Ranking the Top 50 Most Thrilling NBA Games of 2011

Anticipation is at an all-time high as we await the start of the 2011-2012 NBA season.

There is no telling what this season will bring, but if it is even half as lucrative as last season, we are in for more than our fair share of thrilling basketball games.

Game-winners, improbable comebacks and impressive accolades made for quite a year in the NBA, even with the lockout eating up a fair amount of action. 

As 2011 draws to a close, the league is ready to start anew, and it's only fitting that we take a look back at the most exciting games of the past year. The NBA has been deemed the place where amazing happens, and after taking a look at the year in review, you'll find no argument here.

Spoiler Alert: The postseason stages a coup here.

January 24th, 2011: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Jersey Nets

We saw two teams in need of direction go at it here, and it was entertaining to say the least.

All night, each team seemed to have an answer for the other, leading to a dead-locked tie as the fourth quarter drew to a close.

The Nets, with the game tied at 101 a piece, fed the ball down low to Brook Lopez, who hit the baby jumper to clinch a New Jersey victory. 

Remember, before Deron Williams, there was Lopez, and he got the best of the Cavaliers in this thriller. 

March 23rd, 2011: Washington Wizards vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Blake Griffin had his first career triple-double in a double-overtime game against the Wizards.

John Wall tied the game at 102 with only 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to force the game into overtime. In the bonus period, Eric Gordon forced a second overtime, hitting a three-pointer to tie the game with 1.9 seconds left on the clock.

The Clippers outscored the Wizards 14-6 in the second overtime, on their way to a 127-119 victory. 

You have to respect a game that goes into multiple overtimes.

January 24th, 2011: Toronto Raptors vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Very rarely will you see the Raptors appear on a list that consists of the most thrilling contests, but their battle against Memphis back in January was an entertaining one.

Toronto played the Grizzlies tight as they attempted to snap a seven-game losing streak. With the score tied at 98, Memphis put the ball in Rudy Gay's hands. He proceeded hit a fall-away jumper with only eight-tenths of a second left on the game clock, rendering the Raptors speechless.

Give the Raptors credit here for keeping the game exciting, but in the end, the better team found a way to win.

January 28th, 2011: Charlotte Bobcats vs. Golden State Warriors

With a three-point lead and under 10 seconds to go, it seemed as if Golden State fans were going to have something to cheer about.

Unfortunately for them, Stephen Jackson had other plans in mind. After Charlotte botched a three-pointer, the Bobcats grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Jackson. He tied the game up with his three-pointer to send it into overtime.

The Bobcats took over in overtime, outscoring the Warriors 20-12 to grab the victory in one of the most thrilling finishes of 2011.

February 2nd, 2011: Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz

The Rockets and Jazz engaged in a seesaw of a matchup, as neither team was able to take full control of the game.

In the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, however, it was Utah that led by two. Houston had the ball with just over 15 seconds to play, and after a few seconds of staggering, Shane Battier somehow got the ball to Kevin Martin, who hit his shot despite being fouled in the process.

Martin's free throw iced the game for Houston, as they went on to win 97-96.

Roller coasters are a thrill, and that's exactly what this game was. 

February 12th, 2011: Charlotte Bobcats vs. Atlanta Hawks

The Bobcats were far from a playoff-caliber team this season, yet there were times—like this one—when they put up a fight against a team deemed out of their league.

Charlotte overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to tie the game at 86 points a piece. The Bobcats had possession of the ball in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, giving them a chance to win the game.

Stephen Jackson played the role of hero again, as he drilled a long two-point field goal as time expired to give the Bobcats an 88-86 victory.

February 25th, 2011: Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers

With only 18 seconds left in regulation, the Blazers were trailing the Nuggets 96-91.

A quick three brought Portland within two, but they were forced to foul after. Denver hit one of two free throws, which opened the door for Brandon Roy's last-second heroics. He hit a tough three-point shot to send the game in overtime.

Portland came out on top after the bonus period, completing the improbable comeback by winning 107-106. It was easily one of the year's most thrilling endings.  

February 27th, 2011: Phoenix Suns vs. Indiana Pacers

The Pacers and Suns were tied at 108 when Steve Nash caught the in-bounds pass with 3.5 seconds to go in overtime.

Nash quickly dumped it off to Channing Frye, who proceeded to pump fake before getting off a shot as time expired. Frye buried his attempt, and kept the Suns from entering a second overtime.

Both teams looked visibly exhausted as they left the floor after this one, as its wild finish certainly took a toll on some of the older bodies. That being said, it is the wild finish that makes this one of the most thrilling games of 2011. 

February 28th, 2011: Phoenix Suns vs. New Jersey Nets

One day after finding themselves in a close game with the Pacers, the Suns engaged in a tight matchup against the Nets.

Phoenix had the ball with just under nine seconds left on the clock, trailing New Jersey 103-101. Grant Hill in-bounded the ball to Channing Frye, who became the hero for the second straight night as he knocked down a three-point attempt to win the game for the Suns.

Not only was the game interesting to observe, but Frye's back-to-back nights of heroics served as a thrill here as well. 

April 27th, 2011: Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Heading into Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs, the Nuggets were facing elimination, and the Kevin Durant-led Thunder wanted to ensure Denver didn't find a second wind.

The Nuggets were ahead 95-93 with just over a minute remaining when Durant drove, drew the foul and hit the field goal. He drained the foul shot to give the Thunder a 96-95 lead.

In the game's closing seconds, Durant hit a big insurance-policy to extend Oklahoma City's lead to three and essentially propel them to a series victory.

March 27th, 2011: Sacramento Kings vs. Philadelphia 76ers

With only 4.5 seconds remaining in the game, and the 76ers down 100-97, Lou Williams hit a long three to force the game into overtime.

Williams' 32-foot shot was enough to propel Philadelphia into overtime, but not much else. The Kings held their own in the bonus period, outscoring the 76ers 14-11 on their way to a 114-111 victory.

April 23rd, 2011: San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies

There's a reason why many people believe Zach Randolph has already lived up to his contract.

With the Grizzlies clinging to an 88-86 lead over the top-seeded Spurs, Randolph knocked down a three-pointer with just under 42 seconds remaining. It wasn't a lot of breathing room, but allowed Memphis to hang on for a 91-88 victory and take a 2-1 series lead in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs.

Memphis' entire postseason run was made up of numerous thrillers such as this one. 

April 19th, 2011: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

Last season, the Knicks and Celtics had a knack for playing games that went down to the wire, and Game 2 in the first round of the playoffs was no different.

Surprisingly, New York carried a one-point lead into the final seconds of the game. It was here that Kevin Garnett went to work. He forced his way to the inside and scored what became the game-winning bucket, to put Boston ahead 94-93.

The Knicks had no answer as they went on to fall 96-93, putting themselves in a 2-0 series hole.

January 22nd, 2011: Dallas Mavericks vs. New Jersey Nets

Surprisingly, the Nets—before boasting the likes of Deron Williams—took a one-point lead into the closing seconds in a game against the Mavericks.

That one-point lead vanished, along with New Jersey's hope to complete an upset, once Dirk Nowitzki's fingers touched the ball.

Nowitzki hit a jumper—thanks to a fortuitous bounce—to put Dallas ahead 87-86 with six seconds remaining. This proved to be more than enough to secure a victory. 

March 29th, 2011: Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant finished with 39 points for the Thunder, helping them edge out the Warriors in overtime.

The Warriors scored six points in the final 13.5 seconds of regulation to tie the game at 106 and force it into overtime. Durant proved to be too much in the bonus period though, scoring eight out of Oklahoma City's nine points, as the Thunder came out on top 115-114.

Oklahoma City seemed like it may have been ready to collapse at the end of the game, but the team kept it together long enough to pull out a victory.

April 16th, 2011: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat

In Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Heat had built up a 13-point lead over the 76ers.

Just when it looked like Miami was poised to run away with a victory, Philadelphia went on a tear, bringing themselves to within one point of the star-studded Heat. LeBron James and company buckled down in the final minutes, though, going on to win by a score of 97-89. 

The Heat seemed ready to blow this one wide open, but Philadelphia hung around long enough to turn it into a nail-biter.

June 5th, 2011: Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks

With the game tied at 86, Chris Bosh hit a clutch jumper for the Heat, putting them ahead by two-points with less than 40 seconds to go.

Dirk Nowitzki had a chance to tie it for the Mavericks, but his fade-away jumper went off the back rim at the buzzer. 

This entire series was a hard-fought battle, and while Dallas went on to win in six games, we witnessed some of the most thrilling competition in each game for all of 2011. Game 3 was no different.

April 17th, 2011: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

In Game 1 in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Knicks and Celtics engaged in a vicious battle.

New York surprised many by carrying a one-point lead into the final seconds in the game. Ray Allen ensured the Knicks did not shock people further though, nailing a three-pointer with under 12 seconds left to give the Celtics an 87-85 victory.

To call this one a thriller simply does not do it justice.

May 26th, 2011: Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls

On the brink of elimination, the Bulls really showed up to play...for most of the game.

Chicago held a 10-point lead with under three minutes to play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but it just wasn't enough.

On the backs of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Heat came from behind to take an 83-80 lead. James blocked Derrick Rose's three-point prayer at the buzzer to send Miami to the NBA Finals.

It was a thrilling game from start to finish.

May 25th, 2011: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks

With the Thunder staring down the barrel of elimination, Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals was a lock to be a grudge match.

The end result did not disappoint, as Dallas took a one-point lead into the final 50 seconds. Off a steal, Shawn Marion dunked in transition to extend the Mavericks' lead to three, putting them well on their way to the NBA Finals.

April 16th, 2011: Indiana Pacers vs. Chicago Bulls

In Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Bulls had their hands full against the Pacers. So much so, in fact, that Chicago hadn't led the entire game heading into the final 90 seconds of play.

With the game tied at 99, Derrick Rose drew Indiana's defense to the inside and kicked the ball out to Kyle Korver, who nailed the go ahead three-pointer with under 50 seconds left in regulation.

The Bulls went on to win 104-99, setting the tone for the rest of the series.

March 6th, 2011: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Dallas Mavericks

The Grizzlies grabbed a one-point lead with less than 15 seconds to play, only to have Dirk Nowitzki nail a fade-away with only a few ticks left on the clock.

With the Mavericks ahead 103-102, Memphis passed the ball into Zach Randolph, who hit a jump shot of his own leaving barely any time left on the clock.

There were three lead changes in the last quarter of a minute in this one, with each team looking unstoppable on the offensive end. It was the Grizzlies, though, who came out on top of this one.  

January 24th, 2011: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Hornets

For the time being, the Hornets are not a team to be feared, which is why games like these should by cherished by the organization and its fans.

The Thunder had a tough time pulling away from the Hornets all night, as Chris Paul and company ensured they were in for a tough matchup. With just over six seconds remaining in the game, David West faced the basket, dribbled once and found enough space to get his shot off.

He nailed it, putting the Hornets ahead for good, 91-89. It was a stunning victory over the Kevin Durant-led Thunder, and certainly one of the most thrilling games of 2011. 

April 21, 2011: Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers

After nearly stealing the first two games in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Pacers once again came ready to play.

Indiana and Chicago were tied at 84 before Derrick Rose came through in crunch time, putting the Bulls ahead for good with 17.8 seconds remaining. Once again, The Bulls thwarted the Pacers' hard-fought performance.

The Pacers may not have won the series, but they pushed Chicago to the brink here, and on other occasions.

April 11th, 2011: Charlotte Bobcats vs. New Jersey Nets

With the game tied at 103 a piece, Bobcats point guard D.J. Augustin hit a fadeaway jumper with only 1.1 seconds remaining to clinch a victory over the Nets.

Augustin threw two crossovers into his offensive set to create an open look for himself, and it proved effective as he buried the game-winning shot. New Jersey's last-ditch attempt to win the game failed, and Charlotte was victorious.

It was one of the most thrilling endings of 2011.

April 13th, 2011: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings

The Kings put up quite a fight against the Lakers, holding a three-point lead in the final seconds of regulation.

Kobe Bryant put an end to that, though. He nailed a three-pointer with 4.8 seconds left to force it into overtime. The Lakers outscore Sacramento 17-9 in overtime on their way to a 116-108 victory.

Despite coming under fire for his age, Bryant proved here that he will continue to come through in the clutch. His timely luck to force overtime was incredible, and gave Los Angeles an opportunity to take the game over.

June 9th, 2011: Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks

It was a back-and-forth contest in Game 5 of the 2011 NBA Finals, but the Mavericks would eventually prevail.

Despite putting up a triple-double, LeBron James disappeared down the stretch, allowing Dallas to score its way toward a 112-103 victory.

The dagger was delivered by Jason Terry with just over 30 seconds remaining when he hit a three—over James, in fact—to put the Mavericks up 108-101. It was Dallas' second straight win in the series, and set them up to put the Heat away once and for all the following game.

January 21st, 2011: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors were down 104-102 in the closing seconds of a back-and-forth game with the Kings.

With the game on the line, the ball was in Ellis' hands. He waited a long time before making his move—perhaps too long—but came through in the clutch nonetheless. Ellis nailed a jumper with nine-tenths of a second left, forcing the game into overtime.

Golden State went on to outscore Sacramento 15-8 in overtime, securing a victory thanks to Ellis' last-second heroics.

January 19th, 2011: Indiana Pacers vs. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors and Pacers were tied at 108 apiece when Monta Ellis went to work from behind the three-point line with four seconds left.

He dribbled once before crossing over to his left. One more dribble and then he took a fadeaway jumper and buried it to give the Warriors a the lead for good with 0.6 seconds left.

Maybe this is why Golden State hasn't dealt the elusive guard just yet.

April 17th, 2011: Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs

Hardly anyone expected the Grizzlies to hang with the Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, but they went on to reverse such expectations.

With less than 25 ticks to go in Game 1, Shane Battier of Memphis knocked down a three-pointer to put the Grizzlies ahead 99-98. They would go on to defeat the Spurs not only in this game, but the entire series.

The Grizzlies' entire postseason run was one to remember, much like the outcome of this game.

April 22nd, 2011: Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks were clinging to an 85-84 lead over the Magic when Jamal Crawford did what he does best: hit an improbable, near-erratic field goal.

Crawford nailed a three with under six seconds remaining, putting Atlanta ahead 88-84 and sealing a Game 3 victory for the Hawks. They not only won the game, but would go on to win the series as well.

April 10th, 2011: New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers

The Pacers held a one-point lead going into the final 14 seconds of regulation, but still had to prevent the Knicks—who had the ball in their possession—from scoring.

Carmelo Anthony wouldn't hear any of that, as he faced the basket before draining a jumper moments later.

Anthony's accolades put New York up by one with only a few seconds left to play. The Pacers were unable to answer, and Anthony could now add a second game-winning shot to his Knicks resume.

January 19th, 2011: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Orlando Magic

With a four-point lead and just over 21 seconds left in regulation, it seemed that the 76ers were on their way to defeating the Magic on their own turf.

Jason Richardson didn't get that memo.

Richardson completed a rare four-point play to tie the game up at 90, forcing it into overtime. The Magic outscored the 76ers 9-8 in the bonus period, ensuring that Richardson's heroics were not wasted.

Exciting doesn't even begin to describe what one experienced when watching this game.

March 15th, 2011: New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers

Before there was Carmelo Anthony's game-winner, there was Danny Granger's.

In a game that saw many lead changes, Indiana wound up in possession of the ball with less than eight seconds left on the clock, the game tied at 117 apiece. Granger dribbled a few times before shaking off Shawne Williams and burying the jumper.

Only three-tenths of a second remained on the clock after Granger's shot, allowing him to hand them their third straight loss.  

April 23rd, 2011: Dallas Mavericks vs. Portland Trail Blazers

With just over a minute left in regulation, the Mavericks held an 82-78 lead over the Blazers, yet the newly retired Brandon Roy wasn't about to let Dallas run away with a victory.

Roy pulled up for a three-pointer over Shawn Marion, who fouled him in the process. Roy nailed the shot and hit the subsequent free throw, tying the game at 82. Soon after, the shooting guard hit another pressure shot to put the Blazers up for good.

Watching the recap is even nerve-wracking.

April 27th, 2011: Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs

Down 3-1 in the series, the Spurs were not ready to allow the Grizzlies to complete the upset.

Memphis was ahead 97-94 with 1.7 seconds left in regulation when Gary Neal hit a game-tying three to force an overtime. San Antonio would go on to win the game 110-103 in overtime, keeping their championship aspirations alive for one more game.

It was a stunning end to a meaningful game.

February 2nd, 2011: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers

It's always a battle when the Spurs and Lakers square off against one another, and it was no different this time around.

After the Lakers took the lead with just over 22 seconds to go in the fourth quarter off of two Pau Gasol free throws, Anthony McDyess tipped in a Tim Duncan miss as time expired to defeat Kobe Bryant and company 89-88.

San Antonio may not have shined in the postseason, but they came out of this exhilarating display of competition on top.

February 10th, 2011: Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets

This particular matchup was laden with offense, as both teams scored 120 or more points by the end of regulation.

With only seconds to go in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets were down 120-119. Carmelo Anthony was fouled out, so the ball was put in the hands of Chauncey Billups.

Mr. Big Shot himself wound up passing the rock off to Afflalo, who took one dribble and pulled up to hit the game-winning jumper. It was a great win for Denver, and even better considering the Mavericks were eventually crowned NBA champions.

From start to finish, these teams duked it out on the offensive end, and we could not have asked for a more exciting conclusion.

March 25th, 2011: San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers

A game back in March between Portland and San Antonio went down to the wire. The Blazers and Spurs were tied at 96 with less than a second remaining, with Portland in possession of the ball.

The Blazers ran an alley-oop backdoor play that resulted in Nicolas Batum tapping it home. It capped an 8-0 run by Portland, in which Batum scored four points in the final nine-tenths of a second.

Do you believe in miracles? The Blazers sure do.

April 24th, 2011: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat

Down three games to none in a best-of-seven series would have most teams ready to call it quits, but not the 76ers.

In the first round of the playoffs, Philadelphia found themselves down 3-0 at the hands of Miami heading into Game 4. Such a deficit did not discourage the 76ers, though, as they kept pace with the Heat for the entire game.

That being said, with 10 seconds to play, Miami held an 82-81 lead, and it seemed as if they were poised to complete the sweep. Lou Williams had other plans, though, as he hit a game-winning three for Philadelphia to prolong the team's season one more game.

March 9th, 2011: New York Knicks vs. Memphis Grizzlies

With the game tied at 108 apiece, the Knicks took control of the ball with under 15 seconds left to play.

Toney Douglas put the ball in Carmelo Anthony's hands and left him to what he does best, which is drain jump shots. Anthony nailed a pull-up jumper with only five-tenths of a section remaining on the clock.

Despite allowing the Grizzlies to fight back from a 17-point deficit, it was the Knicks that stole the show in this matchup.

March 18th, 2011: Denver Nuggets vs. Orlando Magic

With the game tied at 82 points apiece, Jameer Nelson of the Magic fielded the in-bound pass with 5.7 seconds left in the game.

Nelson patiently dribbled before pulling up for a long three over Ty Lawson that caught nothing but net as the buzzer sounded, propelling Orlando to an 85-82 victory.

It was the kind of game that would send the home crowd into an absolute frenzy.

Oh wait, it did.

March 24th, 2011: New Orleans Hornets vs. Utah Jazz

The Hornets were trailing the Jazz 105-103 with 1.3 seconds remaining when Emeka Okafor banked home a 20-foot shot off a long in-bounds pass to force the game into overtime.

It was a difficult shot, but Okafor buried it nonetheless. New Orleans went on to win it 121-117 in overtime, overcoming both the late game deficit and an injury to David West.

It was an improbable outcome, but extremely entertaining to watch.

June 7th, 2011: Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks

The Heat were leading the series 2-1 heading into Game 4 of the NBA Finals, but the Mavericks were not about to roll over and concede.

Dallas held an 82-81 lead with under 20 seconds to go when Dirk Nowitzki went to work on Udonis Haslem. With the lead in hand, the forward's decision to attack the basket seemed premature, as there was plenty of time left on the clock, yet it was a move that paid off.

Nowitzki hit an impressive layup to give Dallas the cushion they needed to tie the series at two games apiece.

January 22nd, 2011: New York Knicks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

With just under five seconds remaining, the Knicks and Thunder were tied at 98.

Kevin Durant took the in-bounds pass and went to work on New York's Danilo Gallinari. Falling away, from the corner, the small forward hit a three as time expired to give the Thunder a 101-98 victory.

Durant did not have the most favorable look, but he reared back enough to get a clear view and dash the Knicks hope of taking the game in overtime. 

March 29th, 2011: Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers got some revenge by beating the Heat 102-90 at home last season.

Cleveland went ahead by as many as 23 points, on their way to defeating not just Miami as a team, but LeBron James as well. He received constant jeering from the fans and his triple-double wasn't enough to propel the Heat to victory.

Occasions such as this one are rare, especially considering most could not believe their eyes as they watched it unfold. James versus the Cavaliers has been built up since "The Decision," rendering this game one of the most thrilling in 2011.

May 23rd, 2011: Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Mavericks were down by 15 points at the hands of Kevin Durant and the Thunder with only five minutes remaining. Dallas went to force the game into overtime, and winning it there 112-105.

On the back of Nowitzki, who scored 14 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks took a commanding 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals, on their way to championship attainment.

Had the Thunder won this game, and tied the series at two games apiece, we could quite possibly have crowned a different league champion.

May 9th, 2011: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis' Mike Conley got a three off in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 96 and sent Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals into overtime.

The Grizzlies found themselves down by three again in the closing seconds of overtime when Greivis Vasquez knocked down a three of his own to tie the game once again, sending it into a second overtime. Tied at 119 with six seconds to go in overtime number two, Russell Westbrook missed a potential game-winner, forcing the game into its third overtime.

With the third overtime came heartbreak, for the Grizzlies that is. They simply could not keep pace with the Thunder, scoring only four points in the period and falling 133-123.

Despite a lackluster third overtime, this was easily one of the most thrilling postseason games not only of 2011, but of all time.

June 2nd, 2011: Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat

The Mavericks were down by 15 with 7:15 to go in the game, and saw it fitting to go on a 20-7 run to close out the game, on their way to a 95-93 victory.

Dirk Nowitzki went through Chris Bosh to hit the game-winner, ensuring that we were in for a hard-fought series, in addition to solidifying a Dallas victory.

Without a doubt, this was one of the most exciting games in NBA Finals history. 

June 12th, 2011: Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat

No, Game 6 of the NBA Finals was not the tightest contest between the Heat and Mavericks, but it was the most electrifying game in all of 2011.

Dirk Nowitzki and company defeated the Heat 105-95 to win the NBA championship and possession of the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Dallas' upset of the superstar-laden Miami was one for the ages. It proved that it does not take a roster packed with All-Stars win a title. Nowitzki carried the team on his back all season, and was rewarded with the ultimate prize.

The fact that the Heat fell in the Finals may have dominated headlines, but make no mistake—the real story here was a deep, efficient and fearless Mavericks team.