Round Deux, Game 5 Preview

One bright spot coming out of Game 4's loss to the Mavericks is that now I'll have a chance to head to another elimination game at the Pepsi Center this post-season.  The Mavs got up for their "revenge" game two night's ago and played with plenty of heart and resilience despite plenty of chances for them to quit in the style of New Orleans.  

I think Dallas will come in a focused team, but I don't see them able to match the emotion and intensity of their Game 4 effort.  A 3-0 lead allowed a much more relaxed Denver team to finally start hitting their shots from outside, and I see that continuing as they return to the friendly confines of the Pepsi Center with a 3-1 series lead and chance to close out another series in front of the hometown fans.  

As heroic as Dirk's performance was in the 4th quarter, I believe JJ Barea's hustle and Brandon Bass' play on offense and defense were the reasons Dallas was able to keep from getting blown out on their home court.  That being said, the return on the Birdman will be a defining factor that I expect will return the edge to the Nuggets as far as bench play.  It's no coincidence that Dallas was able to produce in the paint the same night Denver's most intimidating shot blocker was sidelined with food poisoning.

I'm getting more excited by the hour as Game 5 approaches and I'll be very happy to be a part of yet another historic victory by this Denver Nuggets team that continues to improve as the playoffs go forward.