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NBA Playoffs: Spurs too strong for Dallas, Toronto fall to Nets

Roar Guru
5th May, 2014
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The first round of the NBA playoffs has been an entertaining affair.

A record number of series went to Game 7. The Toronto Raptors went down swinging against the Brooklyn Nets, while the San Antonio Spurs had too much for the Dallas Mavericks in the end.

Here’s a recap of both matches.

Spurs 119 Mavericks 96 (Spurs win series 4-3, advance to play Blazers)
It’s been fun, Dallas, but enough messing around, it’s over now.

That appears to have been the Spurs’ mindset as they blew Dallas out at home during Game 7. Tony Parker was an absolute wizard with the ball in his hands, hesitating and hop stepping his way to the ring for a series of endless, gorgeous layups, as Dallas’ helpless defence watched on in horror.

Parker notched up 14 points in the first quarter along and finished with 32, figures that poor Roy Hibbert can only dream of. Manu Ginobilli chipped in with 20 points, five assists and six steals in 23 minutes. You heard right, six steals in 23 minutes!

Dirk Nowitzki was the only Maverick providing much resistance with 22 points and nine rebounds, as his Mavs crumbled early against the Spurs diverse arsenal of potent offensive weaponry.

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The Spurs’ ‘united nations’ line-up of Patty Mills, Boris Diaw, Ginobili, Danny Green and Tim Duncan (with only Tiago Splitter and Marco Belinelli able to make the line-up more internationally flavoursome) blew the lead out to over 20 early in the second quarter. This one was over early.

Green continued his impeccably efficient shooting, 13/15 over the final three games of the series and, as always, the Spurs had a wide range of contributors.

Gregg Popovich has simply mastered the art of spreading the minutes and workload around far and wide, without spreading his team too thin. This season, no Spurs player played more than 30 minutes a game, an NBA record. Yet they still finished 62-20 and first in the absurdly brutal West.

I’ve talked almost entirely about the Spurs during this wrap up, but why wouldn’t I? What a team! What an organisation!

(Takes a deep breath and a cool shower).

Meanwhile, the Mavs are a collection of random, good not great, ageing players. They need to figure out who they are and what they want to be, especially while Dirk’s still playing.

Nets 104 Raptors 103 (Nets win series 4-3, advance to play Heat)

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It’s been a case of the savvy vets versus the young guns in this series, and today the older, wiser heads prevailed.

Terrence Ross has struggled in the playoffs like Charles Barkley has struggled with pronouncing ‘Valanciunas’, but was more lively today and found ways to contribute.

Speaking of mini revivals, Kevin Garnett looked the best he had all series, both physically and skill wise.

Amir Johnson had the most eventful of outings. He began by tripping over Alan Anderson and twisting one of his often unwell ankles as a result. He then proceeded to score 12 first quarter points on 6/7 shooting and continued to play brilliantly to the tune of 20 points and 10 rebounds, before fouling out having played just 22 (albeit inspired) minutes.

Joe Johnson reminded us why someone once thought it to be a good idea to make him richer than an Arab prince when he scored 11 straight big-time points during the fourth quarter, largely off isolation plays.

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In the end it all came down to Lowry, who scored a game-high with 28, driving to the hoop to win the game, the series, and Canada’s heart. Soul crusher Paul Pierce had other ideas though. On the Raptors’ home court and suitably dressed in black, super villain Pierce stepped up to block Lowry’s shot and Toronto’s path to the second round, fueling himself on the hopes and dreams of Brooklyn, and the tears of Canadian children.

I can’t be certain of what was going through Pierce’s head immediately after he sealed the series for Brooklyn, but I imagine it was something like this:

It’s been a hell of a time, Toronto. The #NorthernUprising movement, the 10,000 lunatics outside the arena during every home (and away!) game, the lint rolling phenomenon, and the spectacular on-court play by this fearless young mob.

Let’s do this again next year.

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