2024 Playoffs- 2nd Round: Oklahoma City Thunder - Dallas Mavericks- MAVS WIN 4-2!

[surfpuckmd]

@Grantafseth
Kyrie Irving on defending a player like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander without fouling:

"I'm going to show my respect and say that he's a great player. But tonight, in the first half, there wasn't really a rhythm for a lot of players out there. It was a lot of slow down, watching free throws being taken, and adjusting to the way the game was being called. It felt like a regular season game tonight, in my perspective.

I don't speak for anyone else, but I think it was like a regular season game because we came off a very physical series against the LA Clippers, then we had some fouls called, and some of them may have been fouls or a majority of them. But as a competitor, you want the flow of the game to feel like the playoffs, with high physicality. It just feels better.

It's all about adjustments. It's about continuing to stay positive through some of the runs they make and being mature about who we're going against - a good team that's shown it all year. They have a starting five with a plus-minus through the roof and one of the top defenses. So, we'll give them credit, but we have to come into game two ready and prepared."

The 2nd quarter was clearly not called fairly and the Mavs need to try to determine why there is such a discrepancy.  It's not like Oklahoma City is a large market who will help playoff ratings if they advance.  They aren't the Lakers or Warriors.  The NBA doesn't have a financial incentive to push the Thunder to the next round.  

I think there's some lingering resentment against Mark Cuban among NBA referees.  He spent years publicly criticizing their competence publicly.  I don't recall another NBA owner publicly criticizing the NBA officials.  He did it repeatedly.  He is no longer the majority owner of the franchise.  Please get him into a suite and off the side of the court.  

Also, Jason Kidd needs to talk more with the officials and ask for explanations and state his case.  The 2nd quarter officiating was obscene and cost the Mavericks at least 6 points.  I thought the rest of the game was fairer but the 2nd quarter was not.  We need a coach who will communicate his perspective if not periodically protest. 

We would have lost this game even with more even officiating but the 2nd quarter was frustrating to watch and must have been exasperating for the players.