NBA Playoff 2008 新奧爾良黃蜂 VS 達拉斯小牛 (Game2) ( 第1節)

Instant message transcript...
[21:45] Peterson: Can we re-open the MVP voting?
I think Rob might want to take back his Kobe endorsement.

This game was a true tale of two halves. But the second half was much more telling than the first. Chris Paul and the Hornets absolutely dominated the Mavs after the break, outscoring them 64-40 in the final 24 minutes.

With his team down 12 at the break and having not made his presence felt in the first half, Paul came out aggressive in the third quarter and carried his team as they ran right past the Mavs. With the help of high screens from his big men and a soft Dallas defense, Paul had space to operate, and he used it brilliantly.

On the other end of the floor, the Mavs were out of sorts after the first quarter. They were able to make up for it with second-chance points in the second, but the Hornets took better care of the boards after the break, and they were just more active defensively.

Looking forward, the Mavs need two things. First, they need to find a way to contain Chris Paul. Second, they need somebody other than Dirk Nowitzki to step up offensively. Josh Howard had 17 points tonight, but he was 4-for-16 from the floor. Jason Terry had a huge game in the regular season finale, but he combined with Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George to shoot 6-for-23.

It's just one game, but it was one heck of a statement from Chris Paul and the Hornets. They take a 1-0 series lead, with Game 2 Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET, TNT).


Final: Hornets 104, Mavs 92

This was CP3's night.
Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images

The Mavs scored just twice on their first 13 possessions of the fourth quarter. It was a 15-4 run for the Hornets to start the period and that put 'em away right there.

Our blogger had three offensive boards in the quarter, and seven total.

After shooting 10-for-21 (.476) in the first quarter, the Mavs shot 16-for-57 (.281) the rest of the way. That's pretty bad.

The Hornets had just eight turnovers for the game.

Jason Kidd finished just one rebound and one assist away from a triple-double, but his presence just wasn't felt enough. Trying to guard Paul probably takes a lot out of him.

Obviously, Chris Paul was brilliant, finishing with 35 points on 15-of-23, and 10 dimes. He had 24 points and seven assists in the second half.

More thoughts to come...


End of Third Quarter: Hornets 76, Mavs 72
Did I say that the Hornets needed more from Chris Paul? Well, they got it. CP had 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and five dimes in the third. He was aggressive from the start, scoring on three straight possessions after Tyson Chandler got blocked on the first of the quarter. The Mavs were sagging off, and he made them pay with pull-ups and little runners in the lane.

The Hornets were much more active defensively. Dallas shot 4-for-17 in the quarter and had five turnovers.

The best play was probably Bonzi Wells stealing a pass and then finding Paul heading toward the other end for an and-one.

David West has also found his rhythm. After starting out 1-for-8, he has shot 6-for-7.

The Hornets scored on 12 of their last 14 possessions of the quarter.


Halftime: Mavs 52, Hornets 40
Much slower pace in the second period. Each team had just 19 possessions, but part of that was due to a bunch of offensive rebounds, which extend possessions. There were 13 offensive boards in that quarter.

Chris Paul sat out the first 6:23 of the second period.

Highlight of the half: New Orleans doubles JH on the left side. The ball is swung to Brandon Bass, who drives from the right wing and throws down a monster two-handed jam, with his head at rim-level.

The Mavs went to Bass in the post on two straight possessions, and it paid off both times. He hit a turnaround on the first and got fouled on a baseline drive on the second.

The Hornets went to Bonzi Wells in the post quite a bit, with mixed results.

The Hornets were in the penalty at the 5:37 mark. Dallas is being more aggressive. They've taken 19 free throws. The Hornets have taken seven.

New Orleans needs more from Chris Paul. He's got 11 points and three assists at the break. The Mavs have sagged off him, and he hasn't been able to get into the paint that much. But he did have two straight scores in the lane to end the half.

Each team is 2-for-11 from downtown.

Dirk is a +16.


End of First Quarter: Mavs 26, Hornets 19

Dirk had 11 points in the first quarter.
Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images
Pretty quick pace. Each team had 27 possessions.

Dirk started out hot. He didn't let the double-team come to him, either shooting off one dribble up at the elbow, or turning baseline in the post.

David West started out cold. He missed his first five shots (mostly off isos or pick-and-pops). He's 1-for-7.

West's teammates aren't much better. The Hornets are shooting 9-for-27 (.333).

New Orleans had a stretch of 10 possessions where they scored just once. They then finished the period with three straight scores.

Dallas scored on seven of their last 10 possessions. They would have a bigger lead, but they turned the ball over five times in the period.


Pregame:
We've had a pretty good Wizards-Cavs game and an instant classic in San Antonio to start playoff action today. I expect this one to be tightly contested as well.

I think the thing to look for early on is how each team chooses to defend the other team's best player. That could affect everything else on the floor.

Do the Mavs try to take the ball out of Chris Paul's hands, like they did on Wednesday? Do they trap him in the backcourt? Do they bring the big man up to contain on the high screen-and-roll?

Do the Hornets double Dirk, or let David West (and Tyson Chandler at times) defend him one-on-one?

-- Last edited by John Schuhmann at 04/19/2008 11:03 PM