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Three's a charm Spurs must avoid blown leads to come out on topPosted: Friday May 23, 2003 12:13 PMUpdated: Friday May 23, 2003 12:31 PM
The all-Texas showdown in the Western Conference finals shifts from San Antonio to Dallas on Friday with the series tied 1-1. SI.com spoke with senior writer Jack McCallum to get his thoughts on the first two contests and the critical Game 3. SI.com: We can't talk about the Dallas-San Antonio series without mentioning the referees. We saw 98 free-throw attempts in Game 1 and a slew of technical fouls in Game 2. What role have the officials played thus far? McCallum: It's funny because if you asked me to name two of the best refs in the NBA, I would say Bennett Salvatore (the major zebra in Game 1) and Joey Crawford (the major zebra in Game 2). The Spurs thought the Mavs got a break in the series opener, when Dallas shot 50 free throws. The Mavs thought Crawford & Co. did a 48-minute makeup in Game 2. So everything should be even now. One of the things a veteran ref likes to do in a heated game is establish a tone early by calling touch fouls in an effort to cut down on a lot of contact. I thought Crawford was doing that in Game 2, and some of the calls would not have been fouls in normal situations. My guess is, the reffing will not be as big a factor in subsequent games, and each club should just focus on playing. SI.com: Do you think Dallas did enough by winning one game in San Antonio? Does that road victory give the Mavs an edge in the series? McCallum: I still think the Spurs have an advantage for two reasons: They are the better team overall, and they have the best player in Tim Duncan. However -- and this also refers to the next question -- San Antonio's biggest psychological problem is not losing a game at home; it's losing leads, which the Spurs have done throughout the playoffs. Coach Gregg Popovich will have to deal with that, but I'm not sure he has complete confidence in any of his ball-handlers in pressure situations. Can Duncan play point guard, too? SI.com: As you mentioned, the Spurs have blown several leads throughout the playoffs, but they held off the Mavs in Game 2. How big was that for San Antonio's psyche? McCallum: Trust me -- it was big, especially since the Mavs are capable of quickly putting a lot of points on the board. SI.com: What happened to Nick Van Exel in the first two games of this series? Can Dallas advance if he doesn't regain his form from the two previous rounds? McCallum: Explaining Van Exel's struggles is easy -- I wrote about the point guard in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated and therefore jinxed him. But seriously -- Van Exel hit every shot he threw up in the first two series; now he's coming back to earth. I look for him to have a big Game 3 on Friday night. His participation is a major factor for Dallas. SI.com: Tim Duncan has been dominating all year, but what about the level he's playing on right now? Does he deserve all the credit, or do the Mavs just not have the personnel to stop -- or even slow down -- Duncan? McCallum: Duncan has been great throughout the playoffs, but he's obviously better against a soft-center team like the Mavs. The only opponent I saw give Duncan trouble in the playoffs was Shaq because of his size, but Duncan took O'Neal outside. If the Spurs get by Dallas to face the New Jersey Nets -- who, with a 3-0 lead, look good to make it to the NBA Finals -- it will be interesting to see if Kenyon Martin can slow Duncan down. I don't think he can. SI.com: Granted, Dallas' defense is nothing to write home about, but are you surprised that San Antonio has had no trouble scoring points? McCallum: No. Dallas stinks defensively. Its major concern is taking the ball out of bounds and getting a break going, even after a made basket. SI.com: How big is Game 3? Would you say the winner of that contest should win the series? McCallum: Game 3 is always big. It's bigger for San Antonio, I think. If the Spurs lose this game -- particularly if they blow a lead -- the psychological demons are going to take hold. Sports Illustrated senior writer Jack McCallum covers the NBA for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.
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