Everything Mavs worked for went out the window

[Kobe>Jordan>God]

Remember that window, that window of opportunity the Dallas Mavericks geared their championship hopes around?

Closed.

Slammed shut by Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets, who won Game 5 Tuesday, 99-94.

Pending further developments -- and we expect there to be many -- the Mavericks will have to use the dog's door. Which only seems appropriate.

Two short years after they were two victories from the NBA championship, the Mavericks were overwhelmingly exposed as disorganized, inconsistent, air ball-firing pretenders in this opening-round playoff series.

Their descent from the NBA penthouse to that other house is complete. They're not an elite team anymore, and please correct any fool that tries to argue otherwise.

The Mavericks stumbled into the playoffs this season and here, against a fresh new team and in a rejuvenated city where triumphs like this truly mean something, the Mavs were deservingly chased out.

They barely had time to... ahem... practice.

This time, they couldn't blame their sudden exit on Don Nelson and the luck of the NBA postseason draw. This time, they couldn't blame it on Dwyane Wade parading to the free-throw line.

No, this time, the defeat came with no footnotes attached.

"They're a good team," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said of the Hornets. "They're a better team. They took it to us. They came on our home floor and won Game 4.

"We just didn't have enough of our men playing well at the same time."

Johnson's brief epitaph was correct. But the reasons behind it are likely to brew storm clouds in the days and weeks ahead.

"We haven't been able in the latter part of the season to keep up with the better teams," Johnson assessed.

"And we paid the price for it."

Lots of teams stumble. They right themselves, the coach blows a whistle, and they carry on.

But Johnson's team has plunged so far, so quickly, and seemingly shattered into so many pieces, the prospects of starting fresh simply by convening a training camp seem plainly na

[Kobe>Jordan>God]

Remember that window, that window of opportunity the Dallas Mavericks geared their championship hopes around?

Closed.

Slammed shut by Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets, who won Game 5 Tuesday, 99-94.

Pending further developments -- and we expect there to be many -- the Mavericks will have to use the dog's door. Which only seems appropriate.

Two short years after they were two victories from the NBA championship, the Mavericks were overwhelmingly exposed as disorganized, inconsistent, air ball-firing pretenders in this opening-round playoff series.

Their descent from the NBA penthouse to that other house is complete. They're not an elite team anymore, and please correct any fool that tries to argue otherwise.

The Mavericks stumbled into the playoffs this season and here, against a fresh new team and in a rejuvenated city where triumphs like this truly mean something, the Mavs were deservingly chased out.

They barely had time to... ahem... practice.

This time, they couldn't blame their sudden exit on Don Nelson and the luck of the NBA postseason draw. This time, they couldn't blame it on Dwyane Wade parading to the free-throw line.

No, this time, the defeat came with no footnotes attached.

"They're a good team," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said of the Hornets. "They're a better team. They took it to us. They came on our home floor and won Game 4.

"We just didn't have enough of our men playing well at the same time."

Johnson's brief epitaph was correct. But the reasons behind it are likely to brew storm clouds in the days and weeks ahead.

"We haven't been able in the latter part of the season to keep up with the better teams," Johnson assessed.

"And we paid the price for it."

Lots of teams stumble. They right themselves, the coach blows a whistle, and they carry on.

But Johnson's team has plunged so far, so quickly, and seemingly shattered into so many pieces, the prospects of starting fresh simply by convening a training camp seem plainly na

[dirkforpres]

-= original quote snipped =-



I thought you only were allowed to quote two paragraphs from an article. Did the rules change?

QFT

[HMFFL]

It's 3 paragraphs and those are far from being bundled together.

[NYKBaller]

window definitely is closing, i dont think its completely shut tho

[JES12]

GIL LeBRETON and Dale Hanson speak the truth.

David Moore is still an idiot!