NBA Playoffs Game 5 - Golden St. Warriors at Dallas Mavericks (-9½, 206) 9:30 ET
The Warriors are putting on a performance for the ages in leading Dallas 3-1 in the series. Don Nelson has assembled a group of players who are quicker, faster, more determined and playing with a higher basketball IQ then mentally challenged Dallas.
 Nelson is prideful sort who is never afraid to let someone know of his innovations in the game of basketball and though he has never taken a team to the NBA Finals as a coach, he certainly has been creative. Having been the head man for a variety of assistants, he obviously did not teach them everything he knows.
The Mavericks Avery Johnson is stuck trying figure out one more play besides the high pick and roll against Warriors defense. Not having to meet expectations has always been a favorite of Nelson’s and his team is now on 9-3 ATS run as an underdog.
What’s peculiar about this series is Dallas has the manpower to match the speed of Golden State. Devin Harris is the fastest thing this side of the Suns Leandro Barbosa, Josh Howard proved he can be unstoppable for long periods of time when he has the ball and Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse match up very well with Golden State.
Confidence is like the bar of soap in the shower, once you drop it is difficult to get a handle on. The Mavericks now at every key point in any game have no answer for Golden State, who seemingly has at least three options at any one given time.
This explains why guard Baron Davis and the rest of teammates are 18-5 ATS versus teams outscoring their opponents by 3+ points a game in the second half of the season over the last couple of years.
Oddsmakers are really caught in a crux trying to figure out Dallas. The Mavericks are a desperate 9-point home favorite at sportsbook.com tonight at American Airlines Arena.
Besides not matching up with Nellie’s team, maybe the less aggressive approach down the stretch hurt Dirk Nowitzki and his fellow mates as they are on just 3-7 ATS at home in last ten contests.
For both players and coaches it is about courage and execution now and Golden State has held a decided upper hand in this area thus far. If the Mavericks 67 wins during the regular season are to offer any relevancy, then it starts at home tonight needing a three game sweep against a hot club that is 15-6 ATS after having won 3 of their last 4 games this season.
Of the 166 previous teams that have been down 3 games to one, exactly EIGHT have come back to win. Plus consider only two 8-seeds have ever won against a top seed since the NBA went to 16 team playoff field and NEVER in a seven game series.
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