The Difference: Dallas Mavericks 89, Boston Celtics 73

Posted by Rob Mahoney on February 21, 2012 under Recaps | 5 Comments to Read

Team	Pace	Off. Eff.	eFG%	FTR	ORR	TOR
Dallas	94.0	96.7	44.4	15.7	25.0	9.5
Boston		79.3	43.9	14.9	11.4	17.7

You know the drill. The Difference is a reflection on the game that was, with one bullet for every point in the final margin.

The Celtics’ availability issues started out crippling and ended up comical; if it weren’t bad enough that Rajon Rondo (suspended), Kevin Garnett (personal reasons), and Brandon Bass (knee) were nixed from the game at the start, Jermaine O’Neal (wrist) and Chris Wilcox (groin) left in the third quarter and did not return. That left the Celtics reeling with all kinds of crazy lineup combinations, and completely incapable of mounting a comeback run using their typical offensive and defensive alignments.
Then again, considering how O’Neal and Wilcox plodded through their pick-and-roll recoveries on Dirk Nowitzki, maybe a delayed absence was for the best from Boston’s perspective. Nowitzki was focused from opening tip and quick to fire, but each of his ball screens secured him an ocean of open space. A make is virtually guaranteed for any competent NBA shooter who is able to catch, square up, and fire off a jumper without even the slightest hint of duress; under those same conditions, a shooter as as accurate and highly utilized as Nowitzki apparently rattles off 26 points in 30 minutes. Without having Garnett around to at least attempt to check Dirk, Boston was fairly helpless.
Dominique Jones, making dreams come true:

The Difference: Dallas Mavericks 90, Boston Celtics 85

Posted by Rob Mahoney on January 12, 2012 under Recaps | 5 Comments to Read

Team	Pace	Off. Eff.	eFG%	FT/FG	ORB%	TOR
Dallas	89.0	101.1	48.1	17.7	26.7	15.7
Boston		95.5	48.4	35.9	6.1	16.9

You know the drill. The Difference is a reflection on the game that was, with one bullet for every point in the final margin.

No recap of this game would be complete without proper documentation of the bucket (and free throw!) that brought about its conclusion:
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The Mavs’ offense on the whole isn’t looking all that impressive, but Dallas’ immediate scoring future is looking brighter based on one simple fact: Dirk Nowitzki (16 points, 7-11 FG, seven rebounds, four assists) has progressed beyond polishing his ability to hit open shots and moved right on to practicing — and making — the impossible ones. This functional game-winner was generated by a wonderful drive, but the fact that Nowitzki was able to convert the layup rather than merely draw a foul is indicative of just how special of a player Dirk is. Nowitzki manufactured a few open looks throughout the game after faking out his defender, but his second half was particularly notable for his run-ins with impossibility.

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