The last game of the season will set the tone.

[oldeagle]

The last game of the season for the Mavericks will set the tone for the playoffs. They are playing New Orleans and if the win they will have a psycholigical edge. If they loose well you know,,,,. I really believe Avery needs to have his players play playoff basketball now...oh yeah and he needs to coach like this game matters. Coming out and saying the regular season doesnt matter has put this team in a precarious position.
My prediction was that the mavs would not make the playoffs,,,I was off by a year if Avery stays. Here is why.....Averys first year-Finals, second year-first seed and get bounced in the first round,,,,this year-barely make the playoffs....next year won't make the playoffs.
This game is more important than most realize. Going into a series with a team you just beat or going into a series with a team you just lost to.

and I just filed my taxes before midnight.

[Tommy Trojan]

Well if you win you play us, however if you loose you play NH. Now it's on you guys to make the choice

[ppp000]

All this would have been avoided if we had beaten Portland or Seattle.

Damn this team is so up and down, just when you think they've got it together somewhat, they lose two easiest games on their remaining schedule, instead of taking advantage.

[arkuo]

i believe im in the minority, but i would like us to face LA in the 1st round...

think bout it, if we lose to LA, there's a big chance avery gets replaced in the offseason...

and if we win, kobe goes out for another trade request....

[JES12]

Well if you win you play us, however if you loose you play NH. Now it's on you guys to make the choice

First of all, it's "lose," not "loose."

Second, if we win, we play New Orleans; if we lose we play you. Get your facts straight.

Third, we can still play NO if we lose in the scenario that Denver loses.

[studcrackers]

thanks for that correction jes i was wondering if he was wrong and now trojan needs to go the way of the greeks and GTFO!

[dirkforpres]

Mavs should definately try and win this one, because the easier road is obviously through New Orleans rather than Los Angeles

[JES12]

Mavs should definately try and win this one, because the easier road is obviously through New Orleans rather than Los Angeles

I would disagree. If the Spurs beat the Jazz and Dallas ends up 8, then the PO picture looks like this:

1) Lakers
Dallas

4) Jazz
5) Houston


2) Hornets
7) Nuggets

3) Spurs
6) Suns

If that's the alignment, we face our toughest foe first and gets easier after that. Not so if we end up 7.

[Captain_Obvious]

i believe im in the minority, but i would like us to face LA in the 1st round...

think bout it, if we lose to LA, there's a big chance avery gets replaced in the offseason...

and if we win, kobe goes out for another trade request....

Same here, i gave up on the 'ship a while now. Dirk wont be 100%, its on the others to show up and compete for the upset. Dirk is prob not healthy enough for a deep playoff run.

If we get eliminated, Avery resigns, although he might do it anyway, and if we win, well, we eliminated the MVP, that should be the target. Like Kidd always says, things happen for a reason...

[Captain_Obvious]

I absolutely love this matchup. This is like having a pseudo-homecourtadvantage. You beat them at home and the momentum goes your way, like oldeagle explained.
If you lose you get 8th seed, because Denver will beat Memphis, theres no doubt in my mind, and you match up with LAL.

-> We have to win this game, scratch my comment above

[your_dallas_mavericks]

All this would have been avoided if we had beaten Portland or Seattle.

Damn this team is so up and down, just when you think they've got it together somewhat, they lose two easiest games on their remaining schedule, instead of taking advantage.

No truer words have been spoken all season long...

[your_dallas_mavericks]

Mavs should definately try and win this one, because the easier road is obviously through New Orleans rather than Los Angeles

I would disagree. If the Spurs beat the Jazz and Dallas ends up 8, then the PO picture looks like this:

1) Lakers
Dallas

4) Jazz
5) Houston


2) Hornets
7) Nuggets

3) Spurs
6) Suns

If that's the alignment, we face our toughest foe first and gets easier after that. Not so if we end up 7.

That's incorrect. I will tell you why. Utah has the best home record, period. They would take us even though we match up well with them. I don't see Houston hanging around past game 5. Everyone is forgetting about Stack at this point and that is the problem. They are not factoring him and his minutes into the matchups and the games. We matchup very well with the Spurs right now and pretty darn well with the Suns. Pending us making the 7th seed, I am confident we can defeat in a series on the road against any of those three teams (Hornets, Suns, Spurs). I won't lie, I fear the Lakers but I see them having a more than obvious achilles heel that I have yet to see. The Lakers can go down and I don't mean to Boston. I do predict a Boston finals victory and Ainge as disgusting as it sounds is named executive of the year.

[Deus]

Hornets have absolutely nothing to play for tonight, but I'll bet Scott still has them fired up. He knows his team may be playing Dallas next week if they lose. And if that happens, its like the GS series all over again, only in reverse.

[JES12]

-= original quote snipped =-



That's incorrect. I will tell you why. Utah has the best home record, period. They would take us even though we match up well with them. I don't see Houston hanging around past game 5. Everyone is forgetting about Stack at this point and that is the problem. They are not factoring him and his minutes into the matchups and the games. We matchup very well with the Spurs right now and pretty darn well with the Suns. Pending us making the 7th seed, I am confident we can defeat in a series on the road against any of those three teams (Hornets, Suns, Spurs). I won't lie, I fear the Lakers but I see them having a more than obvious achilles heel that I have yet to see.

An opinion can't be incorrect. But anyways, the Suns will kill us in a 7 games series. Spurs will take it to 7. We can beat both Utah and Houston. I'm not scared of the Lakers/Rockets/Jazz anywhere near as much as the Spurs/Suns/Hornets.

[your_dallas_mavericks]

But, if they play full strength and we still beat them - we end up with a great deal of confidence and swagger going into the series with them later in the week.

Regardless how Scott plays them, I am predicting a Mavs victory tonight, and a resounding one at that.

[your_dallas_mavericks]

-= original quote snipped =-

An opinion can't be incorrect. But anyways, the Suns will kill us in a 7 games series. Spurs will take it to 7. We can beat both Utah and Houston. I'm not scared of the Lakers/Rockets/Jazz anywhere near as much as the Spurs/Suns/Hornets.

You are looking just at the series themselves and not factoring in injuries, momentum, and overall confidence levels.

Remember, the Mavs are playing well under their overall collective level right now. Confidence can breed something we've been waiting to see all year. Beat the Hornets, get confidence. Beat the Hornets in round one, become the team we know they can be, beat the Suns in round two...

I am not being a homer, I see how we match up with the teams. Oh yeah, San Antone is toast against Phoenix if they play against each other.

[JES12]

You are looking just at the series themselves and not factoring in injuries, momentum, and overall confidence levels.

Remember, the Mavs are playing well under their overall collective level right now. Confidence can breed something we've been waiting to see all year. Beat the Hornets, get confidence. Beat the Hornets in round one, become the team we know they can be, beat the Suns in round two...

I am not being a homer, I see how we match up with the teams. Oh yeah, San Antone is toast against Phoenix if they play against each other.

[your_dallas_mavericks]

Ah you think I am being humorous, eh? Well, all righty then...

W/o Marion, the Suns are vulnerable. Shaq allows us to have Damp on the court more and it slows them down. As long as we don't have Bass on Shaq, we'll be okay. We have no answer for Barbosa, but I don't think anyone does. The Suns are very beatable, period.

Now stop laughing!

[JES12]

[HMFFL]

Hornets have absolutely nothing to play for tonight, but I'll bet Scott still has them fired up. He knows his team may be playing Dallas next week if they lose. And if that happens, its like the GS series all over again, only in reverse.

I didn't noticed. I saw so many warriors on the Hornets tonight and I respect their team very much. I've looked forward to this game for days now. Great game!