Warriors and Mavs battling it out!!!!!

[Reality]

Unfortunately for the Warriors, this is typical Nellie coaching. He had a lead of nine with three minutes to go and tells his team to stop doing what they were doing to create the lead in the first place, and you have to wonder exactly what the players are thinking with those directions. They stopped attacking and got complacent trying to run out the clock, relying on long shots to keep the lead, which they didn't make because they were not taken in the same flow of the game as earlier.

Foolish, and it will come back to haunt them if Dallas ends up winning the series.

And don't forget the defensive end.
Steven Jackson was handling Dirk.  So instead of continuing that success...
Nellie sends them into a zone and Dirks two treys are over - well they are really "over" no one- but Byron Davis is the closest zonie on #1 and on #2 two Warriors left to double a would be two point atttempt.  Leaving Dirk for another uncontested wide open 3.

[JoMal]

Unfortunately for the Warriors, this is typical Nellie coaching. He had a lead of nine with three minutes to go and tells his team to stop doing what they were doing to create the lead in the first place, and you have to wonder exactly what the players are thinking with those directions. They stopped attacking and got complacent trying to run out the clock, relying on long shots to keep the lead, which they didn't make because they were not taken in the same flow of the game as earlier.

Foolish, and it will come back to haunt them if Dallas ends up winning the series.

And don't forget the defensive end.
Steven Jackson was handling Dirk.  So instead of continuing that success...
Nellie sends them into a zone and Dirks two treys are over - well they are really "over" no one- but Byron Davis is the closest zonie on #1 and on #2 two Warriors left to double a would be two point atttempt.  Leaving Dirk for another uncontested wide open 3.

Makes you wonder if Nellie ever really understood Dirk's game when he coached him. It "seemed" like he did for most of this series, then he gets this brain freeze with three minutes to go? Nice way to tune out that inner voice warning him that leaving Nowitzki open at the three point line could be disastrous.

[WayOutWest]

I don't agree with Jomal completely.  I agree the defense that was so successful really disappeared in the closing minutes.  The problem with the offense is that they did not adjust to the defense that the Mavs threw at them.  They kept playing the same game but the Mavs defense didn't allow a "flow of the game" shot.  They were not really using the clock, they kept playing their same "any shot is a good shot" game and it cost them when the Mavs made it tougher.  They allowed the double teaming of Baron to take them out of their game.

[JoMal]

WOW, the Warriors needed to go inside more, and NOT settle for any old shot, but they clearly were doing just that by not forcing the issue. The Maverick defense did not suddenly materialize. If Baron was being double teamed, then where were the slashers to the basket they employed earlier in the game?

[Reality]

basic math, if one player doubleteamed the rest are at a 4-3 advantage.
Too exacerbate, the Mavs were sending the two at Davis way out away from the rim, like immediately after he crossed halfcourt.  Not just sending two at him but having them attempt to sandwhich Davis.  Had Davis simply passed out sooner and the pass reciever kept it moving Golden State could have continued to go to town with the 4 on 3.

Skinny Russian 21 year old kid took a bunch of shots to the rim earlier in the 2nd half.  He also hits his FTs.

Total screw up by Nellie and GS and if they lose 6 and 7 this will be historic.
Skandery in football terms would you not agree this was textbook Martyball. 

[WayOutWest]

WOW, the Warriors needed to go inside more, and NOT settle for any old shot, but they clearly were doing just that by not forcing the issue. The Maverick defense did not suddenly materialize. If Baron was being double teamed, then where were the slashers to the basket they employed earlier in the game?

They picked him up before he crossed the half court line.  The Warriors were not in a position to make a pass to a slasher, they were too far out to get a pass into the paint.  Plus the Mavs were packed in the paint so Davis could only pass to a player behind the 3-point line and on top of that the Mavs just wanted the ball out of Davis's hands, it worked to perfection which is why I was wondering why they didn't put that style of defense into play earlier.

[Reality]

WOW, the Warriors needed to go inside more, and NOT settle for any old shot, but they clearly were doing just that by not forcing the issue. The Maverick defense did not suddenly materialize. If Baron was being double teamed, then where were the slashers to the basket they employed earlier in the game?

They picked him up before he crossed the half court line.  The Warriors were not in a position to make a pass to a slasher, they were too far out to get a pass into the paint.  Plus the Mavs were packed in the paint so Davis could only pass to a player behind the 3-point line and on top of that the Mavs just wanted the ball out of Davis's hands, it worked to perfection which is why I was wondering why they didn't put that style of defense into play earlier.

2nd guy in turn pass/moves with ball.  Davis passes to Richardson who hits slashing Steven Jackson.  Or vice versa.
While yes the Mavs packed it in, the Warriors did not need to stand n shoot three pointers.  They went into 4 corners stall mode.  The Mavs should get no credit for that. 

[JoMal]

WOW, the Warriors needed to go inside more, and NOT settle for any old shot, but they clearly were doing just that by not forcing the issue. The Maverick defense did not suddenly materialize. If Baron was being double teamed, then where were the slashers to the basket they employed earlier in the game?

They picked him up before he crossed the half court line.  The Warriors were not in a position to make a pass to a slasher, they were too far out to get a pass into the paint.  Plus the Mavs were packed in the paint so Davis could only pass to a player behind the 3-point line and on top of that the Mavs just wanted the ball out of Davis's hands, it worked to perfection which is why I was wondering why they didn't put that style of defense into play earlier.

2nd guy in turn pass/moves with ball.  Davis passes to Richardson who hits slashing Steven Jackson.  Or vice versa.
While yes the Mavs packed it in, the Warriors did not need to stand n shoot three pointers.  They went into 4 corners stall mode.  The Mavs should get no credit for that. 

Actually, that was the impression I had, that the Warriors were in a stall mode and did not force the ball up court like they were doing before. If Baron is their only true ball handler, they have additional problems anyway.

[Skandery]

The Warriors were not in a position to make a pass to a slasher, they were too far out to get a pass into the paint.  Plus the Mavs were packed in the paint so Davis could only pass to a player behind the 3-point line and on top of that the Mavs just wanted the ball out of Davis's hands, it worked to perfection which is why I was wondering why they didn't put that style of defense into play earlier.

As I've said and Reality has repeated, the Warriors were essentially playing 4 on 3 when Baron was trapped at half court by Harris and Terry.  I don't care what  you have to do--GO TO THE BASKET!!  Take some notes from Devin Harris and grow some huevos.  ATTACK THE BASKET!!  You have a four to three advantage, if you can't convert you're layup the numbers advantage gives you an edge in offensive rebounding.  Golden State was content letting fly from three point range when everyone who watched the game could tell the entire team had gone cold.  In the last three minutes, Jackson bricked like 3 times, Barnes bricked badly, and J-Rich bricked at least twice.  Hey Jason, aren't you a 2-time dunk champion, go jump over Austin Croshere.  Nope the Dallas defense was bailed out again and again by bad and completely unnecessary long range shots.  Force the action, draw the contact, put the onus on the zebras to respect you, sink your free throws and you've just made history....or brick the opportunity away.
 
...Just stupid!!!      

[WayOutWest]

The Warriors were not in a position to make a pass to a slasher, they were too far out to get a pass into the paint.  Plus the Mavs were packed in the paint so Davis could only pass to a player behind the 3-point line and on top of that the Mavs just wanted the ball out of Davis's hands, it worked to perfection which is why I was wondering why they didn't put that style of defense into play earlier.

As I've said and Reality has repeated, the Warriors were essentially playing 4 on 3 when Baron was trapped at half court by Harris and Terry.  I don't care what  you have to do--GO TO THE BASKET!!  Take some notes from Devin Harris and grow some huevos.  ATTACK THE BASKET!!  You have a four to three advantage, if you can't convert you're layup the numbers advantage gives you an edge in offensive rebounding.  Golden State was content letting fly from three point range when everyone who watched the game could tell the entire team had gone cold.  In the last three minutes, Jackson bricked like 3 times, Barnes bricked badly, and J-Rich bricked at least twice.  Hey Jason, aren't you a 2-time dunk champion, go jump over Austin Croshere.  Nope the Dallas defense was bailed out again and again by bad and completely unnecessary long range shots.  Force the action, draw the contact, put the onus on the zebras to respect you, sink your free throws and you've just made history....or brick the opportunity away.
 
...Just stupid!!!      

Long range is exactly how they played the whole game, so which is it?  Keep playing or change your game plan at the end of the game.

[Skandery]

Long range set up by Baron Davis penetration is very different from long range because it just so happens to be relatively open.  Besides are you insinuating that when a team grows cold from the outside in the 45th minute of a game, it should just keep on shooting due the previous 44 minutes of hot shooting.  A winning team realizes when the time comes to stop chucking and (I just can't stress this enough) ATTACK the basket with a 4-3 advantage.

[westkoast]

Actually it took them a while to 'heat up' at least from the 3 point range.  I think at one point they were shooting high 30s/low 40s and then as the game progressed they started to slowly get up to 52% (don't know what they finished with)  All the solid 3 point shooting was making up for the fact they were stinking it up at the line.

Skander is right...a team with Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, and Stephen Jackson should be able to attack the rim at any point in the game.  Doesn't matter if they are playing Dallas or a team like San Antonio.  Those are 3 bonafide slashers in the league.  Either get to the basket and pass for a open shot or go up.  Just get to the paint.  No excuse.  If they didn't want to go all the way to the rack and wanted to play Nellie-waste-the-clock ball then they should have posted Jason Richardson up.  He can do damage from that spot because he can elevate so high on his jump shot.