Das German I've been witness -- as have most of us -- to many Dallas Mavericks collapses over the years of all kinds. Finally, it's the morning after and no one's talking about the Mavericks in terms of disappointment.
The Mavericks overcame a 15-point deficit in the final quarter last night getting an overtime win 112-105.
There's too much here. Sports overload. What do you start with, how do you finish and just imagine the other 1,000 things in between that defined this silly basketball game.
I will say this: I thought the Mavericks were toast. Everything was against them. The crowd. The odds. The rebounding differential. The Thunder's field-goal percentage. Six minutes left in last night's game and the Mavericks had nothing -- zero! -- going for them.
Even the Mavs' white flag -- J.J. Barea -- was eating up big minutes in the third and beginning of the fourth quarter.
Then like a flash, when it seemed all was lost, it snapped. The Thunder had their lead, they got lazy and the Mavs never quit pushing. When all is said and done, that's all you want out of your professional sports team, to never quit pushing.
Five things:
1. I feel absolutely sick for Kevin Durant. He's one of the most enjoyable -- and by all accounts, sweetest -- players in the league, and to lose that game on your homecourt when the ball pretty much in other people's hands was killer. He wants to win as bad as anyone and he's stuck with a teammate (Russell Westbrook) that's too big for his britches. That game should have been lost with Durant taking a majority of the shots.
2. Small keys: Shawn Marion entering the game, Barea going out, Harden fouling out with four minutes left (do you protect him knowing what was coming?), Kendrick Perkins being an absolute non-factor, Mavs hitting the boards late (if you look, the rebounding differential shrunk considerably from the third quarter to the end of regulation) and the Thunder committing ridiculously bad fouls and sending the Mavericks to the line.
3. The legend of Dirk Nowitzki -- just when you think it can't anymore -- keeps growing. He is beyond words. Right now, the basketball world is watching him and wondering what they were watching the last 10 years. It's indescribably beautiful.
4. As unimpressive as Westbrook has been, Nick Collison has been equally as impressive. Love that guy and I'd have him or someone like him on my team any day of the week.
5. I think the age and experience has finally shown itself in this series. I think, also, hunger is playing a big role. Not that Durant and Co. aren't hungry. They probably want a title more than anyone. However, the Mavericks are hungrier, and, on top of that, they know exactly what to do to reach that certain level to get it. The Mavericks are old. This could very well be the final season for Jason Kidd. As presently constructed, it's conceivable that Mark Cuban could light the fuse and blow this team up if the Mavericks don't win and win big. With a potential work stoppage, that only complicates things for a group of guys mostly in their 30s and knowing that the Thunder are only going to get better with age.
