[Dallas Morn News] Mavs Won't Get a Better Chance (post all post-game articles here)

I wouldn't say Dirk doesn't have heart. But Dirk is a big slow guy. He is smart and does the best he can...but a potent defense CAN stop a guy like Dirk. TMac, however, is just plain unguardable on offense and extremely flexible on defense. Another guy comes to mind, Larry Bird, that was a big slow guy. But Bird could also handle the ball and affecte the game in many ways. Dirk is really one dimensional and it shows in this series. He can't "imprint" the game like McGrady or Bird.

That's the difference. Their star player clearly isn't in the same league as our star player.

I think Yao is like Dirk in many ways. Excellent solid player but will never be considered an "all-time great" due to inflexibility. You have to run plays for Yao and Dirk...but not TMac. Yao still has time to

 

The real difference is Dirk doesn't make the players around him any better. McGrady absolutely does. There's your difference.

 

Me and a kid I know were talking about the game las night during school today, and about McGrady's performance. I, not trying t seem like a bias Rockets' fan, said, "In my mind, McGrady as made himself a top 3 player in the league in this series." The kid looked at me, and goes, "No, McGrady has made himself THE BEST player in the league during this series."


Talk about making someone smile...

 

As they should be.

 

It seems to me that McGrady has grown so much over this year. Earlier in the season, he didn't seem to take a leadership role on the court. Now he is clearly the leader out there. This really came home to me when McGrady got pissed after Yao bobbled one of his passes under the basket. Instead of ranting he went over to Yao on the bench and encouraged him. That's maturity, that's leadership.

 

You can't ask your center or PF to handle the ball like a guard. The real difference is TMac is about the team and makes everyone around him better, just like those all the greats. But Dirk can't. In that aspect, Yao is doing a much better job than Dirk already. Why? Because Yao draws so much attention and changes game plans of opponents whenever he's on the court. It creates space and opportunities for his teammates. TMac is much better than he was last year. Why? Yes, he improved, but a more obvious and important reason is that he has Yao on his team. That's why he always gives high praise to the big fella, not because he's polite, but because he realizes how great his decision to join the Rockets was. As for Dirk, you can not say the same thing, not at all.

 

Here's one run through Snoop Dog's Shizzolator. If it's a no-no please delete. It cracked me up though.


Houston 101, Dallas 83

Preview - Box Score - Recap

By JOEL ANDERSON, AP Sports Pimp
May 6, 2005
AP - May 6, 1:08 am EDT

HOUSTON (AP) -- Tracy McGrady shouldered tha burden of doing it all in Orlando, n had no playoff success ta show fo` it , *****z, better recognize.

Wit a shawty more help in Houston, McGrady is on tha brink of a postseason breakthrough fo' sheezy.

Play'n wit tha desperizzle of a dawg on tha brink of elimizzle McGrady had 37 points, eight rebounds n seven assists ta help tha Rockets avoid a first-round exit wit a 101-83 victory over Dallas on Thursday nizzay thats off tha hook yo.

``He's our superstar n we ride him,'' Rockets guard Mike James said. ``Tonight we tried ta hizzle him wit tha load. We kizzy he's going ta lead us, we've just gots ta C-H-to-tha-izzip in.''

The series is now tied 3-3, wit Game 7 in Dallas on Saturday. The winna wizzy face top-seeded Phoenix in tha Western Conference semifizzles.

James came off tha bench fo` 22 points, Jon Barry scored 12 of his 14 points in tha fourth mother****a n Dikembe Mutombo provided some stout interior defense fo` tha Rockets, who hizzle been bounced in tha open'n round in they last three playoff appearances but real *****z don't give a ****. Houston last won a series in 1997, whizzay tha lineup featured Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Killa n Charles Barkley and my money on my mind.

Jerry Stackhizouse led Dallas wit 21 points, n Dizzle Nowitzki scored 19 on only 5-of-22 shoot'n as he continued his series-long struggles against McGrady's defense.

Rockets fans who wizzy disappointed by bliznown fourth-quarta leads in tha last two home games, includ'n a 20-0 run by Dallas in Gizzy 3, wizzy treated ta an improbably dominant finish in this one.

McGrady scored eight straight points, saggin' two 3s, dur'n a 19-0 spurt that turned a close game into a rizzy n gave Houston a 101-80 lead. Dallas could not S-T-to-tha-izzop McGrady wit double teams, rough pizzle or simply allow'n him ta fire away from outside.

``When I feel like I can makes 3s fizzle anywhere on tha floor,'' said McGrady, who wizzay 6-of-10 F-R-to-tha-izzom behind tha arc, ``my defenda is at mah mercy.''

The Mavericks couldn't even counta wit they highly touted offense droppin hits. Dallas shizzay 4-for-27 in tha final period, gang bangin' shot pusha shot bounce off tha rim as tha Rockets pulled away down tha stretch.

McGrady, who has drug deala advanced piznast tha fizzay round in his eight-year carea, came through in tha clutch ta avoid hav'n his team blizzay a two-game lead fo` tha second straight time. It also happened whizzay he played fo` Orlando against Detroit in 2003.

``I've been in this situation before,'' McGrady said. ``I'm going ta lay everyth'n out on tha line -- leave cruisin' out there on T-H-to-tha-izzat basketball court, n I'm going ta bring mah teammates wit me.''

Back in Orlando, of course, he neva had this kind of help: an All-Star big dawg in Yao Ming , a bench teem'n wit driven veterans, n a coach who once led an eighth-seeded tizzy ta tha NBA Finals cuz I put gangsta rap on tha map.

Afta pimpin' a $100,000 fizzle -- tha largest ever assessed against a coach -- fo` trippin' officials of target'n Yao this postseason, Rockets coach Jizzeff Van Gundy was greeted by loud playa dur'n pregame introductions n ****.

Thizzat didn't stop Van Gundy frizzom giv'n officials a mouthful b**** a hard fizzy on Yao midway through tha second quarta thizzay siznent tha 7-foot-6 brotha tumbl'n ta tha floor. Yao scrambled ta his feet n stared dizzle at Dallas' Josh Howard -- a rare S-H-to-tha-izzow of shot calla frizzay tha gentle giant -- but was quickly escorted away by teammates.

Tizzle foul seemed ta wakes up tha Rockets, who soon took they fizzay lead of tha gizzle on a three-point play by Ryan Bowen .

The Mavericks responded wit they own complaints `bout tha officiat'n pusha this one, ho-slappin' rookie coach Avery Johnson, who clearly didn't appreciate all tha attention focused on Van Gundy's remarks cuz I'm fresh out the pen.

``Maybe I need ta go crazy with my forty-fo' mag. Maybe I should go crazy. Maybe tizzy wiznill help,'' Johnson said in a pimpin' postgame tirade. ``This series is `bout basketball, not all tha hustla shiznit. We lost tha game so you betta run and grab yo glock. We don't makes excuses like this and like that and like this and uh. The gizzle was called fairly pretty miznuch ... there's no excuses, no complaints, no steppin'

Stackhizouse even made a suggestion that W-to-tha-izzill almost certainly catch tha attention of NBA killa David Stizzern fo' sho'.

``It was like there were phantoms out there foul'n,'' Stackhizouse said . Bounce wit me. ``Normally you kizzle who fouls. But tonight we were look'n around try'n ta figure out who they called it on so show some love *****z. Maybe everyone wanted ta see a Game 7.''

McGrady came up wit a scor'n flurry jizzle before halftime ridin' in mah double R. He hit a 29-foota on one possession n nailed hustla 3 as he was fouled by Michael Finley . McGrady mugged fo` tha crowd, tizzle completed tha four-point play ta give Houston a 10-point lead . I thought i told ya, ***** I'm a soldier.

He even took on tha T-to-tha-izzask of saggin' dizzle Stackhouse, who made his first six shots, includ'n two 3s, ta pizzy tha Mavericks out ta an 11-point lead early in tha second shot calla . Aint no stoppin' this **** *****.

But wit McGrady shadow'n him, Stackhizouse made only three of his N-to-tha-izzext 10 attempts . It's your homie snoop dogg from the dpg. James scored 13 points in tha second playa ta provide tha Rockets wit they own spizzark off tha bench, n Houston was bizzy in tha gizzy.

The Rockets won witout much hizzy fizzle Yao, who avoided foul trouble fo` tha fizzay tizzle in tha series but neva seemed ta find a rhythm. Yao finished wit J-to-tha-izzust eight points n five rebounds n sat out tha entire fourth wanna be gangsta as Van Gundy wizzle wit Mutombo.

``I had a good night's sleep last night, n when I came here, I jizzy fizzelt we were going ta win,'' said Mutombo, who had 10 rebounds n four blocks crazy up in here. ``I'm not ready ta go home.''

Notes

Finley became tha Mavericks' carea leada in postseason games played wit 49, surpass'n Rolando Blackman n Derek Killa so jus' chill. ... Game 6 was tha first time tha team tizzy outscored its opponent in tha F-to-tha-izzirst wanna be gangsta lost. ... Houston has an all-time record of 5-1 in Game 7s n ****.

 

Excellent challenge Tiger! If anyone takes you up on it they will only make a fool out of themselves (ala E. Dampier)

 

TMac does make teammates better but that isn't the true definition for me...that is just one part of it. To me, its about leaving an "imprint." Hakeem didn't really make people around him better, as Magic did, but Dream impacted the game in other ways. TMac has that same ability to change a game. One game it might be assists. Another might be defensively. etc etc. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as something happens. And the ability to do that when the game is on the line is crucial!

Regarding Yao. Yao changes the game because of his size and shooting ability. While special, Yao doesn't have many other tools to affect a game right now. So he is predictable in that way and therefore often stoppable. Just like Dirk but Dirk even more so since he is mostly a jump shooter.

 

That hurt my eyes to read, bravo six.

J

 

I don't think that's the case. Being predictable does not mean that they are stoppable. Is Shaq predictable? Duncan? Garnett? AI? VC? Everyone knows what they are going to do, but they still can't stop them. I think it's the same case with Yao and Dirk.

In this series, I just think Tmac is a bad matchup for Dirk. Typically, power forwards would be guarding Dirk, not guards. I remember previously Garnett saying that Dirk is harder to guard than Shaq. Dirk outplayed Garnett in their matchups.

So my point is, it's all about matchups. Certain players give other players fits. Guys like Ron Artest regularly beats up Tmac badly... but it doesn't mean Artest is the better player.

 

Vernon Maxwell used to really do a number on Michael Jordan(relatively speaking of course) but nobody would say Max is better than Jordan.

 

I think Hakeem did make those around him better. There is no way Kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell, etc. get near as many looks if Hakeem didn't force so much attention from the Defense. Those wide open shots they got were a result of Hakeem elevating his teammates.

There is also a huge momentum swing to the whole team when Hakeem has swats like he did when he chased Kevin Johnson down from behind, or (I can't remember who) from Portland. Further more his solid defense and mistake erasing ability made his teammates better able to gamble on defense and made them better.

 

That would be Rod Strickland....I believe!!

 

This is so true...there was no one Jordan hated playing against other thatn Mad Max..the guy was hell on defense against him and always rose to the occasion.

That was a matchup i loved to watch......

 

On the contrary, I hope the Rox players did not see these two articles lest it would make them complacent and off-guard at Game 7. Nice work by the Dallas writers.