Before Ga 3, the desperate folks in Dallas could only pin their hopes on "Little General" Avery Johnson. That’s because last year, when his Mavericks were down 0-2 in the first round of the playoffs, Johnson had led them to a coback win against the Rockets. If they did it once, why not twice? So, before heading to Oakland, Johnson called a team eting and earnestly told his Mavericks players, "Don’t panic! We’re far stronger than them!"
Johnson’s calming words had a positive effect. The Mavericks had racked up 60 regular-season wins this year, and no one doubted they were a team aiming for a championship. So, after their initial confusion and anxiety, and with Johnson’s reassurance, the Mavericks players, who had been a bit stunned by the Warriors in the first two gas, quickly regrouped. Johnson, in turn, silently thanked the Rockets and Jeff Van Gundy for this. After all, if it weren’t for last year’s coback experience, how could the Mavericks have so quickly regained their composure and confidence? It’s worth saying, the Rockets of this era certainly contributed a lot to the NBA, especially when it ca to helping strong teams find their weaknesses and helping weaker teams find their confidence.
But... the Mavericks would soon discover the difference between the Warriors and the Rockets upon arriving in Oakland.
Two days later, on the evening of the 29th. When Dirk Nowitzki and his teammates stepped into Oracle Arena, gazing at the golden tide already rolling in the stands, it was a sight they’d never witnessed when they visited the Toyota Center last year. And on the other side of the court, the Warriors players looked fiercely determined, as if they weren’t about to play a basketball ga but were ready to charge into battle at any mont, much like the Shohoku team preparing for a tough match against Kainan.
This was the first ti in twelve years the Warriors had hosted a playoff ga at ho. Basketball had never been Houston’s favorite, but for Oakland, nestled in the Bay Area, they could connect all the basketball-loving fans across the Bay Area through the Warriors and Oracle Arena. What’s more, in this life, they also had Zack, an ace who could attract countless fans!
Boom!Boom!Boom!
Before the battle, as the "Overlord Breaking the Array" battle drum reverberated through Oracle Arena, the constantly rolling golden tide had subtly put unprecedented pressure on the visiting team. If the Mavericks players could still pull off a coback in this kind of environnt, their playoff journey this year would definitely be labeled epic.
On the court, head referee Tony Brothers walked to center court with the ball. "Teacher Tony," famous for his strict and often controversial officiating even before Zack’s transmigration, was well-known in the NBA. Luckily, "Teacher Tony" usually only had a problem with Zack’s good friend, Carlo Anthony. In fact, in previous Warriors gas officiated by "Teacher Tony," Zack had even benefited a few tis.
Undoubtedly, "Teacher Tony" to the NBA was like Michael Oliver to the Premier League. Yes, after many gas, Zack confird it. "Teacher Tony" probably wasn’t bad at officiating; he might just be "blind." Tonight, it was hard to say which side this "blind man" would favor, but before the ga, Zack specifically reminded his teammates, "Watch your actions. Observe his officiating scale first, then decide whether to increase the intensity."
Hearing this, the Warriors players imdiately understood. Zack didn’t want "Teacher Tony’s" clumsy performance to ss up the Warriors’ first playoff appearance in twelve years. So, since they couldn’t control the referee, the Warriors players naturally had to control their defensive movents in the ga.
At center court, Brown once again showed his talent on the jump ball, successfully winning possession for the Warriors. To avoid being caught by the always strict "Teacher Tony," Zack, after moving up to the high post, set a textbook-perfect screen for Mr. Old Beard (Baron Davis). And Erick Dampier, who had no warning about "Teacher Tony," beca the first unlucky victim of the ga when he was called for a foul for pushing Zack while going around the screen.
On the court, when "Teacher Tony" blew his whistle, Erick Dampier, one of the "Dallas Ugly Duo," looked utterly bewildered. Because in the NBA, players going around screens always make physical contact with the screener. In the previous two gas, Dampier had grown accustod to the referees allowing hand-checking, so he couldn’t understand why he was called for a foul after a slight touch with Zack.
And what confused Dampier the most was... on the court, "Teacher Tony," upon seeing his unusually ugly face, imdiately gave him a technical foul. What?! Is being ugly a cri too?! At this mont, a stunned Dampier couldn’t control his emotions, even after his teammates ca over to calm him down.
And then... he was ejected for yelling loudly. Yes, you read that right. Erick Dampier, the distinctive-looking Dallas Mavericks player, successfully made NBA playoff history tonight. In just thirteen seconds into the ga, he was ejected by head referee Tony Brothers after receiving two technical fouls.
However, if you thought "Teacher Tony" was helping the Warriors tonight... you were dead wrong. Because in the first quarter, Ron Artest, who was overly confident that "Teacher Tony" was on the Warriors’ side tonight, imdiately followed Dampier’s footsteps and beca the second player to be ejected from the ga.
At the ti, after being pulled down in mid-air by Josh Howard during a layup, Artest was even waiting for "Teacher Tony" to blow his whistle. But then, the scene Artest eagerly anticipated didn’t happen. So, Artest’s old temper flared up again.
"Are you f***ing blind?! Didn’t you see him foul ?!"
Hearing this, "Teacher Tony" imdiately gave Artest, who dared to offend him, a technical foul. Then, because Artest was too angry, he mumbled a few more words after turning away... And just like that, Ron Artest was ejected from the ga, becoming the second unlucky victim after receiving two technical fouls.
Zack didn’t know if Artest and Dampier would embrace and cry when they t in the player tunnel, but that’s Tony Brothers for you. A head referee who could unite all future NBA players in hoping the league would quickly make him retire.
This Ga 3, because of "Teacher Tony’s" nonsensical officiating, the ga process could only be described as fragnted. In the first half alone, the Mavericks and Warriors combined for 58 free throws. Typically, gas like this are destined to be far from exciting. But surprisingly, under tonight’s officiating, two players remained remarkably calm.
Oracle Arena. Fourth quarter, Mavericks’ offensive possession. After successfully using a screen to create a mismatch against Baron Davis, Nowitzki, facing Davis, forced a shot over the defender. The next second, as the ball swished through the net, Nowitzki successfully scored his 37th point of the ga.
Then, Warriors’ possession. Facing Dampier, who had switched onto him after guarding Nowitzki, Zack, as if by magic, switched hands in the air for a layup and scored his 38th point of the ga.
It must be said, although his adjustnts always seed a step slow, Johnson did successfully achieve three things in this ga. First, with "Teacher Tony’s" indirect help, the Mavericks broke up the ga with fouls and successfully brought the ga into their preferred rhythm. Second, on offense, Johnson, who wasn’t yet so delusional as to let Howard replace Nowitzki, created a lot of mismatch opportunities for "Dirk Nowitzki" in the ga. Third, by reducing player rotation and benching role players like Antoine Walker and Keith Van Horn who weren’t suitable for this series, the Mavericks improved their lineup quality.
But even so, Johnson still hadn’t solved the most fatal problem for the Mavericks. This problem was nad Zack.
Without a doubt. Zack’s playing style and athleticism determined that he was Dirk Nowitzki’s wall-breaker, the natural nesis of "Dirk Nowitzki." True, the Mavericks could switch Zack’s teammates onto Nowitzki, allowing Nowitzki easier scoring opportunities. But... when Zack was on the court against Nowitzki, that was a pure, unadulterated mismatch. If Johnson had been extrely forward-thinking enough to have Erick Dampier lose weight during this period, especially with DeSagana Diop already capable of guarding O’Neal, then perhaps "the best center in the West" could have helped Nowitzki more on the court.
But unfortunately, for this Mavericks team, which lacked the ability to disrupt the paint, they were destined to be unable to solve Zack’s mismatch offense on the court. Therefore, even if the Mavericks’ performance improved in this Ga 3, facing the Warriors, they still couldn’t play to their original strength.
Nowitzki’s scoring eventually stopped at 40 points this night. This German tank, which exploded with imnse energy in a desperate situation, delivered an MVP-level performance... making him Zack’s best backdrop tonight.
Oracle Arena. As Zack scored his 45th point of the ga, this battle between super power forwards concluded!
On the scoreboard, 108 to 114. The Golden State Warriors took three straight victories, leading the series 3-0 against the Dallas Mavericks! Before the series started, this was a dream scenario that all Warriors fans wouldn’t even dare to imagine. But their ssiah made it happen for them!
"We’re going to the second round right away!"
Since there had never been a case in NBA history of a team leading 3-0 being overturned, the mont Ga 3 ended, even the most optimistic Dallas residents could only accept the fact that the Mavericks were about to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. This was cruel, but Mavericks fans had no choice but to face it squarely.
After the ga, Nowitzki said in an interview, "I disappointed this city (Dallas) and my team. I just want to go sowhere no one is and take a vacation."
At the scene, looking at "Dirk Nowitzki," who was already planning to exile himself, the reporter quickly reminded him, "Dirk, this series isn’t over yet."
To this, Nowitzki replied, "Of course, we will try our best to complete the coback."
Coback? In front of these Warriors, the Mavericks players, who felt powerless no matter how much energy they had, dared not even think about a coback at this mont. They only hoped that Nowitzki could continue his explosive performance in the upcoming Ga 4 and try to avoid being swept by the Warriors in this series.
In fact, in Zack’s previous life, Nowitzki’s feelings after being upset by the Golden State Bandits were largely similar to his feelings at this mont. Even the words he said after the ga were very similar. The only difference was that in this life, Nowitzki wouldn’t be criticized as harshly for losing to the Warriors in the playoffs. After all, Zack was already a bona fide superstar. Didn’t Mike D’Antoni say earlier that he wouldn’t be surprised no matter how far the Warriors went this year?
One day later, Ga 4 between the Warriors and Mavericks continued at Oracle Arena. Nowitzki lived up to expectations and pressed the "God Mode" switch in the ga, shooting 15-for-25 from the field, including 3-for-6 from three-point range, and going perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line, scoring a total of 45 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. In addition, Jason Terry, who was arranged by Johnson to co off the bench in the ga, played his best in this series, shooting 7-for-11 from the field, including 6-for-9 from three-point range, and scoring a total of 20 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists.
On the court, the Mavericks, relying on the offensive basketball they hadn’t forgotten, went blow-for-blow and successfully won on the road, avoiding the embarrassnt of being swept by the Warriors. In this ga, besides Zack, all the other Warriors starters were basically singled out and scored on by Nowitzki. It proved that Don Nelson, that "mad scientist," still left a wealth of resources for Johnson, that prodigal son, to squander for this Mavericks team.
"I still can’t understand why they didn’t play like this in the first ga?" After Ga 4, Mike Dunleavy Jr. always felt that Mavericks coach Avery Johnson was playing a big ga with the Mavericks’ chosen strategy in this series. A big ga nad: he was actually a deeply hidden, thirty-year Warriors fan. Because even though they were about to head to Dallas with a 3-1 series lead, Dunleavy Jr. still couldn’t understand why the Mavericks, with their overall strength far superior to the Warriors, kept making boneheaded plays in this series.
On the wing, how could the "Ugly Duo defense" composed of Josh Howard and Erick Dampier (or Marquis Daniels) not be able to defend the Warriors’ periter shooting? And Devin Harris, who was no longer the naive rookie he once was, surely could match Baron Davis’s speed, right? Since the Mavericks could use tactical design to allow Nowitzki to trade blows with his natural nesis, Zack, through scoring, then with Dampier and Diop in the paint, and Terry and Stackhouse on the bench, how could they be down 1-3 to the Warriors?
Of course, Dunleavy Jr., who was always highly intelligent, would absolutely not choose to remind the Dallas folks that their problem wasn’t with the players on the court. Because the Warriors were still hoping "Little General" Johnson could send his "brothers" (the Warriors) another favor.
May 3rd, Arican Airlines Center. The Warriors officially put an end to this series. Although Nowitzki still perford valiantly in Ga 5, scoring 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists for the Mavericks, in the ga, "Little General" Johnson, who had only won the previous ga by picking up Don Nelson’s old playbook, strangely decided to put the car in reverse again.
On the court, Johnson, stubbornly trying to prove that the Mavericks could successfully defend Zack, poured all his lifelong knowledge onto Zack. And then, Zack responded to Johnson with an easy "30 triple-double": "You have no ink in your belly. At least, no ’ink’ that can limit ."
Ultimately, 110 to 101. The Warriors, with a dominant 4-1 series victory, successfully advanced to the next round. This was a result that surprised all experts and neutral fans before the series.
"The Golden State Warriors eliminated the Dallas Mavericks in a stunning fashion. In this series, The ssiah, who averaged 36.4 points, 12 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 3 blocks, and 1.4 steals for the Warriors, proved with his strength that he is indeed a better offensive power forward than Dirk Nowitzki in today’s league. Of course, we must also tip our hats to Dirk, who averaged 34.4 points, 8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 0.8 blocks for the Mavericks in this series, because he was the only player on the Mavericks who could walk out of the Arican Airlines Center with his head held high." – ESPN News Flash
"When asked how he felt about the Warriors advancing to the next round first, Gregg Popovich angrily stated: ’These players are still living in last season’s championship dream, none of them want to win.’ Evidently, after also being surprisingly tied 2-2 by the Clippers in their series, the Western Conference’s top-seeded Spurs need to hurry up, because the Warriors are already waiting for them." – San Antonio Express-News
"After being buzzer-beaten by Kobe in Ga 5, Mike D’Antoni repeatedly stressed after the ga that there are no weak teams in the West this year." – Los Angeles Tis
"Regarding the controversial ga-winning shot against the Wizards, LeBron Jas stated that those who understand basketball will understand. Since the referee didn’t call a travel at the ti, it was undoubtedly a good shot." – The Plain Dealer
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