Mavs vs. Nuggets Preview

 

The key for the Mavs will be their bench once again.  If the series against the Spurs proved one thing is that Dallas' role-players are ready to step up when Dirk and Terry are not able to score.

 

"The game's going to dictate how many touches he gets, but he's going to get an opportunity to score between 20 and 40 points, depending on how well he's playing," Denver Coach George Karl said of Nowitzki.

 

"If we keep him under 20, we're going to do a special job. If we keep him between 20 and 25, we're going to live. And anything above that is going to have to be an adjustment, probably, in the game to say, 'Hey, we've got to do something.'"

 

It seems Spurs Coach Popovich thought the same thing and his team was successful at containing Dirk, but they could not match the energy Barea, Bass and Hollins, yes, Hollins, brought to the team.  The results speaks louder than words. 

 

The Denver media is reporting that Kenyon Martin will be guarding Nowitzki.   That will be a tough match-up as Martin is very physical.  That being said, Dirk has grown as a player this year and knows how to find teammates that can take part of the load.

 

"They play hard, and sometimes on the edge," Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki said. "But, hey, this is the playoffs. . . . They've got some guys who like to talk and play physical."

 

The played the Nuggets four times this season and they are 0-4 in those games.  That certainly does not look good, but keep in mind that three of the four games were decided by three points or less.  Add to that the fact that Josh Howard did not play in two of those games and in one of the ones he played in, he was hurt.

 

The bench has been among the Nuggets' strengths, but Dallas can more than match it. Led by NBA sixth man of the year Terry (19.6 points per game), the Mavericks' 37.9 points per game off the bench led the league. Dallas' reserves averaged 31.4 in the series against the Spurs.

 

"The bench has to be a factor, like it was in San Antonio, just because you know they're going to try to take our key guys out of it," Terry said. "So the bench has to be consistent."

 

I think the Mavs bench will come through and Carlisle knows how to use them.  The Mavs will take this series in 6 games.