As you can tell by most of our blog entries for the day, we are focused on the Mavericks. I don't want to pile on to the what everyone else has said, but is there really anything else to discuss?

First, after going through a TON of interviews(Saturday night postgame, Sunday interviews), I get a different feeling about this Mavs team than years past. Joe Trahan touched on the pressure points from game 1 and how the Mavs responded here. All four points Joe made are very valid and show signs from this team we haven't seen since the 2006 western conference semi-finals/conference finals vs San Antonio and Phoenix.

There is a quiet confidence about this Mavericks team. Jason Terry is the leader of that confidence and he showed it before the series started by saying, "...we'll see if the Dallas Mavericks are who you want to play." After game one, the Spurs might be thinking the same thing.

I think the Spurs are going to come out and throw the first "series of punches" at the start of the 1st and 3rd quarters and the test for Dallas will be to withstand that first blow. If the Mavs can do that, they have a very good chance of coming out of San Antonio up 2-0.

Also, with the Spurs new found emphasis on Barea, Bass and Howard, this means more looks for Jet and Dirk. Barea might not get 13 again and Howard may not get 25, but Dirk and Terry will score more than 31 combined points tonight.

Stats to keep an eye on:
1. San Antonio's 3-pt % - they went 11/14 in game 1 and lost...I don't see another 11/14 coming
2. Dallas 2nd chance points - 21 in game 1. Extra possesions are critical in playoff basketball, and the Mavs have to take advantage
3. Free throws - after combining for only 29 free throws in Game 1, expect to see both teams(esp S.A.) attack the basket more and try and get Dampier in foul trouble
4. Josh Howard - ok, he isn't really a stat - but 25 points in 29 minutes...and he got to rest the ankle in the 4th quarter. If he is anywhere close to that production in those minutes while complimenting Dirk and Jet, the Mavs, are scary, yes i said SCARY, good.
And let's face it, no one on the Spurs (not Finley, Bowen, Udoka) can guard Howard 1 on 1.
5. the +/- factor - With J.J Barea in the game Saturday the Mavs were a +20. When Michael Finley was on the floor for San Antonio, the Spurs were a -20...let's see if that trend continues

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