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| Big "D"isrespect |
The Dallas "Big D" Mavericks were in town last night to play the Boston Celtics and, oh, what Big "D"rama! The Mavs were without their Big "D"irk (Nowitzki, out with a sore post-surgical knee), and at first, it looked like the Celtics Big "D"efense was going to lead to Big "D"ominance as the C's ran up a 14-point lead into the early part of the third quarter before the Big "D"ownturn in defensive execution due to Big "D"isinterest on the part of the C's, which led to a Big "D"ip in their production allowing a Big "D"esperate Mavericks team to finally buckle down and begin to take advantage of the Big "D"oldrums, cutting into the Big "D"eficit until it became a Big "D"raw at 92-all.
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| Big "D"efense |
Initially, the C's defensive gameplan was to treat O.J. Mayo like a Big "D"eal and work the Big "D"enial of the ball routine, which seemed to work, but that allowed Big "D"ahntay Jones to have a Big "D"ay, scoring 12 on 5-10 shooting. Unfortunately, the C's Big "D"elicatessen plan to "Hold The Mayo" began to unravel as he found his range and became Big "D"ialed in, ending up with 24 points on 10-19 shooting. The two Dallas point guards, (little "D"s Darren Collison and Derek Fisher) who were previously embroiled in a "who's the starter" controversy, managed to put that Big "D"istraction to the side and totaled 30 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds between them, helping to ensure a Big "D"ate with a Big "D"ouble overtime game.
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| Big "D"rive |
Throughout the game, there were Big "D"'oh moments from Jeff Green and Jason Terry who both missed on bunnies down the stretch and Dallas' Shawn Marion (who was otherwise all-around spectacular for the Mavs with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists) became the Big "D"underhead by attempting to make a blind behind-the-back pass to Collison who was trailing him at a critical juncture. Instead, the ball bounced off of Collison's face (no doubt causing a Big "D"ent) and out of bounds.
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| Big "D"raw |
It was, in fact, these kinds of forced and unforced Big "D"iscombobulated dumpoffs from the Mavericks players that ultimately did them in. By game's end, the Mavs had turned the ball over 28 times compared to the Celtics' 13, a Big "D"isadvantage for a visiting team trying to climb back into the game. A Big "D"-List performance by the referees didn't help anyone as they tried to pull a Big "D"ismantle of any momentum to the game with a few Big "D"erelection-of-duty calls and no-calls (some would call them Big "D"ogsh*t calls but, hey, it WAS Joey Crawford's Crew, so...Big "D"uh! I suppose that's why Mavericks owner Mark Cuban looked like a Big "D"**k yelling at the refs, but I digress...)
Despite a Big "D"rained 3-pointer by Vince (the original something-sanity) Carter, the C's administered a fatally Big "D"ose of Paul Pierce (in Truth-mode, scoring 34 points, grabbing 6 boards and 4 steals, and handing out 3 assists with 1 block), Kevin Garnett (in Big-Ticket-mode 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block), and Rajon Rondo (in Maestro-mode and once again barely missing a triple-double with 16 points, 15 assists, 9 boards, 3 steals and 1 block). Also showing Big "D"etermination were Chris Wilcox (10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block), Brandon Bass (9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals), and Green with 15 points, 5 boards and one
Big "D"unk.
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| Big "D"ominance: 23,000th career point scored |
Rondo was simply brilliant all night, whether it was delivering one Big "D"ime after another, tenaciously guarding O.J. Mayo down the stretch, getting a Big "D"rive at a critical juncture as he did with .28 seconds left in the game, followed by a Big "D"efensive rebound -- Rondo, along with his mates, came through with the Big "D"eliverance, handing Dallas a Big "D"isappointment and all of the Boston GreenHeadz a Big "D"elight of a win, even though they likely caused a Big "D"rain on all of our energies and productivity at work for today, thanks to the game's late ending.
And, speaking of the game's extended timeline, I apologize for presenting this post with a Big "D"elay -- person's gotta rest...
Here are the Big "D"etails: Box Score & Tale Of The Tape.
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