Golden State Warriors Upset Dallas Mavericks In First Round

By David
Kaye


The eighth seeded Golden St. Warriors pulled the unthinkable by defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

At the end of February Golden St. was coming off a 21-point loss at Milwaukee and a 30-point beat down at the hands of the Bulls. Entering March it was an after thought that they'd make the playoffs, but with a stellar performance in March and April the Warriors demonstrated that they did in deed believe.

Golden St. went 16-7 through the final two months of the season and ended the 2007 regular season by winning their final nine out of ten games. They were able to hold off the feisty Clippers on the last day of the season and were rewarded with a matchup with the best team in the NBA. Dallas steam rolled through the regular season, going 67-15 and appeared primed for a return to the NBA finals.

Luckily, the high flying Warriors went 3-0 against the Mavs in the regular season and would continue their success in the playoffs. Under the leadership of head coach Don Nelson and veterans Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis, the Bay Area quickly transformed into a city that was excited about playoff basketball. That fact was made evident by the record crowds at Oracle Arena.

In winning the first-round series 4-2, Golden State became the first eigth seeded team to knock off a number one in a best of seven series. Point guard Baron Davis single handily took over the series by averaging 25 ppg, 6.2 rpb, 5.7 apg and shooting a handsome 54% from the field and 45.5% from three-point land.

As a team, the Warriors elevated their game to the next level and many of their young players like Matt Barnes and Monta Ellis stepped their games up big time. Conversely, the Mavericks did not resemble the team that won 67 games during the regular season and dominated every opponent they faced.

Dirk Nowitzki struggled mildly in the series and did not play like the MVP that he was during the regular season. He will continue to receive negativity by critics who say that he's not a leader and can't carry his team when it counts the most.

That argument was supported by his performance in game six where the Warriors clinched the series. Dirk went a dismal 2-13 from the field with eight points and 10 rebounds. Dallas' defense that played so well during the season did not show up in the playoffs. In each game they allowed at least 97 points and on four occasions the Warriors scored over 100. On the flip side, Golden State allowed the Mavs to score at least 100 twice and three times they were held to 91 points or less.

Along with players and fans I believe in the Warriors and hope they can advance past either Houston or Utah and have the opportunity to knock off the Suns or Spurs. Eight more wins is all Golden State needs to reach the NBA finals.