Beat the Heat! That’s a phrase with a double meaning now in Dallas. What a ride these playoffs have been. From such low expectations this season after the debacle of 2006 and playoff failure after failure from the loss to 8th seed Golden State the following season to the San Antonio loss in 2010.

A few random thoughts:

• Dallas gets their first double-digit lead of the series.
• Jason Kidd had to come back to Dallas to win a title.
• Peja Stojakovic finally gets a ring.
• Dirk Nowitzki, MVP. Started off cold (1-12), ended with double-double (21-11).
• Unfortunate post-game quote: “Jason Kidd’s DNA is all over this title.” -Mark Jackson
• Now LeBron James decides to score a few points?

From 88-73 with 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter of game two, down 1-0 in the series, the Dallas Mavericks flipped a switch and took control.

This series was about a Mavericks team rather than a Heat dream team. From that fateful fourth quarter in game two Dallas simply outplayed Miami. This was about a smarter and more cohesive team imposing their will on another. The Mavericks refused to lose. And they are now champions.

NBA Champion Dirk Nowitzki

By taking a 3-2 series lead in the NBA Finals the Dallas Mavericks have effectively erased the horror of the 2006 finals. One more win and it’s buried forever – vindication will be theirs.

There were too many fourth quarter heroes to name. Dirk Nowitzki rained three pointers from the rafters, J.J. Barea hit timely shots, Jason Terry threw deadly daggers late in the shot clock and Tyson Chandler absorbed a LeBron James charge during crunch time. It was an instant classic and should the Mavericks manage to take one of the next two games, it will be remembered forever by their fans.

LeBron James posted a triple-double but once again disappeared in the fourth quarter. He missed several three point attempts and was called for a charge the one time he drove to the basket.

The Miami Heat had five players in double figures but it wasn’t enough as Dallas had an answer throughout the contest. When the Heat took their first lead of the second half, the Mavericks shut them down, ending the game on a 15-3 run. Even with the 112-103 win they have yet to hold a double-digit lead at any point in the series.

Game six is Sunday @ 8 pm CDT in Miami.

Flu-like symptoms and a 102 degree fever? The Dirk-i-nator has no time for such things. The Dallas Mavericks again played from behind but managed to win with clutch fourth-quarter performances by Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki. Center Tyson Chandler’s 13 point and 16 rebound contribution helped keep the Mavericks close and prevented the Heat from dominating the offensive boards after nabbing nine rebounds in the first quarter.

LeBron James continues to shrink in the playoffs even as teammate Dwayne Wade excels. As tough as the series has been so far, the Mavericks may have a 3-1 lead if not for Wade.

Like game two, the Mavericks delivered the vital win largely due to their defensive efforts by holding the Heat to only fourteen points in the final quarter.

Even with the series tied, Dallas must maintain focus and deliver Miami their first consecutive defeats of the post-season by taking the pivotal fifth game. Accomplishing that, the Mavericks can travel to Miami needing one victory to take their first NBA Championship. Keep the dream alive!

Game five is Thursday @ 8 pm CDT in Dallas.

Dirk seals the deal (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

Falling behind in the series and ceding home court back to the Miami Heat has the Dallas Mavericks in a tough position. They must solve the Heat tonight and even the series at two games apiece.

To accomplish this the Mavericks must not allow themselves to fall behind early in the game. Then they need significant contributions from their bench on both sides of the ball. Ideally, they would use the raucous Dallas crowd as inspiration to bury the Heat early. But none of this is possible if the Mavericks bench shooters continue at their wretched pace. The instant Peja Stojakovic spells Dirk Nowitzki, the Heat go on a 10-0 run. Jason Terry and J.J. Barea must make the most of their open looks. Dirk cannot do this thing alone! Cut down on the turnovers – that single aspect could be considered the difference in game three.

So, on the menu tonight are early stops of the Heat and productive offensive possessions for the Mavericks, followed by frustrated Heat players taking bad fouls and desperate three point shots.

Game four is tonight @ 8 pm CDT in Dallas.

Dirk takes a shot (Ft. Worth Star Telegram)

Well, that sucked. Obviously, the next two games are must wins for the Mavericks – they simply must get back to Miami up 3-2 for any hope of taking the championship. And if Shaun Marion and Jason Terry continue to shoot, it wouldn’t hurt if they did better than 4-12 and 5-13, respectively. Dirk Nowitzki won’t be able to reach the prize alone.

Game four is Thursday @ 8 pm CDT in Dallas.

Nowtizki stretches for a rebound (David J. Phillips/AFP/Getty Images)

Is a full season in the offing after all?  A cadre of owners, players and NFL and union officials met secretly from Tuesday evening to Thursday afternoon so perhaps there is yet hope.

Official meetings resume today.

Once again we saw a tight contest.  Game two was generally close throughout and like game one, saw an early lead squandered by the Dallas Mavericks and a late lead built by the Miami Heat.  But this time the Mavericks solved the problems of game one.  While the 3 pointers eventually dried up for the Heat, the Mavericks bench upped their contribution as guard Jason Terry scored 16 points – sans a single 3 point bucket. And they won both the offensive and total rebound battle.

But all of this only serves to bury the lead – the Mavericks staged an epic comeback from 15 points down with 6 minutes remaining.  After Dwayne Wade sunk his final 3 pointer from the corner to put the Heat up by 15, the Mavericks looked finished.  But after a timeout they started a 17-2 run that began with 8 straight points by Terry.  At the end they finished on a 22-5 run with Dirk Nowitzki scoring the final 9 points.

Dirk’s only 3 pointer with 27 seconds remaining gave the Mavericks their first lead since the second quarter and his drive to the basket sealed the deal with 3 seconds to go.  The funniest part?  Wade’s flop fail on his desperation attempt at the end.  Oh, I loved that.  For once, the referees got one right.

The Mavericks head home with the series tied 1-1, mission accomplished.

Game three is Sunday @ 7 pm CDT in Dallas.

While it was a close game throughout one gets the disquieting feeling that the Miami Heat were merely playing with their food.  If the Dallas Mavericks managed to hit a few baskets in a row while getting a few stops, the Heat would reel them back within minutes.

And while the Mavericks shot more free throws than the Heat, it seems that Dirk Nowitzki can be bludgeoned with blunt instruments before a foul is called while Dwayne Wade gets to the line after a dirty look.

But for all the perceptions, the fact is that the Mavericks were close when it counted.  To beat the Heat they’ll need 10 more points from Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic and another 10 rebounds from Tyson Chandler.  The Dallas bench cannot continue in their scoring slump and expect to play more than four games against the Heat.  Likewise, they cannot allow 16 offensive boards.  Yes, it may be obvious, but bench scoring and rebounding will make all the difference.

Game two is Thursday @ 8 pm CDT.

It was eerily similar to Game 4 in Oklahoma City on Monday night. The Thunder lead for most of the game and by as much as seven points deep into the fourth quarter. Then it happened again: the inexperience and youth of the Thunder yielded to another Mavericks comeback. The duo of Durant and Westbrook took bad shots while the team committed untimely fouls and eventually, with 74 seconds remaining, after just missing his first 3 point attempt of the game, Dirk Nowitzki sank one from the top of the key. And the Mavericks had a one point lead.

This was the closest 4-1 series I’ve ever seen. Either of the last two games could have gone the other way, but the Mavericks wouldn’t allow it. Come the final two minutes, the Thunder fell apart and the Mavericks gelled, plain and simple. It perfectly illustrates the advantage a veteran team has over a youthful one.

Now the Mavericks wait for the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals. Next game to be determined!

Marion, Kidd & Nowitzki versus the OKC Thunder, 2011 WCF

With their comeback from 15 down with 5 minutes to play the Dallas Mavericks effectively closed the door on the OKC Thunder’s season. Dallas ended their 17-2 run with two clutch free throws by Dirk Nowitzki to force OT.

Of course, no massive comeback happens on its own and the Mavericks had much help from a Thunder meltdown. Brian Westbrook continued to show that, while he possesses a wonderful skill set, his mental game needs massive amounts of work as he committed fouls, failed to pass, took shots early in the shot clock and turned over the ball down the stretch. If there was anything he could do to hurt his team, Westbrook found a way to do it.

But let us not overlook the great team effort from the Mavericks and their standout player, Dirk Nowitzki. Despite another great defensive performance by Nick Collison in which there was nothing he could do for 43 minutes to earn a foul call, Nowitzki persevered and overcame the adversity when it mattered most, finding a way to get a shot and earning his way to the foul line.

Shaun Marion’s defense smothered Kevin Durant down the stretch and his block of Durant’s last-second shot secured the tie.

The series moves back to Dallas for Game 5 on Wednesday @ 8:00 pm CDT.