Wow! I still can't get used to the sound of that. As I mentioned a few weeks ago the Dallas Mavericks were 4 wins away from their first NBA title. As a long time "die-hard" fan I've seen this franchise go through all its peaks and valleys. From the team's inception in 1980 to its first NBA title last night...I've seen it all. What I saw last night was...well...something I never thought I'd ever see.
For those of you who haven't been following this year's playoff run...this is why it was so magical and unbelievable - it was totally unexpected. Many national experts (and fans like myself) never thought Dallas would even get out of the first round this year, let alone make a significant playoff run. Dallas beat Portland in the first round 4 games to 2. They beat the defending champions L.A. Lakers in a 4 game sweep. Then they beat the young and ultra-athletic Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games. Then they met up with the much hyped Miami Heat in the finals (a self-proclaimed "super group" of 3 all-stars) and beat them in 6 games. Like I said...no one saw this coming. That's why this playoff run was so magical.
To help all of you casual sports fans understand the significance of this victory think of it this way. This is like David vs. Goliath, Rocky vs. Apollo Creed, Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader. This is a true storybook ending of the underdog achieving victory. Here's how it all happened:
GAME 1: Mavericks lose Game 1 92-84. Afterward many experts predict the Heat winning in 4 straight games.
GAME 2: Miami goes up by 15 in the 4th quarter and Lebron James and Dwyane Wade begin to celebrate in front of the Dallas bench. In a stunning turnaround Dallas goes on a 24-5 run and wins the game on a last second layup by Dirk Nowitzki...95-93.
GAME 3: With the series headed to Dallas the Mavericks let one slip away as the Heat steal Game 3...88-86
GAME 4: Playing with a 101 fever Dirk finally gets help from his teammates and Dallas ties the series with another last minute win...86-83.
GAME 5: Momentum begins to shift in the series as Dallas takes a commanding 3-2 lead in the series with a 112-103 victory. The Mavericks are 1 win away from the title.
GAME 6: In a game where Dirk shoots poorly the entire Mavericks team steps up to help their star. Mavericks win 105-95 and Dallas gets its first NBA title. Afterward Dirk Nowitzki is named Finals MVP...unanimously.
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