Warriors win Game 6, Mavericks eliminated in first round of playoffs
By InsideHoops.com | May 3, 2007
The Golden State Warriors have pulled off the greatest upset in the history of the NBA Playoffs beating the Dallas Mavericks 111-86 in Game 6 of the first round. Stephen Jackson scored 33 points and Baron Davis, Matt Barnes and Andris Biedrins all had double-doubles. Dirk Nowitzki scored just 8 in the loss.
The Mavericks, with an NBA-best 67-15 regular season record, were the 1-seed in the West while the 8-seed Warriors had a regular season record of 42-40.
Jackson (10-of-19) nailed 7-of-8 from 3-point range, finishing with 33 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Davis (7-of-17), playing with a strained hamstring, had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Matt Barnes (5-of-12) delivered 16 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Jason Richardson (6-of-13) had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. And Andris Biedrins (4-of-6) contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Jackson knew he had to step up for Davis, who was hurting. "He told me mid-second quarter that his knee was bothering him and he couldn't really move," said Jackson.
Nowitzki was awful in the series and this was his worst game. He shot just 2-of-13, finishing with 8 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 turnovers.
Dirk didn't get good shots, and did little to create anything. "The five or six open looks that he got, they just didn't fall," said Mavericks coach Avery Johnson.
Nowitzki was openly disappointed after the game: "Just obviously very frustrating. Didn't really give my team anything, in a deciding game like that. It's tough."
"You play your heart out for six, seven months. You win 67 games. It really means nothing at this point."
Also for Dallas, Josh Howard (8-of-19) had 20 points and 6 rebounds. Jerry Stackhouse (7-of-15) also scored 20, plus 4 rebounds. Jason Terry (6-of-14) only delivered 13 points, 4 assists and 5 turnovers. Devin Harris (5-of-11) put up 13 points and 9 assists.
At halftime it was 50-48 Warriors. A competitive game. Golden State blew the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Dallas 36-15. They never looked back.
"This is probably the toughest situation I've been involved in, in my 19 years," said Avery Johnson.
"We just didn't have the energy. We just didn't have the concentration. And more than anything, what bothers me more than anything, we just didn't have the confidence."
The Warriors simply wanted it more. They scrambled non-stop, swarming defensively and constantly moving and creating passing lanes on offense. The Mavericks looked flat-footed on both ends of the floor.
"We knew we had to lay it all on the line tonight, and we did," said Davis.
For the game, Golden State shot 46.8%; the Mavs just 37.6%. The Warriors also rocked from 3-point range, nailing 14-of-30, while the Mavs hit 12-of-37.
Free throws told the tale. Golden State, running around like maniacs, got to the line 30 times, hitting 23. The Mavs attempted a mere 13 free throws, making 10.
The rebound totals also paint a correct picture. The Warriors won the battle of the boards 53-38.
As a team Dallas had just 4 steals and 2 blocks.
The Warriors move on to face the winner of the Utah Jazz - Houston Rockets series, which is currently tied 3-3.
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