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Spurs move on, Mavs headin’ to the house
Tony Parker has to be oozing with confidence after his 31-point, 8-assist performance Tuesday that capped a 92-87 San Antonio win, closing out the Phoenix Suns 4-1.
Parker was in the lane the entire first half, and returned to the paint after a rough third quarter. Despite hitting nothing but iron all night from the perimeter, Parker drilled two seismic jumpers off ball screens in the final two and a half minutes. His pullup from the right elbow off a Tim Duncan screen that gave the Spurs an 88-85 lead with 28 seconds left was nothing other than cold-blooded.
Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen had huge defensive plays in the fourth, and Tim Duncan demolished Phoenix inside with 29 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks.
Phoenix, meanwhile, missed 17 free throws in a game it lost by five. Steve Nash was held in check, and Stoudemire and Shaq combined for only 28 points. You can’t win when you’re going to Boris Diaw the entire game.
Dallas, on the other hand, didn’t play until the final four minutes of its elimination game. New Orleans’ lead was just too big to overcome, and Chris Paul dropped a triple double, 24-11-15, on Mr. Triple Double, Jason Kidd, who averaged 9 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in the series. I doubt that’s what Dallas had in mind when it traded away Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop.
Dirk had little help other than Brandon Bass, who is a model of the type of player Dallas needs more of. Stack’s ejection was a microcosm of his late-game emotional state, and Josh Howard and Jason Terry did little to prevent the Mavs’ demise.
Second round prediction: San Antonio over New Orleans in 7
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