Comments on: NBA Playoffs: Slow start dooms Thunder as Mavericks roll in Game 3

By: ezwriter69

ezwriter69 — Sun, 22 May 2011 17:01:49 +0000

“missed two wide-open looks from 3-point range (one from Westbrook, one from Daequan Cook) that could of made things interesting” ….What a crock… first of all, it’s could have, not could of, you write like a six year old. Second, there were 16 and 18 seconds left on both of those possessions, and the shots were from well behind the line and with a hand in the face… and the next possession was a reckless out of control drive by Westbrook who wound up dribbling it off his leg out of bounds. Three possessions and two horribly ill-advised unnecessary shots (with three minutes left down by six and 0 for 17 from three for the night, those weren’t open looks those were ridiculously bad shots) and a horrible turnover.
The Thunder show NO poise, no execution, and no discipline during crunch time; it’s not ALL Westbrook, but mostly. Ugly, ugly basketball, they look like an eighth grade team, and a bad one… typical of USA basketball, no coaching, no execution, the one and done has destroyed USA basketball, it’s ugly, it’s pathetic, it makes me want to hurl. So much talent, so little professionalism. Ugly.

By: jjared1101

jjared1101 — Sun, 22 May 2011 06:10:38 +0000

As a Mavericks fan, this game was very hard to watch. Getting the lead cut down with each free throw, seeing Dallas make good defensive stands only to have OKC get bailed out was a very helpless feeling.

Going in to OKC, I knew that they would probably have the advantage on the line, but wow. Just glad they could win the game and steal back home court advantage. Maybe Dallas can get a few more calls on Monday.

By: delius1967

delius1967 — Sun, 22 May 2011 05:31:44 +0000

This game was an OFFICIATING TRAVESTY. The guys in stripes were doing everything they could to keep the Thunder in this game, especially in the fourth quarter, when Nowitzki was getting two or three hits on him almost every time he touched the ball, with not a whistle to be heard.

Oklahoma City shot exactly twice as many free throws as Dallas did (36-18) and point-wise were +18 at the line. In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks did not even attempt a free throw until there was just 33 seconds left in the game; at that point, the Thunder had already shot 12! The only reason Dallas was shooting even then was because OKC had to intentionally foul.

If Dallas had lost this game, it would have been a sham on the level of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, Game 6, or the 2006 Finals, Game 3. It is just fortunate that Dallas was able to overcome such obviously biased refereeing. What stinks is that they basically have to sit back and take it; any comments from Cuban (which would be richly deserved) would just be more fuel for the league to screw the Mavericks over yet again.