It was a game that was impossible to feel good about until the very end.  The Mavericks could never reel in the Nuggets for the entire game.  In fact, for what must have been a dozen times, the Mavs would mount a surge only to  be pounded over the head with an answer for Denver.  Make no mistake, Denver was trying to drive a dagger.  They were ready to relax and let Houston and the Lakers fight it out.  But, in a game where it would have been easy to tap out and quit, the Mavs showed some real fight and determination not to let their season end in front of the home fans.

Is it delaying the inevitable?  Almost certainly.  But, is there ever a bad reason to fight and show pride?  I can’t think of one in the playoffs.

And then there is Dirk Nowitzki.  I call him this city’s most underappreciated athlete ever for a reason.  Why?  Because, he can play like he has played for the last 4 games:  32 points per game, 11.7 rebounds per game – and then be insulted by many in his own city for not having the guts or the grit to compete hard enough in the NBA.   Honestly, if you have not seen him fight in this series, then you are too far gone off your pier for reason to help you now.  He has abused Kenyon Martin so much that even Kenyon looks worried when Dirk gets the ball in the post.  He has not made every shot and he has not been joined often enough by his mates, but if you question his level of compete after all of this then your opinion will never change.  I hope someday he gets what he wants so badly.  But, real life doesn’t always end like fairy tales.

Anyway, a nice win and an exhausting night of basketball complete with all sorts of side stories.  Let’s run through some random observations from Game 4 in Dallas:

* Carmelo Anthony was absolutely amazing. I have been waiting for him to break out in the spring time since the spring of 2003 when I first saw him in person at the Final Four in New Orleans. That year he carried Syracuse to the NCAA Title as a freshman and sold me on his future. Since then, the reviews have been mixed, as I believe on some level he felt the need to defer during the Allen Iverson era. But now, on display in Games 3 and 4 in Dallas, he seems to be willing to take over games at will – and while he may never truly be a foil for Lebron James as was sold to the public back when they both were coming into the league, he truly belongs in the elite conversation. Anthony is surrounded by muscle, but he sure sets the tone for his team with his aggresive play on both ends of the court. He also seems to feed off physical confrontation and is a very interesting player. I think he is one of those players who follows the tone rather than sets it (Iverson, Billups), but he is special. No doubt about that at all.

* Question for Steve Javie: What part of Carmelo’s forearm in Antoine Wright’s neck constitutes a foul on Wright? And then, with great Javie flair, he awards Wright a technical for the debate! I love it. I love how the officials never allow the game to get in their way.

* While it is true that Dahntay Jones rarely scores (27 points in 4 games), his two dunks this weekend will be long remembered. I think I will still suggest that the dunk in Game 3 over Dampier was the best, we should give his Game 4 dunk on Josh Howard a good amount of consideration as well.

* From the post-game press notes: Dirk Nowitzki recorded his 5th career playoff game with 40 points. He finished tonight with 44 points (14-25 FGs, postseason-highs 16-17 FTs) and 13 rebounds (12 DR) in 44 minutes. The double-double is his 4th of the postseason and 2nd consecutive. Nowitzki scored 29 points in the 2nd half for his 2nd 20-point half of the postseason (also 21 in 1st half of Game 3 vs. DEN, 5/9). Nowitzki’s game is the 3rd-best individual performance by a Maverick in a playoff history. Nowitzki had previously scored 50 points (vs. PHO, 6/1/06) and 46 points (vs. POR, 4/19/03).

* Another very frustrating night from Erick Dampier. It would seem that Rick Carlisle is growing tired of the “contribution” from his center. 23 minutes. 0 points. 5 turnovers. 6 fouls. There was one moment in the game where the Mavs were making their run, down 72-67. Jason Terry dropped a pass down to Dampier for a sure dunk, and then we saw his “Lafluer Hands” fumble the ball through traffic and to Denver. David “LaFluer Hands”, a term given by my boy, Benisanna, is a most fitting description of his paws that keeps him from ever being more than a big body. How Dampier fits in the Mavs future is anyone’s guess. I have honestly seen enough. Thanks, Avery.

* I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome JJ Barea to the series, and also, welcome Nene back to earth.

* Which Nugget annoys me the most? Interesting question. Anthony and Billups are quality who cannot annoy me. Nene is the center I have always wanted. Anthony Carter has never done anyone harm. Jones and Linas Kleiza are insignificant to me. So, I have boiled it down to a few candidates: Kenyon. But, with him, he has such little effect on the game in 2009 as Dirk abuses him on defense and yet besides the occasional hoop he really just runs around and looks tough. 33 minutes, 2 points and 2 rebounds? Eh. So, that leaves JR Smith. I wish I had another 1,000 words to elaborate but between his over-celebrating, his banked in shots, and his hanging on the rim for no reason I just can’t deal with his game. Oh, and he is really good. He is what Jason Terry would be if Terry could defend, too.

* About the fans: I am quite uncertain of what really happened. But, if people were really getting personal with wives and girlfriends and mothers of Denver players, that is pretty weak. Have fun and make fun, but let’s leave the women and children alone, ok? Nothing gives people beer muscles like a combination of beer and being surrounded by 20,000 friends, but c’mon. Let’s show some level of class to the people not playing in the game. I am quite interested in a transcript of what Kenyon was saying as he was leaving the court. I was guessing he was shouting at Mark Cuban, but I am not sure. Regardless, he didn’t look very pleased.

* I wonder what sort of upset stomach keeps you out of a playoff game? The Birdman’s absence made a pretty big impact in the paint in Game 4. I must tell you I am interested in seeing what sort of deal he might seek this summer. MLE, anyone?

* Two players who had a tremendous impact on the game but have not been talked about much would include Josh Howard and Brandon Bass. Bass’ play in Games 3 and 4 have made Dampier look even worse, because Bass appears to have a fight in his belly that doesn’t quit. He puts out fabulous effort and when combined with his athleticism he offers all kind of fits in the paint for the Nuggets. Meanwhile, Josh has restored much of his reputation over these playoffs as he has also showed true grit. I am not sure what to make of either player moving forward, but I like the present contributions of both in a big way. I would love to see Josh get healthy and take his game to the next level, and I hope he will. As for Bass, I do wonder if he could fit into a bigger role, or is he just perfect as a bench player who brings energy?

* Actually, here is where Bass might make sense. With Dirk playing in the post as a “5″, then Bass can be a “4″. It is not exactly Gasol and Odom, but it makes quite a bit of sense against many teams. If Dampier cannot provide any reason for the opposition to guard him, and if he also brings almost no energy plays, then allowing the offense to run through Dirk on the post against guys who cannot guard him make the Mavs impossible to deal with without a double team. And, then, your shooters make them pay. Dirk as a 5 might be the future of this team. So, maybe a true defensive Power Forward is what this team really needs to allow the Mavs to “play small” even though they would have a 7-foot center. It all starts with Dirk being interested in banging around, but he banged for 44 last night and Denver had no clue what to do.

Game 5 is Wednesday. I would think Denver fans will be ready. In some ways, this reminds me of Red Wings-Stars from last spring where they won Game 4 to preserve pride and then won again in Detroit in unlikely fashion (of course, don’t worry about Game 6). The smart money calls for a Nuggets blood-letting, but we might as well find out.

Basketball season lives for 48 more hours. Fight or Fold? The Mavs decided to fight.

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As valiant an effort as it was, the 2008-09 Dallas Mavericks season basically came to a close on Saturday night as the Mavs were trying to take a foul they had to give, but the officials allowed the play to continue and Carmelo made them play by sticking a 3 in the face of Dallas and bringing this series to the brink.

There are a million ways to look at this game, but I suppose the easiest way is to say that when you are up 4 points at 105-101 with :31 to play, you have go to close that deal. The Mavs then went 0-2 on defensive attempts and 0-2 on offensive attempts and that is why you lost. Why the officials did not recognize Antoine Wright’s clear foul on Carmelo is certainly worth discussing, but you cannot take a collective 0-4 on possessions in the final 30 seconds and then do anything but take your medicine. The call was blown, but nonetheless, you also have to help yourself.

For the Mavs, that medicine will include a summer that will begin this week.

What a shame. The arena was nuts and Dirk Nowitzki delivered with 33 points and 16 rebounds. But, he would tell you his 0-4 in the final 3 minutes are what matters most, and he would be correct.

And, while fighting off a case of the gut-aches, let’s ponder some various thoughts and observations from the Game 3 to remember in Dallas:

* What is a great way to respond to Dirk getting 33? How about Chauncey Billups gets you 32 and Carmelo Anthony gets you 31? We worried about the fact that neither of those two had really taken over the games in Denver like we know they are capable. Well, they took turns on Saturday, and that obviously was a pretty good shot in the mid-section of Dallas. They were both awesome.

* Game 3 was the game where Rick Carlisle pretty much figured out that Erick Dampier could not help him. He played 5 minutes in the 2nd half, and the most relevant thing he did was get poster-ized by Dahntay Jones on a play that would make Shawn Bradley proud. A true facial was delivered there.

* You have to feel badly for the Mavericks because they accomplished many of their smaller missions. They took the ball hard to the rim on a pretty regular basis. They responded with grit and toughness. They did not get abused by Nene and Birdman. But, in the end, they lost. NBA Life isn’t fair, boys.

* Since my “easy points” counter was so shocking in Game 2 (67-39, Nuggets), it should be noted that those numbers were far more manageable in Game 3. Getting 40 points at the free throw line was huge for the Mavs, as every time Brandon Bass was close to the rim, the Nuggets decided to give him a bruise. The margin was 70-62 in favor of Denver if you add up all of the dunks, lay-ups, tip-ins, and free throws or what I have come to define as “easy points”. 70-62 is manageable, and if the series wasn’t 3-0, you might actually look at that statistic and wonder if the Mavs have changed their mentality a bit (or grown bigger muscles in front of the home fans) and perhaps are up for a street fight. But, at 3-0, we can only surmise that the lesson was learned too late.

* Chauncey versus Kidd was fascinating tonight. I thought both played their best games of the series, and both went after eachother with great abandon. Near the end of the 3rd Quarter, Kidd was determined to take whoever guarded him down into the paint. He scored the final 6 points of the quarter for the Mavs, capped off with his buzzer-beater at the end. But, Chauncey was there the whole game, hitting shots that make you understand how he has won an NBA Finals MVP before. He has been money in the playoffs for years, and his latest performance reminded you of his original breakout game In this same arena 7 years ago in the first playoff game he ever started.

* I can’t stand Denver. I know it is being a sore loser, but I am willing to argue that there are years when you lose that you don’t grow a major level of disdain for your conqueror. For instance, I can recall an honest and healthy respect for the Spurs in 2003 or the Suns in 2005. But, this year is different. I will fully back the Lakers against Denver and eagerly root for their demise. Their cockiness is amazing for a team that has never done a thing prior to about a week ago. I look forward to their eventual humbling. There. How is that for bitter?

* All things considered, I thought Josh Howard can hold his chin up for his day’s work. He played hard and did what he could given his injury. I have no idea what caused him to lose his mind at the end of the game when Darrell Armstrong was trying to keep him from killing someone, but I sort of expected Josh in street clothes today. I was pleased that he made a go of it, and did what he could.

* Once again, we seem to see a fundamental issue with the Dallas Mavericks as a whole. In my opinion, because they so seldom attempt to play lock-down defense in the first 7 months of the season, when they do they are not able to defend without fouling. I know that they talk a good game about defense during the year, but when they get to the playoffs and really have to buckle down – there is Erick Dampier, Josh Howard, and Antoine Wright all in foul trouble. As a team, they were actually on the right end of the foul totals, but when it is time to defend Nene or Carmelo in this series, they don’t seem to be able to do it very often without a whistle. Dampier has spent the whole series in foul trouble. This should encourage them to consider more depth at the 5 (or, of course a new center altoghther). Because Ryan Hollins is foul trouble off the bench, too.

* Humble Billy was just a hair below bonkers tonight. My ears are still ringing.

* I am as guilty as anybody for trying to rationalize the 4-0 regular season sweep of the Nuggets , but I believe at 0-7, I am ready to admit it. They are better. Much better. And futhermore, I would say they are better because of massive mismatch issues they present. Guess what, New Orleans had massive matchup advantages, too. And, Golden State? In an odd way, they did, too. So, if you need Michael Finley to hit a miracle to insure that you get a good playoff dance partner; otherwise you face massive matchup issues in a series – three years in a row – you might take that as a hint that while you are a good team, you don’t have a team worthy of playoff long hauls. The teams that are worthy are not foiled by opponents who give them looks “they have no answer for”. The structure of this team is flawed, and until it changes…well, you know. In fact, Dave in Tulsa says it well: Donnie and Cuban have shown remarkable stubborness in sticking to the old game plan even in the face of insurmountable evidence that the plan has failed. That’s why Dallas is on the verge of yet another ignomious playoff exit, with an aging, unathletic team that has no first round picks for a while. But Cuban will no doubt tell us it’s the referees’ fault. Dave, they do have a first rounder this year, by the way. Hello, Ty Lawson!

* I thought the Birdman was going to try to assault Bennett Salvatore in the 3rd Quarter. I am sure Dallas fans would have come to the rescue, right?

* One thing that made me smile on Saturday was seeing a person I never get enough of at the game. He is The amazing Jimmy Goldstein . I have been following his appearances for years since running into him in Arco Arena back in 2002 and wondering why Tom Petty is at the Mavs-Kings game. Since then, I have seen him on tv and in person at dozens and dozens of playoff games in his trademark snake skin and wonder what makes him tick. Basically, he attends games every night during the playoffs all over the league and never seems to run out of steam or money. He claims to not have a favorite team but rather he just enjoys the sport. So, he finds his way to the front row of games in every city and into press conferences, too. And everyone in the NBA loves him and gives him full access. Crazy.

* This is where I am supposed to point out that no team in the history of the National Basketball Association has ever come back to win a series when falling behind 3 games to 0. So, the odds are not really good that it starts here. On the other hand, you can likely get a prop bet in Vegas that could make you pretty rich if it hits. Just don’t quit that day job, yet.

* The NBA has admitted it made a mistake on the foul that wasn’t called when Antoine Wright slashed Carmelo Anthony on purpose. So, I am not sure what that means, but you got your apology, Mavs. Perhaps the coffee will be cheaper in the morning?

* Fight or Fold? As Wayne in Cedar Hill writes: So now do the Mavs come out in Game 4 the same way with the same energy and try to fight back and make it a series again. After all, the Mavs know first hand that it can be done, courtesy of the Blazers in 2003. Or do the Mavs simply fold up shop and go away quietly, and what will that indicate about the heart and passion of this team? Which of these two scenarios is preferred by the fans and media, fight to the end, or just end the misery and get it over with, since we know they’re merely pretenders and not contenders this year anyway? Most importantly, what happens in the offseason? I say we fight. I don’t want those knuckleheads celebrating on the Dallas court. And don’t you think the guys want to go to Denver again?

This one is another in the long list of numbing, painful playoff losses. Will the basketball gods ever forgive the Laura Miller curse?

I am starting to wonder.

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