After watching what he did to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat in the 2011 Playoffs, it’s kind of hard to believe that Dirk Nowitzki ever went 2-13 from the floor for a measly 8 points in a first-round elimination game. But he did! It was Stephen Jackson who put on a Nowitzki-like shooting display with 33 points on 10-19, including 7 three-pointers.
Despite the fact that they held a two-point lead at the half, things weren’t exactly looking promising for the Warriors entering the third quarter. Baron Davis and Matt Barnes were both playing with pulled hamstrings, and GSW had just lost a very winnable game five. Davis had played like an MVP candidate throughout this series, and Barnes was a key role player without whom Golden State would not have won. To make matters worse, Baron actually re-aggravated his injury in the middle of the first quarter. He had to leave the game for a while, and even though he returned, I recall doubting what he’d be capable of with one bad wheel (he was visibly hobbled). The Warriors relied on Davis to close out tight games, and I had no reason to believe that this one would end with a 25-point differential. All hail Stack! Stack Jack, that is. Stackhouse gets no love in this post; his 20 points led the way for the bad guys.
Notice that Dallas actually attempted more threes than Golden State (37-30) in this game. Talk about playing into the hands of the Warriors.
