Yes I am sure that I am biased. But I have watched a lot of basketball. As the 1990’s ended we saw the end of the Bull’s era that had dominated the league for nearly the whole decade. The 2000’s saw some pretty incredible dominance in the West. From the 1998-1999 Season to the 2010-2011 Season only three teams represented the West.
Spurs: 4 times
Lakers: 7 times
Mavs: 2 times
The 2010-2011 Mavericks Season and Playoff run is severely underrated and not just because we won it all. Let’s dive in.
**Opening Night: 10/27/10**
A win to start the season against the Bobcats.
Dirk – 28 pts / 13 Reb – 11/13 from the floor
Jet – 22 pts / 6 dimes / 4 steals – 10/15 from the floor.
JKidd – 12 pts / 18 assists – 5/8 from the floor.
**11/19/10 – Loss to Chicago – 7-4**
**11/20/10 – 12/11/10 -**
12 Games
12 Wins
19-4
**12/13/10 -** Streak is broken agains the Bucks
19-5
**12/15/10 – 12/27/10**
5 games
5 wins
24-5
The Mavericks won 17 out of 18 games.
As with all good things, there is the rebound. Mavericks would win 3 of their next 13.
27-15
**1/22/11 – 2/9/11 -**
10 Games
10 Wins
37-15
**2/10/11 -** Steak is broken against the Nuggets 121-120
37-16
**2/12/11 – 3/4/11 -**
8 Games
8 Wins
45-16
The Mavericks won 18 out of 19 games.
Let that sink in. The Mavs had winning streaks of 12, 10 and 8 in the same season. And twice, in the same season, the Mavericks lost once in a 18 game stretch.
**04/13/11 -** Finish regular season with a win against New Orleans and a 4 game win streak.
57-25
**Playoffs Round 1: Portland**
We should have handled the series easily. We quickly went up 2-0 and then LeMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace and Andre Miller punched us right back in the mouth to tie the series at 2. Dirk Brought his big boy pants in Game 5 and 6 and finished the series with 27.3/7.8/3.0
**Playoffs Round 2: Lakers**
Game 1: Late rally from double digits down. Dirk hits a big bucket at the top of the key to put us up 2 with a few seconds remaining. Kobe gets a GOOD LOOK at a winning three and it hits off the iron. Mavs up 1-0.
Game 2: Tight game back and forth in the first half. Mavs take a two point lead going into the 3rd. Mavs start to pull away thanks to Dirk and JJ Barea coming in and dropping 12 key points. Lakers shot 2-20 from behind the arc.
Game 3: Lakers down 2-0 going to Dallas. This was a tense and physical game from the tip. This was a back and forth game but the Lakers were hitting consistently with Kobe, Bynum, Gasol and Odom. Lakers up 6 to start the fourth. Back and forth again through the first 7 mins. Lakers up 85-78 with 5 mins to go. Three from Dirk down 5. Lakers hit one of two FT to go back up 6. Dirk to Peja for Three, down 3. Back and forth Lakers up 89-88 with 2 mins to go….Jason Terry Three. Mavs in Front. Dirk Bucket and two free throws by Jet stretch the lead. Turnover by Lakers with under 15 seconds left off of the inbounds. Game, Set, Match.
Game 4: “The Mother’s Day Massacre”. Dallas finished 20-32 from behind the arc with Jet and Peja combining to go 15/16. That’s just absurd. 32 from Jason Terry, 22 from Barea and 21 from Peja. Outside of the devastating three point barrage the game is also notable for the absolute THUGGERY by Andrew Bynum on JJ. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZIcynYImzs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZIcynYImzs).
Mavericks sweep the series. Kobe has been swept only 3 times in the playoffs in his career. 97-98 by the Utah Jazz who lost to MJ for three peat number 2. 98-99 by the Duncan / Robinson Spurs and the 10-11 Mavs.
Also, Mavs have won 6 in a row.
**Western Conference Finals: Thunder**
Game 1: An absolute, all time playoff masterpiece by Dirk. 12 of 15 from the Floor. A perfect 24/24 from the line. Didn’t even attempt a three. 48/6/4. I bet Ibaka still wakes up in a cold sweat some days thinking about this surgical demolition by Dirk. Durant also dropped 40 in this game but Mavs win game at home.
Make that 7 in a row.
Game 2: This game was a combination of Dirk going cold in the second half and James Harden stepping UP. An and one 3 at the end of the third quarter and just big big buckets down the stretch tie the series at 1-1.
Game 3: Mavericks were just ready from the Tip. Up 15 after the first. Up 16 at half. Up 14 to start the 4th. Just a well rounded game by all to take a 2-1 lead.
Game 4: “The Comeback” There is 5:04 left in the game. OKC is up 99-84. And rolling. Most teams would have packed it up and gone back to Dallas with the series tied at 2. Most teams. Dallas start hitting some shots. It’s still at 10 point game with 2:24 left (101-91). Dirk 3. Dirk ridiculous baseline shot. Dirk fade away from just inside FT line. Now it’s 101-99 with 8.2 seconds left. Keep in mind OKC has scored just two points in the last 5 mins. Dirk Fouled and we know they good. KD for three and the win is BLOCKED by the Matrix. Going to OT. Trade baskets to tie it at 105 and with under 45 seconds left Dirk finds JKidd in the corner for the hesitation three, bang, bucket let’s go home and wrap this thing up.
Game 5: OKC playing for their lives. Back and forth game all game. Dirk hits a ridiculous over the head shot against collision to cut the lead to 4 going into the 4th. OKC swells lead to 8. Under 90 seconds to play Mavs down 94-92. Dirk for three…MISS. Offensive rebound, around the horn to Dirk again….BANG. 95-94 Dallas. 1:14 left. Under 15 seconds left Dallas get an offensive board up 2 and Dirk gets fouled. 100-96 with 7 seconds left. Harden off front Iron. Jet dunks as time expires on the game and the Thunder. We goin to the finals!!!
**NBA Finals: Heat**
Game 1: The Heat looked unstoppable in the playoffs. Hadn’t lost at home and barely lost on the way to the finals. At home in game 1 that streak continued and Dallas looked “tired” from their emotional series win against OKC. Heat took game 1 in a game that wasn’t as close as the 8 point margin of victory would lead you to believe.
Game 2: “The Comeback Part 2”. Dallas tried to keep it close in the first three quarters but Miami was slowly building a lead. The crowd was going nuts. With 7:14 left in the game, Wade hits a corner three to put Miami up 88-73. They are looking to cruise to a 2-0 lead. What happened next is the greatest 4th quarter comeback in NBA Finals history. Over the next 6:14 Dallas goes on a 17-2 run to tie the game on a Dirk Fast Break layup with 57.6 left. 90-90. A Wade missed three and Dirk drains one at the other end to give the Mavs a 93-90 lead with 26 seconds left. Miami Timeout. Somehow Mario Chalmers is WIDE open in the corner for a great cross court pass by LeBron and buries the 3 to tie it at 93 with 24 seconds left. It’s Dirk time. Iso 1 on 1 with Bosh at the top of the key, backs him down, fake to the middle, spin move, up and off the glass for the bucket with 3.6 seconds left. Miami is out of timeouts and Wade misses a long 3. We are tied at 1-1.
Game 3: As back and forth of a game as they come. The 4th starts with the score Miami 67-64. Just think about that. These are halftime scores consistently now a days. This was through 36 minutes. Dirk Ties it at 84 with 2:25 to play after scoring the last 10 points for Dallas. Wade Hits, Dirk hits. Tied at 86 (12 straight for Dirk). A Bosh jumper from the corner puts Miami up 88-86 with 39 seconds to go. Misses on both end and Dallas has one last chance with 4.5 seconds. This time Dirk’s jumper is off the back iron. Miami takes game 3.
Game 4: Dirk starts out 3 for 3. Just a different level of focus and intensity for both teams. Dallas can’t seem to pull away but on par with game 1-3, Miami goes into the 4th with a 69-65 lead. Miami quickly stretches the lead to o9 74-65. This 4th quarter was Jet getting into the lane for buckets and Chandler on the offensive glass. Big rebound after big rebound for him who ended up with 16. 82-81 Dallas, 19 seconds left. Dirk with the ball at the top of the key. Again Drives and is unstoppable. 84-81. After a quick Miami score and two free throws by Dallas we are up 86-83 with 6 seconds left. Miami inbounds. Bad pass forces a deep, contested Mike Miller air ball. 2-2. (LeBron had 8 points)
Game 5: The three point shooting is back. Barea 4-5. JKidd 3-5. Jet 3-5. Mavs go 13-19 from behind the arc and despite a close first quarter we win the next three quarters. Dirk clutch from the free throw line as usual with a cool 10/10. Barea finishes with 17, one of five Dallas players in double digits. Dallas up 3-2. We are one win away and heading home.
Game 6: The pressure is at a maximum but we have the momentum and are at home. Dirk and co is 48 minutes away from a ring. Dirk was about as cold as you can be in the first half going 1-12. Thank you Jason Terry for just hitting clutch bucket after clutch bucket. Dirk would finish strong going 8-15 in the second half including the dagger with 2:27 left in front of the Miami bench to go up 10. It was in sight. Miami couldn’t grab a rebound and we go under a minute left. This is happening. The buzzer sounds and the vindication from 06 is here. Dirk has to quickly go back to the locker room to get his emotions in check. The Mavericks are your champions.
Facts:
Jason Terry got the Larry O’Brien Trophy tattoo’d on his arm before the season started
Jason Terry shot 67% on field goals in the final two games.
Dirk Missed just one FT in the Finals…11 total in the playoffs.
​
Oh and F\*CK D Wade
by mcskim46
1 Comment
We won the ship on the road at Miami not at home