DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks are bracing themselves for a physical playoff series with the Nuggets.
Well aware that Denver’s first-round series against New Orleans included 13 technical fouls and four flagrant fouls, the Mavericks are prepared for the Nuggets to come out aggressive and, yes, even a bit chippy.
“They play hard, and sometimes on the edge,” Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki said. “But, hey, this is the playoffs. . . . They’ve got some guys who like to talk and play physical. So I’m sure something, sooner or later, is going to happen.”
Which is why Mavs coach Rick Carlisle has spent the past couple of days preaching poise. The trick, he said, is maintaining a balance between playing aggressively and not losing your cool.
The players say they understand. Coming off an intense series against their biggest rival, San Antonio, the Mavericks don’t believe the Nuggets will do anything to make them lose focus.
“We have to match their physicality and not back down, but I don’t see us going out there and getting a whole bunch of technicals,” guard Jason Terry said. “That’s not our style.”
When it was suggested that might be the Nuggets’ style, Terry smiled.
“If they get them, that’s cool for us,” he said. “We’ll be shooting free throws all game.”
Forget the past.
The Mavs were 0-4 against the Nuggets during the regular season. What did they learn?
“That we were 0-4,” Car- lisle said.
Three of the four games were decided by three points or fewer, so the Mavs know they had a chance to win each of those contests. Josh Howard, who was an offensive force against the Spurs, missed two of those four games.
Backup plan.
The bench has been among the Nuggets’ strengths, but Dallas can more than match it. Led by NBA sixth man of the year Terry (19.6 points per game), the Mavericks’ 37.9 points per game off the bench led the league. Dallas’ reserves averaged 31.4 in the first round.
“The bench has to be a factor, like it was in San Antonio, just because you know they’re going to try to take our key guys out of it,” Terry said. “So the bench has to be consistent.”
Andy Friedlander, Special to The Denver Post
