Ay, what a sucker-punch of a game.
Mavericks 120-115 Warriors
Three lessons learned:
* Monta needs to step up. Underwhelming play, limited court vision, and too many jumpers are not the signs of an improving PG.
* Rebounding. The starters snagged 35, but the bench, namely Matt Barnes, contributed a paltry 3. I can't give Barnes a pass on this one. He rebounded spectacularly during the playoffs last year, and that was on one leg and a broken finger.
* Free throws. For the love of basketball, they are manna from heaven. Don't throw them away. Over the 5-day break, something needs to be done. Visualization, Rick Barry style, hypnosis, anything.
Some positives:
* The motion offense looked much better tonight. I would've liked to see more passing and less dribbling, but an overall improvement from previous games.
* The starters improved tonight, except for Monta. Baron showed flashes of playoff-Baron, Kaz played well with a sprained ankle, Al continued his hot hand, and Andris nearly had a double-double along with 5 blocks, 2 assists, and only 1 turnover.
* The 3-point shooting wasn't near the Mendoza line. In fact, the Warriors batted an MVP-esque .440! I can give props to Barnes for shooting 3-6 from long range with a dislocated finger. Hopefully he's found his touch again and can provide a bigger spark off the bench.
See Ray Ratto's post about the rivalry. There still is some optimism.
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