What does this loss do to Dallas emotionally?

I think it crushes them. They can't ever believe any lead is safe now.

 

This was way better than my suggested blow out. How can a fucking team choke a 23 point lead on the road and lose? Now you see Roy be Roy of old? Bad plane ride home.

 

crushed

 

they'll be fine... they played prevent D milking the clock which is prudent but easy on the ego (IMO) as they'll rationalize the loss as a matter of their tactics

tough 3 game series ahead. Still have to beat them at home

STOMP

 

The collective group thought of the Mavs- "Here we go again"

 

Historically, the Blazers come out flat after a big win. And I think good teams tend to bounce back strong from big losses. But giving up huge leads can also demoralize a team and send them into a tailspin. I'm not too worried about the Mavs, I just hope the Blazers can come out sharp.

 

Interestingly, Kidd was on the Nets team that blew the 25 point 4th quarter lead in Boston back in 2002 but the Nets came back to win the series.

 

I think they will be fine. Team of vets, they will adjust.

 

I think it all but crushes them. That being said, if they win game 5 it might mean nothing in the long run

 

http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/04/sturms-morning-after-game-4---portland-8-1.html

 

Game five is crucial... if we can win, I think it's over. The key is to come out strong and step on their necks early and never let up.

 

As much as you would think this crushes them

There's really no reason for them not to think that they're the better team. At the same time, though, they've always been a mentally fragile team.

Game 5 will be the toughest game yet, imo.

 

I don't know man... When the Blazers lost two close games that they probably should have won to the Spurs in the WCF back in 1999, they pretty much came back to Portland and gave up. I've seen it happen before, but that doesn't mean it will happen to the Mavs. The one thing we have on our side is that this team has been crushed in the first round by an underdog before, and they've blown a 2 game lead as well. That doubt could easily start creeping up into their heads, so all the Blazers need to do is come out strong in game 5 and it might break them entirely.

 

All we need is one run on them and we could make that rim so much tighter. This is the problem with jump shooting teams. The more the mental aspect of the game comes to play, the harder it is to make a shot. Good shooting requires a lot of concentration. Only a very few players can actually be pure or clutch when times are tough: Dirk, Reggie Miller, Jordan, Kobe, etc. But even Jordan and Kobe figured out that a championship requires points in the paint.

 

Unfortunately, I think this will make them mad and motivated. I'll admit, I'm worried about game 5.

 

Who scored in the paint for Chicago? Luc Longley? Dennis Rodman?

 

Jordan and Pippen. They cut to the basket.

 

Unfortunately I don't see the Blazers as a team that's good a sticking a dagger in a team. They let you hang around and give you plenty of hope.

The Mavericks probably think they're the better team and honestly they're probably right. If they really believe it that helps their confidence tremendously. Yeah, they took a terrible loss. In the end the series is still tied 2-2 and they have HCA. I'm sure they realize they're still in good position.

It'll be interesting to watch, though. They're the best at choking.

 

I think you're overestimating their mental fortitude. Every Dallas forum is talking about the ghosts of playoffs past, and how they have wilted under pressure.

The common factor that the posters there all mentioned that did them in: a ball-dominating perimeter player that tore their defenses apart. Parker, Manu Baron, Wade, Paul, Melo, etc.

Getting Roy back on track was huge. I think if we take a nice lead early in the game, we have this in the bag.

 

I think it all remains to be seen. If the Blazers were a better executing team on offense or were more ironclad in the PnR defense -- and if the NBA didn't have this nasty habit of officiating games as if Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant were competing in them -- then I'd be more inclined to think that we just delivered a coup de grace yesterday, but at best I think we just tilted the series a bit our way.

It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out in a best of three series where Dallas (potentially) has two at home.