Admit it GSW Hoop fans, you’re getting nervous now. All the wheels fell off the wagon on Tuesday night. A golden opportunity was blown; a spectacular moment was missed. The Warriors had the Mavs up against the ropes — one slug away from the canvas — and they let Dallas get back up. And Dirk buried them. Nowitzki hit key three pointers down the stretch, made a stop on defense, and nailed 14-15 FTs to lead his Mavs to victory.
But the Warriors’ collapse was just as much mental as it was physical. Stephen Jackson (pictured) got a technical and ejected late in the fourth. Baron Davis was called for his last foul with under a minute left. And then the shot selection — running and gunning with the same pace for the final three minutes of the game, rather than eating up some clock. Yes, the Warriors blew it, and for that, they will pay a huge price — that of elimination.
Something about the way the team acted following Game 4 made me think they would lose Game 5. Was I the only who got the impression that the Warriors felt they had already won the series? From Baron giving his thank yous on TV like he had just won an Oscar, to Don Nelson giving his team praise following a win for the first time all series, something didn’t seem right. Nelly broke down; he gave his team credit, he eased up on them, allowed them to get content. On the other hand, Avery Johnson called out his star player to the media. All day long the tape played and the quotes ran — Avery had enough of Dirk’s bitching. And apparently that was just the medicine the German needed.
Look, a Game 6 win in Golden State, and all of a sudden this puppy’s tied up. Then what? A one game series, in Dallas, winner-take-all, with the Mavs holding the momentum. Oh GSW fans, I’m afraid to say that you guys are toast.
