Posted on 04/30/2010 6:13:38 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Spurs moved on, and Dallas is done early again.
Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and host San Antonio survived blowing a 22-point lead to beat the Mavericks, 97-87, in Game 6 last night, handing Dirk Nowitzki and second-seeded Dallas another first-round exit.
The Spurs got payback after the Mavericks eliminated them a year ago, and will play Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals.
“For us there was no tomorrow,’’ Ginobili said after the Spurs finished off the Mavericks in front of a raucous home crowd and avoided going back to Dallas for Game 7.
Nowitzki nearly carried the Mavericks to an unbelievable comeback, getting 25 of his 33 points in remarkable second half. But the Mavericks still stumbled to their third first-round exit in the last four years.
George Hill had 21 points for the Spurs, who are coming off their worst regular season in the Tim Duncan era — making this series all the more impressive.
It will technically go down as an upset. San Antonio is only the fifth No. 7 seed to win first-round series, and the first since the opening round became a best-of-seven in 2003. It hadn’t been done since New York beat Miami in 1998.
But with a healthy Big Three and a championship pedigree, the Spurs could hardly be called underdogs. And with no clear favorite in the West, they might be as good a Finals pick as any.
As for the Mavericks, it was yet another early playoff disappointment.
It comes three years after the Mavericks came into the postseason as the No. 1 seed, only to be knocked out by No. 8 Golden State. The Mavericks were the NBA’s best road team in the regular season, but went 0-3 in San Antonio and couldn’t pull themselves out of 3-1 deficit.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Mark Cuban argues their loss was due to the oppression of bad officiating, racism, global warming, and insufferable American imperialism.
I love my fellow Texans in Dallas. But; it is hard not to smile when the Jane Fonda of team owners has his hat handed to him in public.....especially by the Spurs.
Go Spurs!!
I understand the sentiment in DFW is that the Cowboys have won more championships than the Spurs.
Next time, send them down.(no cleats on our court)
The “Curse of Laura Miller” continues.
Yep, I live in Dallas, and I’m so happy the Spurs smoked the Mavs. Go Spurs! Texas’ real basketball team.
If he fires Carlisle, it would be justifiable, he blew during this series.
He does make it harder on his own team.
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