The dream is over. The season is over. The Dallas Mavericks could not become the sixth No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in a playoff series, falling to San Antonio Sunday afternoon 119-96.
Here are my thoughts on the Mavericks' first Game 7 loss since the 1988 Western Conference Finals.
1.) The eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks deserve plenty of praise for extending their first-round series with the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs to seven games. But the deciding seventh game Sunday afternoon looked nothing like the previous six games. The Spurs did whatever they wanted throughout, darting to a 35-23 lead after one quarter and never looking back. After losing 10 consecutive games to San Antonio heading into their playoff matchup, the Mavericks' best case scenario looked to be possibly stealing a game in the series. The Mavs did much more than that, however, Game 7 showed that the Spurs were certainly the better team.
2.) Here's when it all came unraveled: From the start of the second quarter it was evident that San Antonio would not have a problem keeping its foot on the gas pedal, pulling ahead 53-27 with just over seven minutes to play before halftime. At that point, the Spurs were shooting 71 percent from the floor and the big three of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan had combined for 35 points. The only way the Mavericks were going to be able to pull the upset is if those three struggled.
3.) This Mavericks team seems to go as Monta Ellis goes offensively. He was sensational with 29 points in Game 6 as the Mavs extended the series. In Game 7, Ellis made 3 of 11 shots from the floor, finishing with only 12 points. It was a terrible time for him to have his worst game of the series. When Ellis was on the floor, the Mavericks were minus-24. The 28-year-old shooting guard exited with about four minutes remaining. As he sat on the bench shaking his head in disgust, Mavs owner Mark Cuban rubbed Ellis' shoulders in encouragement. It's unlikely that Ellis will get over this game any time soon.
4.) Not many teams advance in the playoffs without playing good defense. The Mavericks' defense was non-existent for long stretches in San Antonio. The Spurs shot over 70 percent in the first half and 56 percent for the game. An eight-seed can't allow a title contender like the Spurs to shoot over 70 percent in a half and expect to win. On the other side, Dallas was held to 41 percent shooting and 36 percent from 3.
5.) How much more does Dirk Nowitzki have left? Nowitzki put up 21 shots on Sunday, making eight and finishing with a team-high 22 points. Dirk, who made 1 of 12 3-point attempts in the series, turns 36 in June. It's difficult picturing him trying to carry a team through many more playoff series. If he has any chance of another long postseason run it will be because the Mavs add another superstar player, or Dirk joins another team. The latter seems highly unlikely.
