Oklahoma City Blunder: Dallas Mavericks Show Heart in Epic NBA Playoffs Comeback
The great teams do it. They finish their games. They hold on to win when they have late leads. They even steal a few victories.
If a comeuppance is to be expected en route to greatness, the Dallas Mavericks are serving notice to the rest of the league that they are tired of falling just short. Not that Dirk Nowitzki would ever settle for being called short—the big man with that smooth fade away has been playing very tall, and not just in stature.
Oklahoma City, for all of its talent, is learning the hard way that sometimes the road to a championship isn't immediate, mostly because the teams that win the title have had heartaches of their own.
Sidney Crosby lost a Stanley Cup Final.
The Red Sox blew a series against New York a year prior to their epic comeback.
Tom Brady.... well, he's a phenom and he just doesn't count in this argument.
Dirk Nowitzki has been there on this platform. The cast may have been different, but as Jason Kidd and the rest of the Mavericks look to wrap up the series tomorrow night, it is ironically a familiar opponent in the East looking to take a 3-1 edge this evening. The very same opponent that handed Dirk defeat from the jaws of victory in the Finals, having recovered from a 2-0 series deficit: the Miami Heat.
With these heartbreaks fresh in mind, it's safe to say the Mavs feel they've earned their stripes. This season could well mark their last great opportunity for a trip to the NBA Finals, and they're not letting anyone off the hook in this window of opportunity. They know too well how fleeting momentum can be, and they will finish off the Thunder. The question is: will it be in Game 5?
I believe that they will, and I'm not sure if the reason I want to cite is "Big D" or "Big Duh!" By "Big D," I could mean either Dallas or Dirk, but it seems obvious to me that Texas's troubled franchise of playoffs past are ready to seize the ultimate prize this season. The reason is far more simple than the match-ups, the determination of either club, or the talent on the court.
It's that the great teams don't blow the games they have in hand, while the teams that are only on the cusp tend to. Great teams find the way to steal the games they can.
The Lakers against the TrailBlazer in Game 7 of the 2000 Finals....
The Penguins against the Blackhawks in Game 1 of the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals.
The Bills against the Oilers in "The Comeback." While Buffalo never won the Super Bowl, they made it to four straight. The talented Oilers and Warren Moon never played in an AFC Championship Game.
Which leads to the Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Western Conference Finals. This game will go down as epic. Dallas showed great mettle, and Oklahoma City proved that they're not quite there.... yet. Trailing 99-84 in the final minutes, much of the East coast must have been surprised Tuesday morning to discover the outcome of the game. Despite the furious rally, the Thunder and Mavericks did play into overtime. It didn't matter. Body language told the tale, and Dallas dominated the extra session.
So, is it that the Mavs are that experienced to the Thunder's youth?
Was it luck? To be frank, that type of rally requires a little luck, right?
No matter the explanation, Dallas looks crisp. Or, should I say, the engine is running smoothly. A team named the Mavericks should have such horsepower. The engine is Dirk Nowitzki.
What do you do?
Singling him up? That fade-away will kill you!
Double-team him? Jason Terry knocks down another three.
Zone play? The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Hope you enjoy the straight line between Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion.
Other teams have weapons, but no team is playing like Dallas right now.
Game 1 is the perfect comparison. Dirk Nowitzki was 24/24 from the foul line, and despite a record-setting night for the superstar, Dallas couldn't stretch it's lead to more than a couple of baskets all night long. As they stayed in the game, it seemed as though the Thunder could upset Dallas and ruin the record-breaking tour-de-force of the other "Big D."
The Mavericks took nothing for granted.
They kept hitting their shots and playing their game.
Nowitzki refused to miss his free throws, hitting all 24 of his critical attempts in a Game 1 victory. last night, Russell Westbrook couldn't even hit 1-of-2 in the final minutes that would have, theoretically, won Game 4.
Both teams are great. But, my point has come full circle.
Championship teams find ways to win, yes. More importantly, they don't let anybody off the hook.
The Thunder's storm is still alive, but effective last night, any clouds of doubt are now erased. The series has turned into a sprinkle. The Dallas Mavericks, the best team in the NBA this postseason, brought their umbrellas. It'll be stunning if the series goes six games. Kevin Durant will have to wait for 2012. Gotta' hate hearing that: "... there's always next year."
Now, can those parasols keep Dallas dry through the storm the Bulls or Heat will bring to them in the NBA Finals?
I wouldn't bet against Dirk. Not this postseason.
