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Mavericks make finals after 15 years
Dallas, May 19: Another great performance by Dirk Nowitzki with 30 points and 19 rebounds helped take the Dallas Mavericks into the Western Conference finals for the first time in 15 years through a 112-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Dallas, May 19: Another great performance by Dirk Nowitzki with 30 points and 19 rebounds helped take the Dallas Mavericks into the Western Conference finals for the first time in 15 years through a 112-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The third-seeded Mavericks went the distance for the second straight series but were able to eliminate the second-seeded Kings in Dallas on Saturday (May 17) and reach the conference finals for just the second time in franchise history.
They did it in front of a crowd of 20,595, the largest in the American Airlines Center's history. The Mavericks next play the Spurs in San Antonio on Monday.
In the first round, the Mavericks were pushed to the limit by Portland, which forced a Game Seven after losing the first three games. In that contest, Nowitzki scored 31 points, including seven in a row, as Dallas pulled away in the final minutes.
The Germany-born Nowitzki was just as assertive against the Kings. Receiving an emotional boost from the presence of his German coach, the All-Star forward made 12-of-20 shots while controlling the backboards.
The Mavericks got an expected boost from 'supersub' Nick Van Exel, who scored 23 points in his usual exuberant fashion.
The Kings started slowly and never fully recovered as they shot just 42 percent (36-of-86). They led only briefly late in the second quarter and trailed by as many as 20 points in the final period.
After withstanding a 15-0 burst by the Kings, the 'Mavs' took the lead for good late in the second quarter. Nowitzki scored seven points in the third period as Dallas took a 76-67 lead into the final 12 minutes.
Each time Sacramento surged, Nowitzki and the rest of the Mavericks had an answer.
A layup by Mike Bibby made it 87-82 with 8:36 left, but Steve Nash responded with a three-point play and Michael Finley hit two free throws and a 3-pointer for a 95-82 lead. Nash and Finley each scored 18 points.
After a 3-pointer by Peja Stojakovic pulled the Kings to 95-87 with 7:11 to play, Nowitzki made another 3-pointer to start a 14-2 spurt. Van Exel also struck twice from the arc as Dallas made five 3-pointers in the period.
The Mavericks shot 49.5 percent (45-of-91), including 11-of-20 from the arc. They held a 48-43 edge on the glass and handed out 27 assists, including a playoff career-high 13 by Nash, whose constant penetration created plenty of open shots for his teammates.
After the game Van Exel told reporters: "The main thing we did was we said we weren't going to let up. We weren't going to play to hold onto the lead, we were going to play to extend the lead. That was the biggest key for us. When we got the lead, maybe it was five or seven or whatever, we kept being aggressive, we kept putting the pressure on those guys and that was a big key for us."
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers last week and have had more rest days than the Mavericks. After Saturday's game, Dirk Nowitzki spoke about the next series.
"You know it is always tough if you play a game seven you are on such an emotional high and the next thing you know two days later you play against another great team and I think after game seven against Portland we were so high and happy that we weren't really ready to play in game one against Sacramento.
"So we got to make sure we forget about this now and tomorrow, prepare for San Antonio, because they have the home court advantage and they are going to come after us and they have had a couple days of rest so we have to expect a battle for sure."
Bureau Report
The Mavericks got an expected boost from 'supersub' Nick Van Exel, who scored 23 points in his usual exuberant fashion.
The Kings started slowly and never fully recovered as they shot just 42 percent (36-of-86). They led only briefly late in the second quarter and trailed by as many as 20 points in the final period.
After withstanding a 15-0 burst by the Kings, the 'Mavs' took the lead for good late in the second quarter. Nowitzki scored seven points in the third period as Dallas took a 76-67 lead into the final 12 minutes.
Each time Sacramento surged, Nowitzki and the rest of the Mavericks had an answer.
A layup by Mike Bibby made it 87-82 with 8:36 left, but Steve Nash responded with a three-point play and Michael Finley hit two free throws and a 3-pointer for a 95-82 lead. Nash and Finley each scored 18 points.
After a 3-pointer by Peja Stojakovic pulled the Kings to 95-87 with 7:11 to play, Nowitzki made another 3-pointer to start a 14-2 spurt. Van Exel also struck twice from the arc as Dallas made five 3-pointers in the period.
The Mavericks shot 49.5 percent (45-of-91), including 11-of-20 from the arc. They held a 48-43 edge on the glass and handed out 27 assists, including a playoff career-high 13 by Nash, whose constant penetration created plenty of open shots for his teammates.
After the game Van Exel told reporters: "The main thing we did was we said we weren't going to let up. We weren't going to play to hold onto the lead, we were going to play to extend the lead. That was the biggest key for us. When we got the lead, maybe it was five or seven or whatever, we kept being aggressive, we kept putting the pressure on those guys and that was a big key for us."
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers last week and have had more rest days than the Mavericks. After Saturday's game, Dirk Nowitzki spoke about the next series.
"You know it is always tough if you play a game seven you are on such an emotional high and the next thing you know two days later you play against another great team and I think after game seven against Portland we were so high and happy that we weren't really ready to play in game one against Sacramento.
"So we got to make sure we forget about this now and tomorrow, prepare for San Antonio, because they have the home court advantage and they are going to come after us and they have had a couple days of rest so we have to expect a battle for sure."
Bureau Report