Dirk

We love you, Dirk Nowitzki

I've watched a lot of NBA Playoff basketball in my life. I've been fortunate enough to have been a monster NBA fan in the late-1980s and throughout the 1990s, when I was privvy to Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Reggie Miller and many more.

I'm not an expert on the NBA and there are many others that have seen and remember more than me. Still, Dirk Nowitzki's 48-point effort in the first game of the 2011 Western Conference Finals ranks. The Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-112.

Some of the more remarkable aspects of Nowitzki's night:

1. It took him a mere 15 shots (12 of which he made) to get his 48 points.

2. He still filled up the box score getting six rebounds, four assists and four blocks.

3. He did not attempt a three pointer.

What more can I say? What can I type here that could appropriately communicate to you just how gloriously fantastic Nowitzki was and has been the last two weeks?

I will say this, it was effortless. He scored 48. It felt like 25. That is the highest praise I can give Nowitzki for last night, yet, I don't feel it's good enough.

I think there's little analysis and not very much to talk about here, honestly. That sounds weird.

I think the Mavericks go to the film room with a lot to improve, and if you're the Thunder, you don't fee completely out of it.

As good as Nowitzki was last night, Kevin Durant was maybe just as good. He was almost perfect for most of the game and he scored 40 himself.

I think the lynchpin here is Russell Westbrook. I said yesterday that if he's not scoring 25 and completely controlling the tempo, then the Thunder don't have a prayer. He shot 3-15 from the field, and wound up with 20 points, mostly from the charity stripe.

If Westbrook figures some things out and gets the Thunder on the run, they will give the Mavericks trouble.

For the Thunder, they will start to double Nowitzki and force the rest of the Mavericks to shoot, which is wise. They threw James Harden, Durant, Thebo Sefolosha, Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison and the kitchen sink at Nowitzki. None of it worked.

Another note: Tyson Chandler needs to chill the fuck out. He can claim innocence all he wants, but that was a dumb technical at the start of the game, and it's been a recurring theme these playoffs and this mock "thug" act is getting old.