# The Playoff Race



## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

1. *San Antonio*: 54-14 (Schedule)http://www.nba.com/mavericks/schedule/
2. *Phoenix: *47-21 (Schedule)
3. *Denver: *40-31 (Schedule)
4. *Dallas*: 54-16 (Schedule)
5. *Los Angeles Cl*.: 40-28 (Schedule)
6. *Memphis *: 40-29 (Schedule)
7. *Los Angeles L*: 37-24 (Schedule)
8. *Sacramento*: 35-24 (Schedule)
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9. *New Orleans/Oklahoma City*: 32-35 (Schedule)
10. *Utah*: 32-37 (Schedule)
11. *Houston*: 30-39 (Schedule)

Updated after March 25th games


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

The way I look at it, I don't want to face either one of the Los Angeles teams - so our best situation would be 1st and play the Hornets.

The Hornets have a pretty hard schedule coming up, and are in danger of falling out completely - but we want to face them, they are a young team and no experience and aren't a good road team.

Don't want to play a healthy Houston lineup either, could be an upset.


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

I HATE how the top 2 teams in the conference will play each other in the second round.


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

As do all Mavs fans


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

I wish they'd re-seed teams in the semifinals. Instead of going by a particular bracket be a little flexible and let the team with the best record play against the team with the worst record out of all four conference teams that advance to the semifinals.


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## Dragnsmke1 (Jul 29, 2002)

and in the run for overall #1 we are now within 1/2 game with a chance to pull even tomorrow :banana:


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## Dragnsmke1 (Jul 29, 2002)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 34 points, including 12 in a decisive stretch of the fourth quarter after Utah tied the game, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Jazz 90-87 Saturday night.

Carlos Boozer capped a 10-2 run and tied the game at 71 before Nowitzki took control. With the Jazz trying a variety of defenses to stop him, Nowitzki made three jump shots early in the game-deciding 16-4 run, then drained two straight 3-pointers before the Mavericks held on.

Nowitzki had struggled this season against the Jazz, averaging 18.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in two previous meetings. But he made 14 of 25 shots Saturday, going 4-of-6 from 3-point range, and had nine rebounds.

Nowitzki's last 3-pointer gave the Mavericks an 87-75 advantage, but Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur sparked a furious rally that cut the lead to 88-84 in the final moments.

Okur scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Kirilenko had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz, who were trying for their first three-game winning streak in two months.

Jerry Stackhouse had 16 points and Jason Terry scored 14 for the Mavericks, who have the best record in the Western Conference and lead San Antonio by one game in the Southwest Division.

Dallas is in the midst of playing 10 of its final 13 games this month on the road. The Mavs opened a three-game trip with a 109-92 win over Portland on Thursday.

The Mavericks never trailed and led by as many as 15 in the first half behind the shooting of Nowitzki and Stackhouse.

Okur scored 10 points in the third quarter, including two long 3-pointers, in a 16-4 Jazz run that brought Utah within 58-56.

Nowitzki led the Mavs back in front and his jump shot over the Jazz zone late in the third quarter put Dallas up 68-61.

Game notes
Mavericks starting guard Devin Harris aggravated his left quadriceps injury in the first quarter after scoring four points, then Adrian Griffin strained his right hamstring in the third quarter and had to leave the game. Dallas forward Josh Howard sat due to a strained left hamstring and Utah center Greg Ostertag missed the game with a sprained left ankle. ... Dallas is 17-1 when Nowitzki scores more than 30 points.


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## t1no (Jul 10, 2005)

That was a tough win.


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## Gambino (Feb 11, 2004)

Utah never gets blown out at home. Knew that would be tough.

The Hornets are not making the playoffs imo. They are falling and falling fast. The Lakers will make the playoffs and could easily finish 7th or 6th but that's as high as they go IMO. I think Sacramento or Utah gets the 8th seed. The Rockets are too banged up right now and from the looks of it, they will never get healthy this season(neither should we for that matter :curse: ).

BTW, I think the Spurs are 48-14 instead of 48-15. They haven't lost there 15th game.........yet :biggrin:


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## t1no (Jul 10, 2005)

HOPEFULLY we will get the number one seed. I think the LA Clippers will give a lot of trouble to the Spurs, Elton Brand has been great this year and Corey Maggette is finally back.


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

104







94

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102







108
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This thread will mainly focus on the top 3 teams in the West, but if another team starts challenging us..


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## t1no (Jul 10, 2005)

The Spurs suck on back-back games, and they are playing the Houston Rockets tomorow. Well the Rockets are not the greatest team (but it could be worse heh), but they might be able to give some trouble to the Spurs and maybe come up with a win. HOPEFULLY they will.


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

C'mon Charlotte, they are matching it with Detroit at the end of the 3rd

Spurs losing to the Rockets at the end of the first (17-11, how ugly is that?)


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## Dragnsmke1 (Jul 29, 2002)

Rating the odds for the Mavs' first-round playoff opponent: 

LA Clippers: 8-5 
Would have to hit a big skid to lose No. 5 spot. 

LA Lakers: 2-1 
It's the Kobe show at No. 8 for Mavs or Spurs. 

Sacramento: 4-1 
Trendy upset pick vs. anybody but Spurs. 

Memphis: 6-1 
Franchise looking for first playoff victory. 

Field: 20-1 
Suddenly, New Orleans and Utah look like a couple of pretenders.


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

*Mavs return Nuggets' gift

* *01:22 AM CST on Friday, March 24, 2006

* 

*By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News * 

The Mavericks crept even with the San Antonio Spurs in the race for the top spot in the Western Conference when the Spurs lost at Denver late Wednesday night. 

But the Mavs gave the lead right back in a 122-121 loss to Golden State Thursday. 

With 13 games to go, nosing ahead of the Spurs is important. The Mavericks realize the importance of every game from here on out. 

"We're in a situation where we understand where we are," coach Avery Johnson said before Thursday's game against the Warriors. "We know what's going on around us. But even if we were totally healthy, the only thing we can control is the games we're playing. 

"If we can use other stuff for motivation, use it. But we can only control getting stops and executing in this game." 

One department to keep an eye on is home losses vs. road wins. After Thursday's game, the Mavericks have six home losses and 23 road wins, giving them a plus-17. San Antonio was plus-19, with four home losses to 23 road wins.


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## mavsmania41 (Mar 27, 2005)

I feel that the last meeting with the Spurs will determine a #1 seat come playoff time. I feel that for the Mavs to grasp the chances of taking down the Spurs or a healthy suns team home court helps.


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

Dear Seattle

Please beat San Antonio

Thanks


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## Sacramental (Mar 12, 2006)

so looking at our schedule, we play san antonio the day after we play you guys tomorrow. So go easy on us and we'll have a better chance of beating them. Think of it as doing us a favor to do you a favor. :biggrin:


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## edwardcyh (Dec 13, 2005)

Sacramental said:


> so looking at our schedule, we play san antonio the day after we play you guys tomorrow. So go easy on us and we'll have a better chance of beating them. Think of it as doing us a favor to do you a favor. :biggrin:


DEAL! Where do we sign?
:biggrin:


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## Sacramental (Mar 12, 2006)

what happened to our deal man??


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## StackAttack (Mar 15, 2006)

Somehow I enjoy how it worked out in the end.


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

Yeh, can you beat the Spurs for us though? Cheers


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## StackAttack (Mar 15, 2006)

Ha, thanks Sac.

Yeah. So now we're two games behind San Antonio. We really need a win on Friday to grab that #1 seed, and even then, we'll be a game behind. Chances for us are slim then as well, since all their remaining games are at home I believe and they've only lost what, 5 at home this season? Yeah. But if we win one more than them in the streth that remains after Friday, we'll have the tie. Unfortunately, San Antonio holds the tiebreaker. So unless San Antonio plays the rest of the season like it did tonight...we're screwed. I doubt we're going to have any more losses (maybe one at San Antonio) this season, with Griff likely to return on Friday and Devin likely to return the game after.


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## Jet (Jul 1, 2005)

Theres a couple clutch games that we must win to grab the 1st seed.. 1st being against San Antonio obviously. Thats a must win, and if we lose that game, we can basically kiss the 1 seed goodbye. The 2 remaining games against the Clippers are also pretty important in my mind... but the one thats probably most important behind that Spurs is the game against the Suns. Right now their on a roll, and winning this game will be a great lift going into the playoffs. The bad thing is.. is that its in Pheonix. But the Mavs have won there before. Its possible to do it again


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## StackAttack (Mar 15, 2006)

I don't think that we can really afford to lose another game this season. But I'm really not sure that I want the first seed, considering that Sac's playing amazingly well and the Clippers, despite their having a better record, are very beatable.


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

Who would you rather verse


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

Catching up to the first seed!

San Antonio's remaining schedule
vs Memphis
vs Seattle
vs Orlando
@ Minnesota
vs Utah
@ Houston

Dallas's remaining schedule
vs New Orleans
@ Los Angeles Cl.
@ Golden State
@ Phoenix
vs Utah
vs Los Angeles Cl.


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

*TIEBREAKERS 
*
1. Record
_Dallas: _58-18
_San Antonio: _59-18

2. Head to Head (2-2)

3. Divison Record
_Dallas: 13-3
San Antonio: _11-3 (vs Memphis, @ Houston)

4. Conference Record
_Dallas: _35-12 (@ Los Angeles Cl., @ Golden State, @ Phoenix, vs Utah, vs Los Angeles Cl.)
_San Antonio: _37-10 (vs Memphis, vs Seattle, @ Minnesota, vs Utah, @ Houston)

5. Record vs playoff teams in Western Conference
_Dallas: _15-8 (@ Clippers, @ Phoenix, vs Clippers)
_San Antonio: _17-8 (vs Memphis)

6. Record vs playoff teams in Eastern Conference

7. Net points, season.


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## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

_San Antonio Express-News - _Spurs guard Manu Ginobili will miss at least one game after being kicked in the left calf and left shin in the fourth quarter of Friday's loss to Dallas, the San Antonio

Ginobili, who also missed one game last month because of a bruised left calf, continued to play after suffering the injury but limped through the game's final few minutes. 

"He's got so many different bumps and bruises," Popovich said. "He's a tough kid, but we're going to have to keep him out." Express-News is reporting. Ginobili remained very sore Saturday.


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## Mavericks_Fan (Apr 19, 2005)

Mavs Maniac said:


> "He's got so many different bumps and bruises," Popovich said. "He's a tough kid, but we're going to have to keep him out." Express-News is reporting. Ginobili remained very sore Saturday.


That's what happens when you constantly flop to the ground like you just got shot by a cannon.


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## CbobbyB (Feb 16, 2006)

Mavericks_Fan said:


> That's what happens when you constantly flop to the ground like you just
> got shot by a cannon.


dont hate on Manu...LoL!! 
Im sure you will see him in the 2nd round...
Good Luck! :clown:


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## Dragnsmke1 (Jul 29, 2002)

CbobbyB said:


> dont hate on Manu...LoL!!
> Im sure you will see him in the 2nd round...
> Good Luck! :clown:


dont need good luck...we need good(fair) refs...


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Mavericks_Fan said:


> That's what happens when you constantly flop to the ground like you just got shot by a cannon.





> Spurs guard Manu Ginobili will miss at least one game after being *kicked in the left calf and left shin* in the fourth quarter of Friday's loss to Dallas, the San Antonio


Oh yes...."flopped"...you just totally ignored that part didn't you? :rofl:


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## CbobbyB (Feb 16, 2006)

well, looks like the Mavs will get the 4 spot..


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## Dragnsmke1 (Jul 29, 2002)

Blues and barbecue: The Mavericks-Memphis first-round series could be set tonight when the Grizzlies play the Los Angeles Clippers in Memphis. A Grizzlies win would lock in the Dallas-Memphis matchup. 

The Mavericks dispatched Paul Mokeski to Memphis for tonight's game, but coach Avery Johnson said the team was taking a wait-and-see approach. 

"Both of those teams are going to be awfully tough," he said. 

The only way the Mavericks could play the Clippers is if LA wins tonight and Wednesday against the Mavericks and the Grizzlies lose twice.


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## Mavericks_Fan (Apr 19, 2005)

ezealen said:


> Oh yes...."flopped"...you just totally ignored that part didn't you? :rofl:


Are you saying Manu doesn't flop?

If Manu does flop, are you saying his flopping has never injured another player?

I eagerly await your answers.


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## Cameron Crazy (Apr 25, 2006)

Mavericks and Spurs going to battle it out in the 2nd round


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