac wasnt on team Usa they really should have talked him into joining it they could have been better.


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## mavsmania41

I think the Mavs will come with Urgency come game 2 any really get after and defend the home court.


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## Gambino

I like what Avery said. Take the ball to the basket because all they were shooting were jump shots. They did exactly that. But they did to much and did not adjust because the Rockets caught on to that. Thus having that struggling 4th quarter.

We got down by 19 but I liked how we brought it down to 4 because we played with alot of emotion and heart in the 3rd quarter. Now if we bring that for 4 quarters then this Dallas will fair much better.



> Suns fans I would look out cuz the Rockets got your # as well.


Don't give up on this Mavs team. They didnt' win 9 straight for no reason. they've won 17 out of 19. they will bounce back.


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## SMDre

Calm down everyone. Step back off the ledge and take a deep breath. It's just one game. As I have constantly repeated, the Rockets scared me only because of T-Mac and he showed us why today. But looking at the game we have to realize that Dirk struggled. Dirk was 5-19 from the field, 0-2 on 3's. He missed a lot of open shots and I don't think that we will see that next game. Bowen did give Dirk fits, but Dirk just settled for his fade away to much instead of taking it to Bowen, even when Bowen had 5 fouls, Dirk shot the fade away. I would understand the panic if this was a 5 game series, but it is 7. Dallas is a great road team and I expect AJ to straighten the defensive scheme against T-Mac. They did well with half court trapping early in the 3rd and will probably see more of that next game.


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## kfranco

SMDre said:


> Calm down everyone. Step back off the ledge and take a deep breath. It's just one game. As I have constantly repeated, the Rockets scared me only because of T-Mac and he showed us why today. But looking at the game we have to realize that Dirk struggled. Dirk was 5-19 from the field, 0-2 on 3's. He missed a lot of open shots and I don't think that we will see that next game. Bowen did give Dirk fits, but Dirk just settled for his fade away to much instead of taking it to Bowen, even when Bowen had 5 fouls, Dirk shot the fade away. I would understand the panic if this was a 5 game series, but it is 7. Dallas is a great road team and I expect AJ to straighten the defensive scheme against T-Mac. They did well with half court trapping early in the 3rd and will probably see more of that next game.


Yes Dirk struggled but you have to give the Rockets credit for their defense. Defense is one thing that the Rockets stress over and over. As far as being a Dallas being a great road team, i agree, however you must not have kept up with the Rockets. They play SOOOOOO much better on the road, why??i dunno. but im glad that the rockets played with a chip on their shoulders.


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## Tersk

master8492 said:


> Rockets to Win
> 
> Rockets 100
> Mavericks 97


Have 1000 uCash points for your closest prediction


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## Tersk

With the shot clock running down early in the third quarter and the ball in Tracy McGrady's hands, the Rockets' superstar did what he had done all evening. He burned the Mavericks. 

McGrady reared up over an outstretched Dirk Nowitzki and drilled a fadeaway 3-pointer for a 15-point lead and another dagger through the Mavericks' heart. 

It was typical as the Rockets dominated Game 1 of the first-round series and scored a 98-86 win at American Airlines Center on Saturday. 

McGrady finished with 34 points, six assists and five rebounds, easily winning the battle of the superstars as Nowitzki looked tentative throughout. The home-court advantage that the Mavericks worked so hard for in the 82-game regular season was lost in 48 mostly lethargic minutes. 

The Mavericks looked totally out of sync most of the way. Though they got as close as 75-71, Mike James scored six points as the Rockets re-opened the wound to 84-73 with 5:50 left. 

The Mavericks are 3-7 in playoff series after losing Game 1. 

Before the game, Avery Johnson had hit on a point in his first playoff game as an NBA coach. 

"There's no hiding," he said. "All your strengths and weaknesses come out." 

The Mavericks' shortcomings certainly were on display for most of the first three quarters. Not until Jason Terry and Nowitzki led an 11-2 surge did the Mavericks show some life, cutting the lead to 67-60 with two minutes left in the third. 

The Mavericks looked like a different team from then on. And their biggest advantage in the series, their depth, began to come into play. Sixth man Jerry Stackhouse and center Erick Dampier started to impact the game, and it was Stackhouse's three free throws after he was fouled outside the arc by McGrady that made it 75-71 with 9:16 to go. 

Then the bottom fell out again. 

The Mavericks were obliterated on the boards in the early going as the Rockets kicked away to a 24-14 lead late in the first quarter, courtesy of a 14-2 blitz that lasted five minutes. By then, the Rockets owned 14-5 rebounding advantage. 

There were other problems for the Mavericks. Both centers had two fouls in the opening quarter, as did Houston's Yao Ming. 

Not strapped by foul trouble was Nowitzki. It was the Rockets' defense that was giving him fits. 

Nowitzki went 13:02 of clock time bridging the first and second quarters without a point. It was no coincidence that the Rockets opened up their double-figure lead during that same span. The Mavs were down, 39-20, after a McGrady 3-pointer and the Rockets' superior ball movement was finding all the holes in the Mavericks' defense. 

It wasn't until the Rockets missed seven of their final eight shots in the half that the Mavericks made the difference respectable, trailing 52-40 at the break. 

By then, it was obvious that Yao was not the key to the series. At least not on this night. He played only a single minute in the second quarter. 

McGrady, meanwhile, was unstoppable. The Rockets ran a curl play on numerous possessions that got the 6-8 forward free on the right wing for jumpers, which he made whether a hand was in his face or not.


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## Gambino

Good hit on the half court trapping SmDre. I was like why didn't you play that all game long. It worked effectively and frustrated the Rockets. Then they stopped and the Rockets pulled away again. I expect such a different game in the next one and for the rest of the series.


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## soulhunter

You gotta feel sorry for them, Avery is about to kill them. Especially Dirk.


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## The Future7

Yup Avery is gonna make someones eyes tear up tonight


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## Zach

The Future7 said:


> Yup Avery is gonna make someones eyes tear up tonight



No doubt. That was awful.


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## Gambino

Avery will let them watch a tape of this game and let reality set in. You are not invinceable because you won 9 straight. 

I was listening to 610 in Houston and they said that this is only game 1. Rest assure that the Mavs will not play this poorly on both ends for game 2. Which is true. It's good to win game 1. But its not paramount.


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## kfranco

Gambino said:


> Avery will let them watch a tape of this game and let reality set in. You are not invinceable because you won 9 straight.
> 
> I was listening to 610 in Houston and they said that this is only game 1. Rest assure that the Mavs will not play this poorly on both ends for game 2. Which is true. It's good to win game 1. But its not paramount.


I dont expect the Mavs to play that bad.. Im pretty sure 100 percent, that game 2 will be much different.


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## mavsmania41

Good thought man I think the mavs will come out with a chip on there shoulder.


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## symphonix

I think tha mavs came over-confident into the game after their 9-0 run. They have understimated the opponent and thats what happens. Nothing went their way tonight. Nowitzki couldnt shoot, Jerry coudln't shoot, no one could...while Tmac was on fire. 

Matter of fact, I was a bit more than pissed at Jerry today. He was driving it to much to the basket and taking to many shots. he was playing selfishly, without alot of passing. He would get the ball and shot, I rarely saw him try to involve his teammaters, imo Avery shouldve played Daniels when he saw that Jerry wasnt contributing.

I do not expect the Mavs to shoot 35% each game and you shouldn't either. This game was just a wake up call, or more like a slap in the face to them. So mavs wake up!!!


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## Kunlun

I only got to watch the second half of the game, but from what I saw, Dirk is playing too soft. He's settling for jumpers way too often. He needs to do some posting up and cutting and driving. 

The key to this game was the Rockets' defense. Bowen did a great job on Dirk and Dirk just couldn't get in a groove. 

Tracy McGrady was also a beast, you just couldn't stop him.


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## mavsmania41

I am worried I heard this stat that the team that wins game one wins 82 % of the series.


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## Tersk

Houston are 19-1 when they win the first match in a playoff series

I'm not too woried, yet.


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## mavsmania41

One thing I think that is AJ will not let our guys lay down he wont allow it.


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## mavsmania41

Do any people on the board actually think we have a chance to win this series ? I do but monday is a must win.


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## Tersk

I definately think we have a chance to win, these playoffs will make AJ's coaching career IMO

We will come back with fire in our eyes, we will come back hitting our shots, we will reign supreme


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## mavsmania41

I know Avery isnt gonna give up its not in his personaility. but I am not gonna make any prediction for the Mavs to win game 2 and I am not gonna bet points either.


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## Tersk

> DALLAS (AP) -- There was the 3-pointer several feet behind the arc, with the shot clock starting to buzz and a hand in his face. Then there was the baseline dunk that followed and, soon after, a swished 15-footer that helped protect a shrinking lead.
> 
> Yet as much as Tracy McGrady dazzled, it was the clutch baskets by his supporting cast that showed why the Houston Rockets feel so good about their playoff chances.
> 
> McGrady scored the majority of his 34 points while the Rockets were building a big early lead, then Mike James and Jon Barry made it hold up in the fourth quarter, preserving a 98-86 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their first-round series Saturday.
> 
> "I feel this is my time," said McGrady, who also had six assists and five rebounds. "I'm more confident than ever and I've got my team feeling the same way."
> 
> McGrady has never made it out of the first round in his career, going 0-for-4 and stung most by a blown 3-1 lead in his last postseason, two years ago in Orlando. This is his first season on the Rockets, who have been bounced in the opening round their last three playoffs. They last won a series in 1997, when the lineup featured Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley.
> 
> This season's mix of McGrady, center Yao Ming and a bunch of hardscrabble veterans already was thinking big. A solid victory -- and a team history of being 17-1 when winning Game 1 of a series -- has them even more excited. Game 2 is Monday night in Dallas.
> 
> "We believe," McGrady said. "We believed before this game."
> 
> The Rockets broke it open early, turning a tie at 14 into a 39-20 lead early in the second quarter. They were still up by double-digits until late in third, then the Mavs got within 75-71 with 9:16 left on three free throws by Jerry Stackhouse.
> 
> That's when James, the only player on either roster with a championship ring, having won with Detroit last season, made three straight shots, hitting two jumpers and a wild layup around Dirk Nowitzki. Barry followed with a 3-pointer, the Rockets were back up 84-73 and their lead wasn't challenged again.
> 
> In the locker room afterward, James slipped on his gaudy ring, which he doesn't wear often -- but is now "to let everybody know this is what it's all about.""There are a lot of deserving guys here that don't have one," he said. "I'm just trying to be one piece of the puzzle to help us get there."
> 
> Houston acquired James at the trade deadline. Barry and David Wesley arrived in December. All are part of a rotation of players who understand their role -- like Dikembe Mutombo having eight points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes because Yao was limited to 20 minutes because of foul trouble.
> 
> "Tracy's been playing at such a high level the last couple of months. We're just here to try to support him and give him the chance to do the things that we need to do to win," Mutombo said.
> 
> Counting a surge to close the regular season, Houston has won eight straight.
> 
> In losing their home-court advantage, the Mavs also ended a nine-game winning streak and a nine-game home winning streak. It was their first home loss under coach Avery Johnson and just their third in 19 games since he replaced Don Nelson.
> 
> "We haven't had many games where we were poor defensively and offensively," Johnson said. "Nobody said this was going to be a sweep for anybody. I doubt that very seriously."
> 
> As much as McGrady burned Dallas off the pick-and-roll, the Mavs also were hurt by Nowitzki having more turnovers (six) than field goals (five).
> 
> Nowitzki still scored 21, but it took him 19 shots. He was just 1-of-10 in the second half, looking nothing like the guy who outscored McGrady 53-47 in December."I was too tense out there," Nowitzki said. "I forced a lot of stuff. I didn't let the game come to me and I didn't help make my team better.
> 
> It was bad timing to have one of my worst games of the season."Josh Howard and Jason Terry each scored 17 for Dallas, and Stackhouse added 14. Despite making it close late, the Mavs kept themselves from matching the biggest comeback in team playoff history by making just 4 of 21 shots in the fourth quarter.
> 
> 
> In the final minute, Johnson gave referee Joey Crawford an earful and kept chattering while walking off the court. Crawford turned away laughing, which sent Johnson hustling back at him. A Houston official pulled Johnson away."When I won a championship years ago, he refereed that final game," Johnson said. "I was just telling him how much I appreciated it."
> 
> *Game notes*
> Houston's Clarence Weatherspoon went from expected starter to not playing. Ryan Bowen took his place and had four points in 31 minutes. ... Dallas scored 16 points in the first quarter. It was the lowest-scoring period for the Mavs in 10 games, since their last loss, when they had 16 and 14 the first two periods against Cleveland. ... So much for watching the NFL draft: Fox broadcaster and former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman sat near center court and got a big ovation when showed on the overhead monitor.


ESPN Recap


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## Tersk




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## Houston22

Mr. Roger's Cardigan said:


> Everyone is underestimating JVG and his masterful scheming with defensive rotations. It's not going to be a situation where Bowen or Padgett is asked to guard Dirk and every time he scores it's on them. There will be doubles, traps and Bowen will overplay him all series long, forcing him to drive right to Yao. You guys may not be underestimating Yao and TMac but you sure don't know what you're in for when you face Jeff Van Gundy.


Correct


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## Houston22

C'mon guys! 
The first thing you should have noticed about this game is not how anyone on your team played poorly, but how your team has been outcoached.
Players should yell at AJ!


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## Tersk

BitTorrent

1st half
2nd half

If that dont work

First Half
http://bbs.cnxp.com/viewFile.asp?Boardid=156&ID=259747

Second Half
http://bbs.cnxp.com/viewFile.asp?Boardid=156&ID=259832


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## aussiewill

Damn, Damn, Damn is all I can say.

Not to bother though, this is merely just the 1st game of the playoffs. I beleive we just lost this game to jitters. The team will have a better training session I bet and will come out with far more intensity. The Rockets come out with a far more aggressive style, but we can match if against them in the next game. When the offense just doesn't seem to click like it did in todays game I beleive AJ needs to try other options and he should have inserted Marquis into the game to create some better scoring options.


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## The Future7

Yea I wanna see the return of Marquis.


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