<div align="center"> <font color=""blue"">The Dallas Mavericks (37-10)</font> vs. <font color="purple">The Los Angeles Lakers (24-23)</font> Tuesday, February 7th, 2006 American Airlines Arena, Dallas, Texas 5:30 Pacific; Local </div> [div=50%] <font size="3">Projected Starters</font> <div align="center"><font color="blue"> <font size="1">(J. Terry, J. Stackhouse, J. Howard, D. Nowitzki, D. Diop)</font></font></div> <font size="1">Leading Scorer: Dirk Nowitzki - 25.4 Leading Rebounder: Dirk Nowitzki - 8.5 Assist Man: Jason Terry - 3.7 The Bench Man: Devin Harris (10.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.2 APG)</font> <font size="3">Backcourt</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jason_terry.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Jason Terry</font> PPG: 16.6, RPG: 1.8, APG: 3.7 The Dallas Maverick point guard is having a quiet, yet stellar season. He's helping this team to one of the best records in the league. He has Smush Parker against him in this game, and it shouldn't be a difficult task. He's very capable of having a huge game against the Lakers, who have been struggling. Expect more than just two rebounds, Chris Paul almost got a triple double against us. A statline of about 21, 6, and 6 could be in his eyes.</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jerry_stackhouse.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Jerry Stackhouse</font> PPG: 13.0, RPG: 2.3, APG: 2.7 The man gets to guard Kobe Bryant, the stud who outscored Dallas in 3 quarters, 62-61. Stackhouse, along with the other Mavericks, zing Kobe left and right because he didn't play team ball when he absolutely torched[/b[ them for 62 in 33 minutes. Well, Stackhouse, don't let it happen again. You guys have been trashing his character, so...show that you can stop him.</font> <font size="3">Frontcourt</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/josh_howard.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Josh Howard</font> PPG: 16.0, RPG: 16.9, APG: 2.0 The budding star is having a great year. Things shouldn't change in this game against the Lakers. Lamar Odom is out, so Josh Howard won't have to worry about his length. What Howard will have to worry about is Kobe. Last time these teams meant, Josh tried to take Kobe's head off...Kobe did not forget that one. The Mavericks need to hope that Kobe can't do it all by himself again, or they're in trouble.</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/dirk_nowitzki.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Dirk Nowitzki</font> PPG: 25.4, RPG: 8.5, BPG: 1.06 The German superstar is having the best season of his illustrious career. He's a top 5 MVP candidate, and is leading the Mavericks to a top 3 record in the league. All he has to do this game is pull his defender outside, that simple. He needs to score his points and secure rebounds, and the Mavericks will end up in great shape for the win.</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/desagana_diop.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Desagana Diop</font> PPG: 2.1, RPG: 4.8, BPG: 1.87 Diop does the dirty work. Close to two blocks a game, he has to control the paint in this game. He won't have a big scoring game, but if he can come up with some big blocks and rebounds, mainly offensive, than the Mavericks won't need much more help from him.</font> [/div] <font size="3">Projected Starters</font> <div align="center"><font color="purple"> <font size="1">(S. Parker, K. Bryant, D. George, B. Cook, K. Brown) </font></font></div> <font size="1">Leading Scorer: Kobe Bryant - 35.7 PPG Leading Rebounder: Lamar Odom - 9.4 RPG Assist Man: Lamar Odom - 5.3 APG The Bench Man: Luke Walton (4.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.6 APG)</font> <font size="3">Backcourt</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/smush_parker.jpg[/imgl]<font color="purple">Smush Parker</font> PPG: 11.5, RPG: 3.1, APG: 3.0 The only thing Smush scored last game was a tooth through his upper lip. In this game, we need Smush to show up. We need him to help Kobe with the scoring load, if not Dallas will torch us all night long.</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/kobe_bryant.jpg[/imgl]<font color="purple">Kobe Bryant</font> PPG: 35.7, RPG: 5.6, APG: 4.3 62 points in 33 mintues last game? Enough said. Dallas will attack him, so Kobe needs to play smart ball, but he also has to be relentless with his attack. He needs to continue to attack the hoop, and pick up fouls against Dallas.</font> <font size="3">Frontcourt</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/devean_george.jpg[/imgl]<font color="purple">Devean George</font> PPG: 6.6, RPG: 3.8, APG: 1.0 Devean is replacing Lamar once again, and he'll probably be doing that until the allstar break. He can't let Josh Howard get hot, and he needs to hit his shots. It's that simple, Devean.</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/brian_cook.jpg[/imgl]<font color="purple">Brian Cook</font> PPG: 6.9, RPG: 3.0, BPG: .4 Cookie gets Dirk. That means, Dirk gets a career game. Cookie needs to hit that nice 18 ft. jumper that he often gets good looks at, and he has to up his defense. He can't let Dirk get free on offense, because he will torch us all night if he does.</font> <font size="1">[imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/kwame_brown.jpg[/imgl]<font color="purple">Kwame Brown</font> PPG: 6.0, RPG: 6.0, BPG: .65 Kwame played hard, but horrible last game. He took a couple of shots to the face, and his groin tightened up. If we can get the same effort of play from him in this game, but more effective production, than Kwame can help the Lakers chances in winning.</font> <font size="3">Keys to the Game</font><ul>[*]<font color="blue">Run</font> - If the Mavericks get out and run, the Lakers will have virtually no shot. L.A. can't keep up with a running team, so Dallas will have all the chances in the world to shut this game out early.[*]<font color="blue">Attack Their Bigs</font> - The Lakers have no bigmen available on the bench outside of Andrew Bynum. If the Mavericks come out and attack Cook and Kwame, get them in foul trouble, the Lakers will have no big bodies available to use. If that's the case, then the Mavericks can attack the paint at will.[*]<font color="blue">Control Kobe</font> - Well, they've been trash talking him ever since he dropped 62 on them, do they not think he has eyes or ears to hear it? You know Kobe's going to come in here and try to dominate the game, something I think he can do, but he can't force it. The Mavericks need to double and triple him everytime he touches the ball, if not, it could be a long night for them.[*]<font color="purple">Cook/Kwame</font> - Brian Cook and Kwame Brown need to come in here and make an impact. Kwame needs to come in here and be effectivly agressive on offense. Cook needs to hit jumpers and do his best to stop Nowitzki.[*]<font color="purple">Control the Tempo</font> - The Lakers can't let the Mavericks run early, if they do it'll be a long night for them. They need to make it a half court game to increase their chances of winning.[*]<font color="purple">What Dey Say?</font> - Kobe's heard what the Mavericks said, and you know he's taken it straight to heart. Kobe needs to fuel himself off of that, and get going early.[/list]<font size="3">Prediction</font> Haha, you don't want my comments. Kobe: 52, Lakers: 40, Mavericks: 108
Great effort on the preview. Let's hope the Lakers can give some effort tonight for all 4 quarters. The Mavericks are going to want to get some revenge and kick the Lakers while they're down. The Lakers are suffering right now with injuries and are getting blown out on their current road trip. I just don't see the Lakers having enough offense to match Dallas tonight. The only chance the Lakers have is playing lockdown defense and getting key Maverick players in foul trouble early. PJax needs to emphasize the importance of defense. A team's offense comes and goes from game to game, that's why defense has to be the core of your success. This young team still doesn't understand this simple concept and you see a complete lapse in defense when their shots aren't falling. Right now they are thinking backwards as professional NBA players. I'll be estatic if the Lakers can hold the Mavericks to under 100 points tonight.
Good Preview i gotta learn how to make those anyone willing to help out, oh yeah the Lakers gotta come out of this slump.
There is no chance of us winning, we lost a sorry game to NOK, and CHA. No way we're winning this one without our 2 starters. No way, unless Dirk gets injured, then we have a chance to win.
I don't see us winning because I see Dirk and Jason whooping on the players guarding them in their repsective positions....but a part of me is always thinking..."Kobe come out and own them and make them cry"....but thats just me...I'm sure all Laker fans have SOME part of themselves thinking that.
Alright Ronny's debut I wonder how minutes he's going to play? Dallas has won like 11 in a row or somehing like that, hopefully we can break that.
nice preview. without odom or mihm, i expect this to be a tough game for us, but like always, i think we will own the mavs. i predict that kobe once again has a great game and guys like smush and kwame, yes kwame, have great games too. i expect the lakers to be emotionally charged for this one thanks to the return of ronny turiaf. lets just hope the lakers win one for him.
i seriously think that it's a 3:1 advantage for dallas. it would take a sensational game from KWame and maybe Turiaf! I really hope mihm would play hahaha! ****! im gonna have to wear my lucky socks for this one hahahaha
I hope Ronny plays! This will be a treat as its the first game thats going to air for me since the Miami game at Staples. I think we have a good chance of winning. We always play well against the Mavs, I'm sure they are going to be triple teaming Kobe, like the 76'ers done in the first meeting of the season. The key is we need somebody to step up on offence. I think Brian Cook can be that player, he shoots pretty well and doesn't get enough minutes. I actually think he should be starting ahead of Kwame Brown as power forward. However, saying all this, the Lakers have a curse when playing on UK TV. In the last two seasons, I've managed to see around 14 Laker game's. I've only seen victory 3 times. Twice against the Bulls, and once against the Heat. In fact, I think I've witnessed around 6 blowouts where we have just been beaten bad.
I know it sounds crazy, but I can see the Lakers winning tonight. The line is +500 Lakers, they're big underdogs. I dropped $100 Lakers ML, payout is 500, LET'S GO KOBE!!! I mean, Lakers!!!!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting illmatic:</div><div class="quote_post">I know it sounds crazy, but I can see the Lakers winning tonight. The line is +500 Lakers, they're big underdogs. I dropped $100 Lakers ML, payout is 500, LET'S GO KOBE!!! I mean, Lakers!!!! </div> Drinks on you if hit that payoff bro.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting illmatic:</div><div class="quote_post">I know it sounds crazy, but I can see the Lakers winning tonight. The line is +500 Lakers, they're big underdogs. I dropped $100 Lakers ML, payout is 500, LET'S GO KOBE!!! I mean, Lakers!!!! </div> I feel sorry for you bro.
6 points total as a team with only a minute left in the first, from the score board only kobe and smush took shot attempts
yep. i feel you. i just switched channels to watch my villanova wildcats play. lol. i cant stand to watch this any longer.
