PLAYOFF WCF GAME 1: DAL (0-1) @ GSW (1-0) | 112-87 loss

[SwisherPrice]

Just too tough to beat the Warriors in the playoffs. Only two teams have done it in the Kerr Era and one was with a great Cavs team and the other was when Klay got hurt in the Finals against the Raptors. You can argue that this is the deepest team they've had during their run.

[Chicagojk]

Got to give them credit, the Warriors defense has been excellent tonight.

And on offense they are attacking the rim and getting very little resistance from the Mavs.   

Just the much better team tonight.

[ThisIStheYear]

Luka looks demotivated and slow tonight, right from the top. He’ll need to set the tone in Game 2.

[Chicagojk]

Glad Josh is getting a little run.  He probably isn't ready yet, but we may need him in this series.   May be a better option than Frank in this series.   Maybe some hustle plays.   May be too big of a stage for him though.

[VintagePejav2]

This will be a Warriors sweep.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Blowout. GS has 7 players in double figures.

[cow]

Pretty big clunker.  I didn't mind our first half but the Dubs kept us close with poor free throw and 3PT shooting. 2nd half was bad.

[Chicagojk]

Mavs just looked a little tired tonight all game.   Game 7 was such an emotional win that I guess you can understand why.  Friday night will be interesting to see how the Mavs respond.   Warriors never felt threatened by the Mavs tonight....Mavs gave them not reason to do so.

[Jym]

Luka really was demoralized and out of it in that 3rd quarter when those threes didn't go in early
Woulda been big shots but I hate how deflated he can get in those moments. Like sure probably out of reach but you never know.

[BolsDamols]

Just one game, cannot get discouraged.  Let Kidd and the coaching staff figure out the adjustments.
Luka grabbing that right shoulder hopefully is not something to worry about the rest of the series.

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/statu...7048396805

[dirkfansince1998]

Back to the drawing board. Outplayed and outcoached. But it was the same against the Suns. Mavs looked hopeless in the first two games. Made adjustments and turned things around. Warriors are  a different animal but they aren´t unbeatable.

[SwisherPrice]

With the Suns, they had a lot of talent but outside of CP3 and Crowder, the rest of their rotation really only had one year of playoff experience. Compare to the Warriors and almost everyone except Poole are veterans with lots of playoff experience. Plus the coaching. It's going to be tough

[MrGoat]

When you're a live by the 3 die by the 3 team it can be ugly when you're cold.

What was Kidd doing leaving Luka in that game so long. That was a chance to give him some rest

[Jommybone]

Nah. When the refs let em hack arms when Luka drives and knock Jalen to the floor, we don’t have a chance. Game 2 we will have a chance. Game 3 we’ll get the help. Game 4 will decide the series.

[SleepingHero]

Incredibly tough game. 

Some thoughts:

Warriors made a lot of tough shots. It felt like every heavily contested midrange shot fell and it's super demoralizing.

Mavs have to close out possessions. So many times they got a miss but the Warriors just got the rebound and an open 3.

Mavs have to figure out a way to stop the cuts. Warriors sliced them up and got several open dunks.

Shooting was rough. Had basically zero paint penetration and the ball stopped with either Brunson/Luka/Dinwiddie all taking their turns to take a step back three. Only Brunson was able to get in the lane consistently and even then it felt like nothing.

Turnovers hurt when you already can't score. Luka has to be more mindful but I think he let his emotions get the better of him this game.

Powell is again useless. Looney overpowered him more than Gobert+Ayton ever did and that's saying something. Kidd using him as a warm body for 4 minutes to pace Maxi's minutes doesn't make sense to me and there has to be a another option.

Mavs didn't attack Curry as much as I thought they would have. Even Van Gundy made a comment on it. And when a Van Gundy makes an intelligent point during live commentary it's such a blatant obvious thing. 

Mavs also didn't make Green beat them. An adjustment I'd make is stop blitzing Curry after every screen and instead go with a hard hedge or just switch. Warriors by now know how to beat a Curry double in their sleep. Getting Draymond the ball in a 4 on 3 scenario is exactly what they want. I'd try to do something that they wouldn't expect. Double Wiggins and Draymond every time they get the ball on the perimeter. Get them out of their comfort zone. 

Finally it's obvious the Warriors are trying to speed the game up as much as possible. They thrive on chaos. Quite literally the opposite of the Suns, and to some extent the Jazz. Mavs I felt started to play the Warriors game pushing the tempo. Perhaps it's a carryover habit from the Suns series. I'd try to slow the game down as much as possible. 24 second shot clocks every time down. Make it a slug fest.

[JamesConway912]

What a weird game, can't say why but to me the Warriors felt much more human than the Suns did at the beginning of the series. We just went icecold from three yet somehow still managed to keep it close for quite a while.

Luka looked like a shadow of himself all night. They really found a way to impact him in the post though with timely double teams right when he began to turn. Looney also really pressured him on the perimeter early on, Luka got by him seminglessly but they really made it difficult once again there too when he got into the paint.

[burekemde]

What a weird game, can't say why but to me the Warriors felt much more human than the Suns did at the beginning of the series. We just went icecold from three yet somehow still managed to keep it close for quite a while.

Luka looked like a shadow of himself all night. They really found a way to impact him in the post though with timely double teams right when he began to turn. Looney also really pressured him on the perimeter early on, Luka got by him seminglessly but they really made it difficult once again there too when he got into the paint.

He was doubled in the paint all game long. This was possible as we did not hit the early open shots from 3, where they doubled Luka and he passed it out when he saw the double team.

Once the shots fall from 3, GSW will not be able to double in the paint.

THis is the strategy from GSW: double the paint, let the perimeter open. Let other guys than Luka beat you.

It worked in game 1. But will not work every time, that's for sure.

[Jommybone]

He was doubled in the paint all game long. This was possible as we did not hit the early open shots from 3, where they doubled Luka and he passed it out when he saw the double team.

Once the shots fall from 3, GSW will not be able to double in the paint.

THis is the strategy from GSW: double the paint, let the perimeter open. Let other guys than Luka beat you.

It worked in game 1. But will not work every time, that's for sure.

Second half Luka couldn’t even pass out of the double teams. They were draped all over his arms when he tried to pass. Just like 3rd Q of game 5 at Phoenix. Just like Dirk at Golden State in 07. We’re about to see how much smarter Jason Kidd is than Avery Johnson.

[vfromlmf]

Game 1 thoughts

Mavs got plenty of open threes in the first half but they didn't go in. On a good shooting night they might have scored 70 by halftime. 

Something to watch though ... they were not the same open threes this team is used to getting. Dallas seemingly got very little penetration but were able to generate looks by passing it around the perimeter. Guys were open, but not in the same rhythm. 

Lack of rhythm threes off penetration often plagued this team early in the year too. The spacing was different and the guards weren't getting into the paint because KP was in the way, but the result was the same. Good three point shooters like Bullock, DFS and THJ often looked discombobulated until KP was traded and they started getting different open threes.

Case in point, Dorian got six shots but only one of his shots --his only make.

Brunson took five threes and could've tried a lot more. Those are shots the Warriors want him to take. They're open threes, but it's not Brunson's game to take 10 threes, and they're not the type of open threes this team is used to getting. They have to get in the paint and put the Warriors in the blender.

I made the point in another thread but Dallas needs to win the +/- game when Looney is on the floor and ultimately force the Warriors to play small. This whole thing works because the Mavs force big dominant guys off the floor or win big when they play. 

Mavs are the bigger and more physical team when the Warriors play small and the Warriors have a big advantage with Looney and Draymond on the floor. But, Dallas got whupped on the glass by the Warriors' guards and wings. That has to change.

This was an emotional letdown game. The Mavs looked stuck in the mud in the second half. Definitely a step slow. This could be because of the emotional Game 7 win, or frustration at shots not falling, or simply bad luck of the bounce. Who expected Curry to lead the Warriors with 12 rebounds? 

Warrior's offense is dizzying and Mavs defense looked like they just rode the Tilt-A-Whirl. Mavs switching scheme should muck up a motion offense but the defense was a mess.

Green could reemerge as a factor with his speed. Warriors beat the Mavs in transition way too often. 

Dorian may also need to lay off crashing the offensive glass on every attempt. He got some, but again, transition defense was poor. DFS looked out of sorts.

Luka needs to get Wiggins in early foul trouble. That may be easier at home.