Dirk blasts Lakers once again, MAV sends to 2-0 Lead

 The Dallas Mavericks have seen this scenario of play-off several times before.

The higher seeded team will also after two embarrassing, defeats with his tentative play leading to the locker-room discord and panic in big fan.

It's just that the MAVS are usually living this nightmare, it does not for someone else - and certainly not to defend champion NBA Lakers, who left Staples Center on Wednesday night wondering if they'll be back this spring on two occasions.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points, Shawn Marion added 14 and the Mavericks fight Los Angeles 93 - 81 in the second game, taking a second 2-0-tour of lead with consecutive victories.

"If you would have told me before that would win the two games, which would have been hard to believe," said Nowitzki. "But I think that we won."

Jason Kidd scored 10 points in an effort to score balanced for the Mavericks, who led the Lakers to Midway to elimination of the playoffs with the stellar fire, constant defence Nowitzki and a fourth quarter rally decisive 9-0. Dallas has nothing of spectacular property, but was significantly better than the cold-shooting Lakers at both ends.

Dallas has endured a decade of disappointment of play-off under owner Mark Cuban, including only a playoff victory in the four previous postseasons since only appearance phase of the Mavericks NBA Finals.

Time and again, Nowitzki and his revolving troupe of his teammates were placed in situations of a series of pressure - but these MAV taller, stiffer appear certainly started to change their reputation with two WINS, from game 3 Friday night in Dallas.

"We talked about it, and this series is far from over, said Nowitzki, who has proved once more to be virtually unguardable for the Lakers." I've been around a long time. I've been up to 2-0 before and eventually lose the series. I have been down 2-0, lost two matches at home... and came back and won in game 7. We saw many things happen in this League. We stay focused, stay together. ?

Kobe Bryant scored 23 points for the Lakers, who had never lost the first two games of a series of playoffs since the 2008 NBA Finals - also the last series they lost. Only three NBA teams return to win a series-of-seven after losing the first two at home, where the dismayed fans sent the Lakers with boos and huées.

"Desperate." It is a strong word, "said Bryant. "I think that when you play desperate, you are not playing your best basketball." We need to do is to relax, to focus on what we do wrong and errors that we do, and we have a lot to review and block on this. ?

Los Angeles missed his first 15 3-point attempts before Bryant 3-pointer with 2: 43 left. Los Angeles finished 2 for 20 on 3-pointers, but the Lakers are also simply exhausted during long periods of their play-off game 75th in the last four seasons.

Center Andrew Bynum saw another reason of frustration of the Lakers.

"It is deeply at this stage." It is obvious that we individually, confidence issues, said Bynum, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds. "All 13 of our guys have confidence issues right now." I think it is quite clear to anyone watching the game - hesitation on passes, and defensively we are not be a good teammate because that was not there for you before - small things. And at least get out us and discuss them, nothing will change. ?

Bryant wrote off the coast of comments from Bynum with regard on the Lakers defensive communication.

Stamkos sends lightning past selections in game 1

WASHINGTON - If the Tampa Bay Lightning and their old guardian of 41 years, Dwayne Roloson, were exhausted, they sure hid well.

Sean Bergenheim scored at the beginning, Steven Stamkos added the goal to go to a game of power and Roloson made 26 stops, helping beat lightning Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, seeded at the top of page 4-2 Friday night in 1 match of the semi-finals of the Conference is.

Even after the closure of game power capes and steal the advantage of the home-ice with a victory 1 game, lightning coach Guy Boucher is still describing his team as the underdog, writes Scott Burnside. History

? Injuries cost the two flashes, capitals

"I don't know about us being tired," said Bergenheim, who scored 2: 12 into the game. "I feel it now.".

Steve Downie had a goal and an assist, Dominic Moore added an empty-netter with 40 seconds left for the Lightning, seeded fifth, who have won four straight games since Pittsburgh 3-1 behind in the first round.

Roloson got laundry and Bergenheim provided solely at Tampa Bay won at Pittsburgh 1 - 0 in game 7 on Wednesday night. Lightning directly flew to Washington on the night, crawl in their hotel beds after 3 p.m. Thursday.

They were on the ice for a commitment from 7 p.m. Friday.

"It was good for us, in a way," Nate Thompson said Center of Tampa Bay. "We kind of go back right to it and do not have much time off the coast." We are always in play mode. ?

That they were.

Strategy of get-ahead-and-focus-on-defense of Lightning has confused the capitals.

Ovechkin was held without a point and limited to two shots, and Washington went 0 for 5 on the power - play by Tampa Bay 39 penalty for 40 killers this postseason.

"They make it frustrating," said capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. "They hang just return, and then try to push." They are very good at it. ?

Roloson only needed to make five stops in the third period.

"We are surprised by the outcome of this evening - but happy with it," said the guardian of the New York Islanders acquired the day of the new year. "We had the chance to win a hockey game". We had some rebounds. ?

This is true. For example, towed lightning 2-1 but he tied with 3: 43 left in the second period, when Downie was trying to center the puck, but his pass deflected off the coast of stick Defender Scott Hannan and fluttered over his right shoulder of goalie Michal Neuvirth.

And the purpose of the Stamkos came with 31.6 seconds remaining in the period, when Neuvirth ceased its initial test but returned the puck right to the attacker, who put the rebound of.

This power play came when Jason Chimera was expelled for rough after a success on Pavel Kubina, who has not played in the third period. The appeal drew boos from the home fans. Jeers only grew louder, naturally, when Stamkos converted the extra-man chance.

That ends reversing the 2-1 lead that Washington built with goals by Alexander Semin and Eric Fehr.

The Lightning has played most of the match Friday without veteran Simon Gagne left wing, which contributed to the dressing room after his helmet hit the ice when he fell after a hard hit by Hannan in the first period. Lightning said WINS and Kubina could be re-evaluated Saturday.

Game 2 is Sunday night in Washington.

Boudreau chastised his players to engage in what he calls "hockey river" - the kind of back-and-forth, large spaces style capitals used to count on making a concerted effort to focus on defence.

In the first round, rookie Neuvirth - he is 18 years younger than Roloson - and the capitals allowed the New York Rangers to score a grand total of two goals in three matches of Washington. Lightning has exceeded this total in an interval of two periods.

"We played too cute and took sanctions, and we cost," said Ovechkin. "First period, the last 10 minutes, we play our game.". First 10 minutes, second [duration], we play well. After that, let them us play their game. ?

Lightning could be tired, the capitals could be rusty. They wrapped in their series against the Rangers in five games last Saturday and had nearly a week off the coast. Boudreau on the story line "Rest against rust" Thursday, but perhaps there is something to it.

Neuvirth finished with 20 cases Friday. He entered the day leading the NHL with a 1, 38-against average goals and second place, with une.946 save percentage. No. 1 to save it in the category? Roloson.

A key Friday: The Lightning held the edge in special teams play.

"The guys take away passing lanes." Blocking shots, of course. Try to remove the time and space, "said Thompson. "And then your best penalty killer is going to be your best goalkeeper and Roli was for us."

Game notes
Capitals D John Carlson played only 36 seconds into the third period, and Boudreau said that it is the day the day. "I hope that he can go Sunday," Boudreau said. "". ... Washington C Nicklas Backstrom goal drought reached 13 games and he acknowledged that he could begin to try too hard to score. "This is what happens when you fight," he said. ... The capitals have one apparent goal waved off 13? minutes medicine, when officials ruled Brooks Laich kicked the puck past Roloson.