Playoffs Aren't Too Big for J.J. Barea
Apr 18, 2009
By: Tropics Staff
(Reprinted from the Dallas Morning News)
Playoffs aren't too big for J.J. Barea
"Fearless" is Dirk's favorite word when discussing his itty-bitty buddy J.J. Barea.
Barea, who is generously listed at 6-0, attacks the basket as well as any Maverick. And he never shies away from taking big shots when given the opportunity.
Barea doesn't always get on the floor during fourth quarters, but he had scoring flurries down the stretch in a handful of tight wins this season.
After one of those performances, I asked Barea about his willingness to have the ball in his hands with the game on the line. He cited his experience as the go-to guy on the Puerto Rican national team, a role he's played since his teenage years. He's played in plenty of pressure situations, even if those games didn't catch the American basketball fan's attention.
Barea's NBA playoff experience consisted of nine minutes before his spectacular effort in tonight's Game 1 win over the Spurs. All he did was outplay All-Star PG Tony Parker when the game was on the line.
The moment certainly wasn't too big for the littlest Maverick.
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Mavericks take charge, 105-97
SAN ANTONIO _ To all their many doubters, the Mavericks sent a loud, clear message Saturday night.
They may not be in control of their series with San Antonio, but they do have a 1-0 lead after stealing the opener 105-97 AT&T Center behind big showings from Josh Howard, Erick Dampier, Brandon Bass and J.J. Barea.
Yes, they did it all pretty much without Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd or Jason Terry having to do everything.
The Mavericks stole home court advantage with solid defense and an active offense. By the end, a small legion of Maverick fans were yelling: "Let's go Mavs, Let's go Mavs,'' as the Spurs' faithful headed for the exits.
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Mavs' supporting cast steals Game 1
Neither of the Hall of Famers on the Mavs' roster played up to their standards in Game 1 against the Spurs. It didn't matter.
The Mavs didn't need big games from Dirk or Jason Kidd to jump out to a 1-0 lead over the Spurs. The supporting cast played a starring role.
J.J. Barea took over during the key stretch, scoring seven points and dishing out two assists during a 21-6 run early that spanned seven minutes in the fourth quarter. He did a heck of a Tony Parker impersonation, consistently creating shots for himself or his teammates by penetrating. And Barea managed to slow down Parker, something the Mavs haven't been able to do since Devin Harris left town.
Brandon Bass kept the Mavs in the game during the first half, scoring the vast majority of his 14 points while Dirk was riding pine due to foul trouble.
Erick Dampier finished with a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds). He had two huge putbacks in the fourth after Barea wasn't able to finish.
And Antoine Wright scored six big points and provided a defensive presence in the fourth quarter.
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J.J. Barea's stealing the show
Jason Kidd is a surefire Hall of Famer. Tony Parker is well on his way to that status.
J.J. Barea is just an undrafted guy who has managed to hang around on the Mavs' roster. And the little dude is dominating the fourth quarter.
Barea (plus-21 in 21 minutes) is carving up the Spurs defense like Parker usually does to the Mavs. Even when Barea can't finish, good things are happening for the Mavs, such as a pair of Erick Dampier tip-ins.
And it looks like Parker's tongue is dragging on the floor after trying to defend Barea most of the half. Parker has only one basket in the fourth.
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J.J. Barea has given Mavs a big boost
Guess who has the game's best plus-minus?
OK, the headline gave it away. J.J. Barea is plus-11 after that shot-clock-beating 22-footer.
Barea has eight points on 4-of-7 shooting. More importantly, he's been a pesky defender against Tony Parker.
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