What the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets said
after Game Sixtythree of the Perfect Mating Season.
Quotes
Mavericks
Coach Rick Carlisle
(On tonight's performance) "First of all, we're seeing some really special players here. There's never going to be another Jason Kidd. The things that he does, and the things that he's doing at this age, are remarkable. Just how he affects winning in so many ways; giving guys confidence, the uncanny ability to make the key play - taking the charge was the biggest play of the game. His shot making in the first half was critical to us because we were in a funk offensively and defensively, and he kept us in it. It's special. This game had his stamp on it in a lot of ways. Dirk Nowitzki and Jet [Jason Terry] are the same kind of guys, and I put Marion in that category, too. Tonight, we had some guys really step up. Carter played his most important game of the season for us; real aggressive, good things at both ends. Our three centers all participated and were key to the effort. Very hard game. These guys [Houston] have all been extremely difficult. We've got a lot of respect for them. They keep coming at you. But we really needed the win, and our guys weren't going to let it go."
(On Dirk Nowitzki's game) "He was able off movement to catch the ball and do some things, make plays. A lot of it is very much a random game, but it’s the kind of trust that we have in our players to make those plays. It’s harder stuff to guard if you can do it, if you can pull it off and if you can make good decisions. The first half we struggled with decision making. In the second half, and in the fourth quarter in particular, we were terrific."
(On being closer to clinching a playoff spot) "I think we're down to one game. If we win Friday, we're in. We understand things and we talked about it this morning. This game was really pivotal in so many ways because it's a double count game on the whole magic number thing, and it effectively takes one team out of it, which is big. We've got three more important games to go and they're all meaningful."
(On the play of Vince Carter) "Vince played his most important game of the season. He just had a really strong disposition at both ends of the floor. He was attacking on offense. Defensively, he was putting his body on people and he was rebounding. He's a tremendous all-around player. His passing ability is something that's frequently overlooked because he's a high-flyer and scorer. We've needed him the last couple of games for spacing, and we need his all-around ability."
(On Jason Kidd playing 35 minutes) "He wasn't going to let me take him out of the game in the fourth quarter. That's where that was at, and I didn't try. I was talking to the trainer the whole time and he was doing well. We're off tomorrow. It's something else. Teams are coming at us this year. They're just coming at us and we're seeing some incredible things. We've got to be undaunted and just staying the course, staying in front of people and keeping hands up on shots. It's been unreal."
Dirk Nowitzki
(Daryl Morey tweeted you guys had 80 Pts on 58 Half-court posssessions, how so?) "The pick and roll was good for us all night. The first half Vince got in for two or three dunks straight. They really stayed at home on me. Our guards were able to get in the paint and make some stuff happen.''
(On the first shot in the 2nd half) "I got a good bounce. It was a little flat and the ball bounced five feet in the air and dropped in, so that obviously helps to get a couple lucky bounces."
(What a huge second half with 31 points) "Yeah that was fun out there. I really didn’t get involved much there in the first half. I was a step slow and the guys kept us in the game. I thought Jet was phenomenal in the first half and we were able to hang around and JKidd got hot there and made three 3’s to end the second quarter. In the second half I got some good looks in transition and with the pick-n-roll I was able to get in the lane and we were spotting up our shooters and there was a lot of wide open looks. If we get in the lane and move the ball and look for the open guy than I think that is a fun way to play."
(You caught the ball a lot on the move tonight. Was that just something they were doing defensively?) "Well I think some nights they’re going to run me off the three and I felt like they were playing me tight in transition and usually Vince (Carter) is setting those screens in transition and that gets me some open 3’s. I felt tonight that Luis (Scola) was really playing up and defending that play so I was able to go by him with some back cuts. Jet found me a couple times, JKidd found me for a big and one so the guys did a good job of finding me in good scoring position."
(On Kidd's Charge) "The game-winning play to me was when he stepped in there and took the charge, that was an unbelievable play. He's a warrior and he leaves it there every night when he's out there, and I think he moves better than obviously at the beginning of the season. He's got a little pep in his step. He's still the head of the snake."
(Was this really a must win game tonight?) "Yes it was. We’re still obviously fighting for the playoffs. There’s still a possibility that we’re not getting in so every game to us in big. We talked about it a week ago that our playoffs this year started a little early and we’ve got to fight for everything. I thought we competed great in LA and Utah and easily a couple of bounces we could have come home 4-0 from that trip and we come back 2-2 which was a little disappointing. We knew we were coming back home and the home crowd would carry us through and I thought in the second half we had some great possessions. I thought JKidd played a great game and he took that big charge. We had a great team effort tonight."
Jason Kidd
(On 35 Minutes) "We're getting closer to the postseason, so I want to be out there to help my team and my teammates win. It's time to go. We can rest later on during the summer. My minutes have been down all season, so now it's time for me to get ready to play more minutes going into the postseason. I feel great, and with that being said, I'm ready to go."
(On how that critical charge he took felt) "It would have felt better if Dirk took one right after."
Jason Terry
(On Dirk's 4th Quarter) "Once he hit those two 3s back-to-back, we felt he got his rhythm back. He just kept being aggressive."
(On the Mavs) "We’ve just need to continue to build on what we’ve built the last week and a half."
(On the fight to get in the playoffs and defending the title) "We’re not scared of the moment."
(On if their seeding matters) "It doesn’t matter at all. We’ve just got to get in."
Shawn Marion
(On sitting in the fourth again) "It is what it is…Sometimes, it’s a matter of circumstances and the way the game is going."
(On Dirk) "He hit some tough shots. He had some good looks early, but they weren't going in. But as soon as they started going in, he was able to get to the free throw line and it just opened up everything.''
Vince Carter
(On the Mav's disposition) "We just have to keep finding a way to get the win. We’re trying to solidify a spot in the playoffs and you can see it in the huddle. Everyone is focused and ready to take it to the end."
(About Dirk’s second half) "Hey he was phenomenal. He’s playing with a lot of confidence and I think for our team when he has a lot of guys occupying our positions and letting him go one-one-one. He’s second to none and one of the toughest to guard one-on-one. He’s impossible to guard because he can pump fake you and get to the free throw line or pump fake you and pull up and shot or just shoot right over you."
(On himself) "I just want to be aggressive and make the most of my minutes on the floor and let it all hang out. More than anything, it's that time of the year. We're trying to fight for a spot, and it's time to gear yourself to play at the level it takes to compete in the playoffs."
(On using Cryotherapy) "I've been one with the that. I’m feeling kind of young."
Delonte West
(On Nowitzki tonight) "Dirk put the team on his back. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. Dirk was a prime example of that."
(On $25k Lint-Fine) "I didn't think it was going to be that steep. That's a whole month's check for me. I probably ain't going to have no cable probably in a couple of days."
(Do you regret your action?) "Those types of plays are not just good examples.And then on top of that, right after the play it kind of got the crowd more involved into the game. Hayward went on and made his next couple of baskets, so it was just not a smart play at the time. But we've moved on from there."
(On Hayward saying the wanted to fight but didn't) "I think he thought about that fine, too, lol. The last people that fought in the league they lost over a couple $100,000. That's a pretty steep line to cross. You've got to fight in your mind. I don't know. Have like a mental Jedi battle going on."
Houston Rockets
CoachKevin McHale
(On your team's performance in the 4th quarter) "They made shots, and they got us spread out a little bit. And when we did get them contained they kept pressing the issues. And Dirk got a lot of fouls, Dirk really got to the line a lot in the fourth quarter, [and] they just got separation."
(Could the defense have been better on the ball there, or screen and you've got to help?) "They made some shots, and they pressed us off the dribble, and they executed better than we did down the fourth [quarter]. And we just couldn't get any stops, and when we did we got fouls and couldn't get out and couldn't get stops and get out and run."
Chandler Parsons
(On starting to scoreboard watch) "It’s tough now. We basically have to win out, we do have to win out. We could use some help because we don’t get the tiebreaker on some teams, we were to the point where we didn’t have to worry about other teams and scores, but now it’s to the point where we are going to need some help and we got to handle our business first though."
(On what went wrong in the second half) "I think we didn’t control the dribble-drive as good as we could have. They had guys step up and hit big shots. Jason Terry hit big shots. Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, they all stepped up and hit big shots. At times we had to over-help on the drive."
(On what needs to happen to make the playoffs) "We have to stay together, we can’t start hanging our heads now, because as crazy as it sounds, it’s not over yet. After losing five straight games at the worst time of the year, it’s still not over. We just got to keep playing. We got to stay together, play better defense, keep shooting the ball, we’re get open shots, we’re not taking bad shots. We shot 50 percent from the field tonight and lost the game. That should never happen."
Vids
FIRE!
Game Recap
Links
MMB | Tobcap Defused³
And the Mavs won the win they had to win, in the way they always used to.
We don’t know what’s coming. It’ll be a tough first round matchup, provided again that disaster doesn’t strike over the next three, but then again, given how much trouble we’ve had with the Memphis’ and Rockets’ of the world, it’s not like being the third seed and having to play one of them sounds all that appetizing. Games like theseâ€"which combined the same lamentable defensive execution we’ve been seeing with 23 from Vince, 19 from Carter and 35 from Dirkâ€"have been rare. We don’t know which Mavs we’re going to see.
What we do know, after this comeback, after four OTs in the last two games, is that the Mavs do want this, they are together, and they haven’t forgotten anything. They may not respond the way they want to, they may not execute the way we’re used to. But they are fighting hard, and that’s how you get games like tonight. There’s no other way. You don’t luck into them.
theDreamshake (not yet)
lottery or 8th? decisions, decisions...
Red94 takes it's Time
That was … different: Houston actually won the third quarter 29-23 after getting crushed in that frame in their previous 4 games. Tonight, instead, they got crushed in the fourth.
2MG's Difference
This may have been Vince Carter’s (23 points, 8-18 FG, three assists, four rebounds) most aggressive game as a Maverick, as he almost completely abandoned the spot-up game in favor of attacking off the dribble. With both Marcus Camby (11 points, 5-11 FG, 17 rebounds, five OREBs, one assist, one steal, two turnovers) and Samuel Dalembert (two points, four rebounds) ailing, Houston’s back line defense currently isn’t quite what it should be. Carter took full advantage of that fact with his decisive drives; he didn’t overcommit to selling a pump fake, and he didn’t kill valuable time with jab steps â€" he just rolled directly to the rim and generated offense off the dribble. This was Carter at his creative finest, and although he didn’t always have the first step or the explosion to finish at the rim, he offered another valuable way to put pressure on Houston’s iffy defense.
Hoopdata Boxscore
something
Stats
FT-Watch
Brendan bricked his customary one of two from the line. So far he is sporting a brickrate of 53.6%. Celebration for our third best Center, Beaches! [nsfw]
On the other Hand, Dirk hit 12. Good Timing
Rest
Outrebounded? Yep, 40-42
41 FG, 21 Ast, 6 Stl, 1 Blk, 12 To for the Mavs. Defense Optional
Bonus
Disclaimer: If you couldn't tell by now, all italic sentences are made up thoughts, not actual quotes.
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