Back in Texas for Game 6

Plano, Texas — That actually wasn't too bad a drive.

Roughly seven-and-a-half hours after leaving my house in Lawrence, I arrived at my parents' place in Plano at 2:15 p.m. Didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, but I'm operating on pure adrenaline at the moment.

This was waiting for me as I arrived home. Thanks, mom.



I haven't made the Lawrence-to-Plano drive in years, probably my college days. Straight shot down I-35. As simple as one can imagine. I probably won't be complaining too much in the near future about paying tolls in Kansas. The highways in Kansas versus Oklahoma are night and day. The Kansas portion of I-35 was smooth and nicely-paved. Oklahoma, not so much.

I only made one stop, at Subway just outside of Oklahoma City. Really powered through the drive, thanks to a few phone conversations and switching up the CD's.

Should be meeting up with people for Game 6 tomorrow. It should be a heck of a time.

About to head out to Eddy V's downtown with mom and dad for a seafood dinner. I'm already glad I made the trip. Be back on later for game-specific thoughts.

Go Mavs.

Why the heck not? Heading down I-35 to Dallas

With Saturday and Sunday off, I made a rather crazy decision on Friday afternoon: I'm heading down I-35 shortly to Plano so I can be in Dallas when the Mavericks take on the Heat in Game 6 on Sunday.

This is pretty crazy, with it being a seven-plus-hour drive and all, but what the hell? You only live once. Plus, this will surely be a story I tell for a long time, regardless of the outcome. Just like I did for the World Series. Sure, the Rangers lost to the Giants, but I don't for a second regret my trip back to Arlington to attend.

Game 6, of course, is in Miami, but Dallas is going to be absolutely insane if the Mavs pull this one off. I want to be there to witness it.

I don't know what it feels like to have one of my teams win it all. Kansas in 2008 doesn't count because of my unbiased position in writing about the Big 12. I've been close, though:

2002: Raiders lose in Super Bowl.
2006: Mavs lose in NBA finals.
2010: Rangers lose in World Series.

Maybe this year will be different. If it is, I want to be sure I'm in Dallas to take it all in.

Time to hit the road. I'll be back on the blog throughout the weekend. Go Mavs.

Reason 1A Mavs are in NBA finals: Tyson Chandler

Here's an easy question to begin this blog entry: What is the main reason the Dallas Mavericks made it to the NBA finals, where they're deadlocked in a 2-2 tie with the Miami Heat in one of the most thrilling championships of all-time?

Answer: Clearly, it's the elite/clutch/other-worldly play of superstar Dirk Nowitzki, who's proven critics wrong throughout these playoffs in the most impressive two-month stretch of his brilliant 13-year Hall of Fame career.

Dirk's averaged 28 points and 8.1 rebounds in 19 playoff games, to go along with an insane mark of 163-of-174 (93.7 percent) from the foul line. He's shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.

He's been sensational. In both Dallas victories in the finals, Dirk has converted the game-winning layup. In Game 2 in Miami, he took Chris Bosh from the top of the key to the hole and muscled his way to a left-handed layup that cradled around the rim and dropped in the closing seconds. The fact that he had a broken tendon in his left middle finger didn't seem to matter at that moment. Then, in Game 4 in Dallas, Dirk took Udonis Haslem, noted for his lockdown defense, to the other side for a game-winning, right-handed layup. Same starting location. Triple-threat position at the top of the key. The fact that Dirk had a 101-degree fever didn't seem to matter at that moment either.



Dirk's been the Mavs' clear-cut MVP. Easy answer.

How about a more difficult question: What's the second-biggest reason the Mavs are playing in the NBA finals?

My answer: The inside presence, on both ends of the floor, of Tyson Chandler.

OK, so my Chandler man-crush in the Gametime in Arlington archives is obvious. I've praised the guy as the best Mavericks center ever, and also stated that the trade Mark Cuban made for him in July 2010 was the best trade in team history (need a refresher? Charlotte sent Chandler and Alexis Ajinca to Dallas for Matt Carroll, Erick Dampier and Eduardo Nájera...come on!).

Chandler deserves these bold claims, though. His impact extends beyond basic stats, which aren't too bad as it stands (in playoffs, 7.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, almost 2 blocks, 57.5 percent shooting from field per game).

Chandler's impact comes more from his ability to defend elite big men. His impact comes more from high-flying, alley-oop dunks that energize the team and the crowd.

Let's briefly look back at who the Mavs beat on their path to the NBA finals. Portland with LaMarcus Aldridge and Marcus Camby. Los Angeles with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. Oklahoma City with Kevin Durant, Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka. These are mammoth front lines, particularly the latter two.

As a Mavs fan, I never really felt secure in the team's interior defense. Dallas hasn't really ever had a legitimate center to man up against elite post men (sorry, Erick Dampier, Shawn Bradley, Raef Lafrentz, etc.) Not until now, of course.

Fans frequently rip the NBA for its lack of defense, and part of those claims are fair, especially in the regular season. But you better be able to defend in the NBA playoffs. The Mavs, for the first time in years or maybe ever, possess one of the better defenses in basketball. The main reason is Chandler in the paint.

Dirk's performance against the Heat in Game 4 was nothing short of inspirational: 101-degree fever, 21 points, 11 boards, game-winning shot. But don't forget about the importance of Chandler, who scored 13 points and grabbed 16 boards, including nine on the offensive end. When Chandler has been on the floor this postseason, the Mavs are +80.

Now that Dirk is locked up for another two years, the first order of business after the postseason should be to lock up Chandler, only 28. If that happens, and defensive-minded Caron Butler returns from injury, the Mavs, despite their old age, could have another year or two left in the Dirk era to compete for the Western Conference title.

Mini-movie captures epic Mavs comeback

One of my friends shared a link on my Facebook wall that captured the Dallas Mavericks' epic comeback against the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

Dallas, down 15 points with just over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, went on an incredible 20-2 run to win the game, 95-93, in Miami.

I reflected on it here.

This video, which includes all-access coverage inside the locker rooms, is a fascinating production. A mini-movie that will never get old:



Game 3 is 7 p.m. on Sunday in Dallas. Let's take the series lead on these guys.

Astonishing Mavericks rally creates whole new series heading back to Dallas

The improbable and incredible comeback by the Dallas Mavericks in their 95-93 stunner over the Miami Heat on Thursday had to be one of the most exciting finishes to a basketball game I've ever seen.

Dallas, trailing 0-1 in the NBA Finals, was down by 15 points with 7:15 remaining. Had the Mavs dropped Game 2, the next two home games would have been must-wins. Instead, they rallied and tied the series at 1-1. And it was one of the more astonishing comebacks I've seen in NBA playoff history.

I worked on Thursday night, so I didn't get to see the whole game. I listened throughout the telecast, followed it online and caught most of the final seven minutes on TV. I was mesmerized by what I saw.

Dirk Nowitzki continued to light up the court with dazzling shots. His three-pointer with just less than 30 seconds left gave Dallas a 93-90 lead. After Mario Chalmers tied the game with a three, the Mavs had the ball with 24 seconds left. Clearly, we were holding for one.

Dirk received the ball at the top of the key. With Chris Bosh defending, Dirk made a move to his right before spinning back to his left, and converted a left-handed layup with 3.6 seconds left. Pretty fitting, considering the tall German was playing with a torn tendon in the middle finger of his left hand. Didn't seem to matter on the final possession. In fact, Dirk made two layups left-handed in the final few minutes of Thursday's game.

This is why I told Mavs fans not to hit the panic button after Game 1.

There's something about this Mavs team that's different than previous editions. Something we saw in Game 4 of the Oklahoma City series, when the Mavs found themselves down 15 in the fourth quarter before forcing overtime and winning in OKC. Something we saw when Dallas swept the Lakers. Something we saw when Dallas recovered from blowing a late lead in Portland and closed out the series. With previous Mavericks teams, perhaps blowing that big lead against the Trail Blazers would have discouraged them.

Not this team.

This team doesn't let anything faze it; not rowdy fans, not the talent of Kevin Durant and the Thunder, or LeBron James and the Heat. I'm convinced it starts with defense. Credit coach Rick Carlisle for preaching and instilling quality defensive instincts with this group. It's given them a swagger and the necessary confidence to walk into a visitor's building and actually welcome the jeering from rowdy opposing fans. It seems like when the Mavs play on the road, they feed off every fan who tells them they're terrible, old and/or washed up. That's the difference with this Mavericks team.

Now, admittedly, when we were down 15 on Thursday in Miami, I didn't foresee a mammoth comeback on the horizon. But if there was a Mavericks team that could pull off such a comeback, this was the one.

On Tuesday, after the Mavs lost Game 1, they were slammed on talk radio. I listened to it on the way home and agreed with none of it. Now you see why. How can you be so sure of a series after one game?

I tweeted on Tuesday night after Game 1: "If we take game 2, it's a whole new series heading back to dallas. #mffl #gomavs."

Isn't that the truth.

Mavs lose Game 1, but panic button should be cast aside

Within minutes of the Dallas Mavericks dropping Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the Miami Heat, 92-84 in Miami, I was driving home when a late-night host on ESPN radio started analyzing the series.

If you're the Dallas Mavericks, the host said, tell me one positive thing you took away from Game 1. Tell me anything the Mavs did that would suggest they have hope the rest of the series.

I wish I was live in the studio so I could have put that guy in his place. One positive thing?

• The Mavs, for one, held a 44-43 lead at halftime and jumped out to a 51-43 lead to start the second half. This was a close game, despite Dallas shooting a chilly 37.3 percent from the field. Can't expect the Mavs to win every game, especially in Miami. The Heat haven't lost in their home building since April 6. That's nearly two months.

• Dallas, for two, played sound defense for the most part, especially for a road game. Holding Miami to 92 points, including 16 in the first quarter and 43 at halftime, is not too shabby.

It's amazing the snap judgment some of these talk-show personalities immediately formulate. It's one game. Chicago beat Miami in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, only for the Heat to storm back and take the next four games. Now, the Mavs won't do that, but calling for a fallen sky after the first game is ridiculous.

Of course, the Mavs remain the heavy underdogs. Teams that have won Game 1 of the Finals proceeded to claim the title 73.4 percent of the time, including 10 of the past 12 seasons. Dallas needs to rebound better, particularly on the offensive glass, where Miami held a 16-6 edge. Dirk Nowitzki revealed after the game he played part of the fourth quarter with a torn tendon in the middle finger of his left hand. He'll play going forward, but you have to wonder how much that will affect him, even though it's his non-shooting hand.

Yes, the Mavs have a lot of work to do if they want to hoist the trophy, but instantly dismissing them after one game is absurd. Let the series play out.

We'll see what happens in Game 2 on Thursday night in Miami.