What a night

I have to hand it to them, they never gave up. Even after the Mavericks jumped out to a 19 point lead and shot something like 89% on their first 23 shots, there was no quit in this group. They simply refused to give up. They stuck to the game plan. They fed off the energy of the crowd. They kept getting Duncan to the free throw line.

I'm talking about the refs, of course.

In a classic performance by the NBA refs, the San Antonio Spurs nearly advanced to the Western Conference Finals despite being completely outplayed by the Mavericks. Fortunately for fans everyone (except in San Antonio), Dallas found a way to prevail despite a huge foul disparity, a late run by the Spurs, and a three-point deficit with 30 seconds to go in a hostile environment. Dirk Nowitzki took his game to the crazy next level with 37 and 15 and big play after big play. Jason Terry avenged his suspension with a huge night. And Avery Johnson continues his meteoric rise in the coaching ranks by outdueling (more like crushing) his mentor in a series for the ages.

And even though I complain about, well, the Spus constant complaining, give them credit. They are like the zombies or the Curtis "50 Cent" Jacksons of the NBA - they just don't die. Between Manu's relentless attack and Duncan's ability to "draw" fouls, San Antonio is never out of a game. However, this time they were up against a team that was just a little bit better, so hats off to the Mavericks. And if you are a Spurs fan and hate me for this blog, too bad. I am sick of the Spurs and their constant whining and a Detroit-San Antonio final would have sucked the joy right out of me.

(By the way, I know Duncan was probably fouled with one second to go, but the refs never call that. Ever. Dirk was hacked at the end of Game Five on a similar play when he tried to tip in Terry's airball. It is a free-for-all when there are less than two seconds left and the ball is bouncing around under the rim. So let's all pipe down on that one.)

Alright, now bring on Mavs-Suns and Heat-Pistons. If I'm not mistaken, those were the two most entertaining series in LAST year's postseason. Good times.