Dirk has picked up right where he left off with another great playoff performance under his belt, 36pts (12-14 FG &12-12ft). Dirk took it upon himself, as always, to make sure this team is a force to be reckoned with in this postseason. The “soft-spoken” Mavericks left a loud defensive presence on the court when they held the high scoring Spurs to a mere 94 along with 17 turnovers which led to 20 Mavs points. With Dallas’ newest toys in Butler & Haywood, the Spurs seemed hesitant to double Dirk like they did in last year’s 1st round series. At times that they did, Dallas capitalized on the opportunities.
Though as great as Dallas played, it was no easy task against the playoff-seasoned Spurs. With tremendous contributions from their big-3, Duncan, Manu & Parker a combined 71 points, the Spurs kept it close for majority of Game 1. Unfortunately, the rest of the team only made 10 of 26 shots.
With a close game heading to the 4th quarter, Dirk helped Dallas pull away with a one-man 7-0 run that gave the Mavs the lead for good. San Antonio kept chipping away, but could never recover from that Dirk run. Once the Spurs decided to play tighter D on Dirk in the 4th quarter, he became a smart passer which helped move the ball into areas that were left open when the Spurs pressured Dirk. Dallas eventually pulled away for good clinching Game 1 from their cross-town rivals, San Antonio.
dirk is a great player and he would look great in a lakers uniform....
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