Spurscast Live - Mavs Game 2
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Audio: Cuban tones down the hate
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was on the Dan Patrick show this morning. When I heard he would be on, I make sure to listen, because you can always expect him to stir something up, especially during the playoffs.
After all, Cuban just recently told ESPN that he hates the Spurs.
This morning, though, Cuban was pretty tame and even complimentary to one Spur, Manu Ginobili.
"I like watching Ginobili too, as long as he's not playing us," Cuban said.
Dan Patrick also asked Cuban if he fired the person that decided to take Gordan Giricek over Manu, to which Cuban replied "I should have fired myself."
To listen to the rest of the interview, including Cuban's thoughts on NBA players playing overseas in the offseason, press play below or click on the download link.
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Playoff Game Day Preview: Spurs vs. Mavs (Game 2)
2010 NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS -- 1st ROUND
(2) DALLAS MAVERICKS Lead Series 1-0 vs. (7) SAN ANTONIO SPURS
| TEAM LEADERS | |||
| Points | Rebounds | Assists | |
| SPURS | Tim Duncan 27.0 | Tim Duncan 8.0 | Manu Ginobili 6.0 |
| MAVS | Dirk Nowitzki 36.0 | Erick Dampier 12.0 | Jason Kidd 11.0 |
The Dallas Mavericks won the series opener, 100-94, behind Dirk Nowitzki's superb performance, dropping 36 points on 12-14 shooting from the field against a San Antonio Spurs team that is supposedly known for their defense during the playoffs. It's just one game but the Spurs have a lot of adjustments to make to be able to tie up this series.
They have to find a way to limit Nowitzki's production but their offense was also a problem. Outside Duncan, Ginobili and Parker, the rest of team made just 10 of 26 shots from the field with Antonio McDyess the only other Spur to score double digits with 10 points.
Prompting Coach Gregg Popovich to say "It should be also noted that after starting at point-guard for the Spurs, George Hill is a game time decision. If he can't play Tony Parker might take place as the Spurs' starting point-guard. Hill was a non-factor in game one probably because his ankle is not yet fully healed. If he can play, he will have to be the Hill Spurs fans saw during the regular-season.
This game is a "must-win" of sorts for the Spurs. Falling 0-2 against a strong Mavericks team is certainly not the right way to start the playoffs let alone before heading back to San Antonio. Let's not forget the Spurs failed to advance to the 2nd round last year with the Mavericks beating them 4-1.
The Spurs will be hard pressed to even the series, while the Mavericks will enter game confident to take a 2-0 series lead.
KEYS TO THE GAME
SPURS
On Offense: The Spurs' "Big Three" of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker will get their points, but they have to get the other players involved. Richard Jefferson and Hill (if he plays) should get their touches.
And no matter how Roger Mason Jr. and Matt Bonner played terribly in game one, they deserve to take more than eight shots between them for the entire game. Also, DeJuan Blair was efficient in his playoff debut and though he did make some "rookie mistakes," he certainly deserve more minutes on the floor.
Ball distribution will be a main factor for the Spurs and they have to take extra care for the basketball. They committed 17 turnovers in game 1 in which Duncan had six and Ginobili five.
On Defense: Protect the paint. The Spurs are shorter compared to the Mavericks front-court but they have to hold their own. The Mavericks killed the Spurs on offensive rebounding 13-8 in game one. Better 'D' on Dirk. McDyess is capable defender but he's gonna need more help to contain Nowitzki. Maybe the Spurs should send an early double-team to limit Dirk's point production and Caron Butler is another guy the Spurs should try to keep an eye on defense.
MAVERICKS
On Offense: Dallas did a good job on offense. In game one, it was clear Nowitzki is a match-up nightmare for the Spurs. If they can continue riding Dirk on offense at the rate he is shooting and passing the basketball, the Spurs will have a hard time catching up the Mavericks.
On Defense: The Mavericks are lucky to win game one despite the Spurs' "Big Three" combining for 71 points. But maybe that's the key for Dallas. If they can take away the Spurs' perimeter game and make life harder for Duncan in the post, they have a great chance of getting a 2-0 series lead.
INJURIES
SPURS
George Hill - sprained right ankle (game time decision)
Malik Hairston - sprained ankle (might miss the game)
MAVERICKS
None
PREDICTION
The Spurs can't afford to make the same mistakes they did in game one. Players like Jefferson and Hill have to step up their game and the Spurs as a team have do a better job on defense.
This is a must win for the Spurs. It's time to make their stand! Despite how the well the Mavericks played in game 1, I believe the Spurs will come out playing with a sense of urgency and will take game two, 91-87, to even the series at 1-1.
8th Seed Podcast - April Edition
Another month is upon us which means another edition of the 8th seed. This time it's the NBA playoff edition.
Mike and I joined in late but did we have lots to say about the Spurs game one performance against the Mavericks. Needless to say I had a lot to say about the refs and Mike had a few things he had to get off his chest about the Spurs lack of defense on Caron Butler.
There is plenty of talk on the KG elbow heard around the world, the Phoenix Suns, Amar'e Stoudamire, and much more.
Here's the crew for this month:
Jared Wade of Both Teams Played Hard and eightpointsnineseconds.com
Zach Harper of Cowbell Kingdom and Talk Hoops
Glenn Moore of The Dugout Sports Show
Rey Moralde of The No Look Pass
John Karalis of Reds Army
And special guest blogger this month was Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm, FanHouse, Pro Basketball Talk... and I'm sure some other stuff.
We warn you... the language can get a little salty.... NSFW as it were... but oh.. it's worth it. So please to enjoy our show, ok?
Click HERE to listen and download it at RedsArmy.com.
Spurscast #203: Sebastian Ginobili Interview
Just days after interviewing Fabricio Oberto, we had the pleasure of interviewing Sebastian Ginobili on Monday night. Sebastian is Manu Ginobili's older brother and a professional basketball player in Argentina.
We asked Sebastian about his background growing up as one of three brothers that all ended up playing professionally. We also asked him about his current team Libertad Sunchales, who are currently in the second round of the playoffs against Boca Juniors.
He also told us that he thinks the Spurs will win the series against the Mavericks and that he is a very loyal Spurs fan and doesn't have any other favorite teams.
Thanks to our chat room for listening and participating live and asking questions. If you didn't get a chance to listen live, be sure to follow us on twitter and subscribe to our rss feed and soon our newsletter so you can find out about our next live interview and be there live. If you didn't get a chance to be there, but still would like to ask a question, Sebastian has agreed to answer some questions for us and send them back over email. Email your questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll send them along.
We also have a bonus for our spanish-speakers readers and listeners as Arianné Villanueva called in and ask Sebastian questions in Spanish as well.
We also want to thank Sebastian for giving us over an hour of his time, and Silvia and Rita for helping us set up the interview.
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Hill a gametime decision
According to Jeff McDonald on the MySA Courtside blog, Spurs guard George Hill will be a gametime decision for game two tomorrow night.
Spurs guard George Hill, still dealing with the lingering effects of an ankle sprain suffered April 4, will have his availability for Game 2 at Dallas determined at game time Wednesday, coach Gregg Popovich said this afternoon.
Hill practiced with the team this morning in San Antonio, after which he described his ankle as "so-so."
"It's still a little tender," Hill said. "I tried to give it a go Sunday, but it really wasn't all the way there. Hopefully, by Wednesday I'll be ready."
Hill's loss was definitely felt in game one and if he is a no go for game two, the Spurs will desperately need some help off the bench.
Make sure to keep it on Project Spurs for the latest on Hill and all of the latest playoff coverage.
Cuban: "I hate the Spurs."
If the Spurs need some locker-room material, well they got it now.
According to SportsdayDFW, after the Mavericks' practice today, owner Mark Cuban had the following to say:
"I hate the Spurs.''
But it's a respectful hate, he said, because the two teams play basketball the right way.
"Every possession just feels like it's a punch in a heavyweight fight,'' Cuban said. "It doesn't feel like a first-round of the playoffs. It feels like the conference finals, like we're playing to get to the Finals. That shows the respect we have for each other.''
Well Mr. Cuban, the feeling is mutual towards the Dallas Mavericks from Spurs nation. I sure hope someone showed this to the Spurs' players to light a fire under them.
Now if only Spurs' owner, Peter Holt, will fire back. Then we will have a true Texas showdown.
Part I: Earning his Spurs
Throughout the 2010 San Antonio Spurs playoff run, I will be keeping a close eye on Spurs' rookie DeJuan Blair. Basically documenting his first NBA playoff experience. I will be giving my thoughts on his performances in the post-season and seeing how he responds to the pressure. Enjoy!
The playoffs. What a great opportunity for young player to showcase their capabilities on the biggest stage and at the highest level. Scoring champion Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder played in his first playoff game on Sunday and finished with 24 points, and rookie Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks scored 34 points in his first post-season appearance. But the only player I was really looking forward to watching play in their first 
playoff game was Spurs' rookie DeJuan Blair.
However, unlike Jennings and Durant, who both played over 40 minutes in their first playoff game, Blair only played eight minutes, mainly coming in to give Tim Duncan a breather.
Blair's stat line: 7:56, 2-2 from the field, two rebounds (one offensive, one defensive), one assist, one blocked shot and four points.
His block was the only block of the game for the Silver and Black and noticeably his rebounds numbers were lacking. Again, mainly due to the lack of playing time.
He also had a tremendous dunk on Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki; however on the other end, he made a careless foul on Mavericks' Brendan Haywood which gave Haywood the "and 1."
With Tim Duncan playing over 40 minutes a game this postseason, it doesn't look like Blair will get a lot of minutes. Especially since Blair averaged nearly two turnovers a game in the regular season. But the Spurs were out rebounded 37 to 45, and 13 of the Mavericks rebounds were offensive. So let's see if Spurs' coach Popovich decides to give Blair some more minutes and doesn't sit him like he does to most young players for the Spurs.
With additional minutes, Blair will definitely help clean up the glass. Let's not forget, during the last game of the regular season against this same Dallas team, he grabbed 23 rebounds.
Come back after game two to see what Blair does against the Dallas Mavericks as I chronicle his first NBA playoffs in part II of "Earning his Spurs."
Video: Playoff Predictions
Project Spurs' queen of all multimedia, Arianné Villanueva, went out to Fatso's Sports Garden in San Antonio and asked the Spurs fans in attendance for last week's Spurs-Mavs game what they thought of the Spurs playoff chances.
Some of the fans we're pretty bold about the first round series saying "we're going to win, that's my prediction," and "they might win the championship."
Some fans were a little more cautious with their predictions.
"They'll make it through the first round, but they might choke in the second round."
And if the Spurs make it to the finals, most of the Spurs fans are hoping to draw Cleveland yet again.
