The Dallas Mavericks finally delivered the Oklahoma City Thunder their first loss of the 2011-12 season. Unlike the rest of the season, Oklahoma City only led once in this game, after a Russell Westbrook layup to open things up, and Dallas forced their hand and finished the contest with a 100-87 win.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Wikimedia Commons

After opening the season with four straight 30-point games, Kevin Durant has now played two in a row without reaching that mark. However, the Thunder star led both teams in scoring in the game with 27. He wasn’t the only Thunder player to play well, the only problem being that the Mavericks were playing better.

Dallas shot 48.8-percent in the game, their best totals of the year and the highest anyone has shot against the Thunder so far this season as well. While the Mavericks have not been playing like defending NBA Champions, they are too good to continue to struggle. There are a number of new players in Dallas and it takes a little while to grow onto each other.

One player that is fitting in quite nicely in Dallas is Vince Carter. Look back to the last game that Dallas played the Thunder and it was Carter who hit what should have been the game winning three. This time around, Carter scored 14 points and the Thunder never had the chance for Durant to save the day.

For the Thunder, a couple of the newcomers who saw their first playing time against Phoenix played here as well. Lazar Hayward notched 10:14 in the game but went 0-for-4 from the field while rookie Reggie Jackson got limited playing time, missing all three of his attempts from 3-point land.

The stars were there, with Westbrook finishing with 18 points, James Harden adding 16 and Serge Ibaka having his second double-digit scoring game with 10 points and two more rebounds, pushing his season total to 13.

The Thunder hope to get back on track with a home contest with division rival Portland Trail Blazers. The Thunder and Trail Blazers used to be border rivals when the Thunder was located in Seattle but things have cooled on the rivalry since moving to Oklahoma City. Portland is currently 3-1, one game back from Oklahoma City in the Northwest Division.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and is an avid sports fan that has lived in Oklahoma for over 40 years. He used to religiously follow the Dallas Mavericks until Oklahoma City found a team to call their own.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

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Something is wrong right now with Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Against the Memphis Grizzlies, he finished the game 0-for-13 with only four points scored. Against the Dallas Mavericks, he finished the game 6-of-15 and against the Orlando Magic he finished 6-of-17.

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Wikimedia Commons

Over those three games, he is shooting 26-percent from the field.

He has also turned the ball over 25 times in the first four games of the season, an average of 6.25 a game. On a team less talented than the Thunder, those numbers from a starting point guard would mean a lot of losses. However, the Thunder have won all their games despite Westbrook’s poor play.

Actually, the Thunder won the games partially because of his play.

In the Memphis game, he only scored four points. However, two of those were in the final seconds when he shot two free throws that put the game out of reach for the Grizzlies. In the Mavericks game, he went 3-of-4 in the final quarter of the game, including a thunderous dunk. If he missed one of those final shots, Oklahoma City would have lost.

The big problem here is that the Thunder are good but they won’t continue to lead this charmed life unless Westbrook figures out what is wrong and fixes it.

In the game against Memphis, Westbrook was playing bad and ended up taking it out on his teammates, yelling at Thabo Sefolosha for not taking a shot that Westbrook thought he should and then having an argument with Kevin Durant, who was trying to defuse the situation.

In the Dallas game, it was the same old situation. Ever since the 2010-11 postseason, no one has made me yell at my television as much as Russell Westbrook. Here he was again, missing shot after shot. Instead of just playing around his difficulties, he raced down the court and missed a quick jumper, never even looking at his teammates. He wanted to fix his shooting problems so bad that it seemed to take over the game.

Between the Memphis and Dallas game, Westbrook missed 17 shots in a row. Since then, he made six of 12 and helped make sure the Thunder would win. One important thing to notice is that, when the fourth quarter came and Westbrook got the ball in his hands, the Thunder faithful began to chant for him. He responded to the positive vibes from the crowd and turned his game up a notch.

Maybe Westbrook needs encouragement. Maybe he plays poorly when things grow negative around him. I don’t know if it is all mental, which would make sense for a 23 year old, but it is something he needs to get under control before it ruins the Thunder’s season.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and is an avid sports fan that has lived in Oklahoma for over 40 years. He used to religiously follow the Dallas Mavericks until Oklahoma City found a team to call their own.

Source: CBSSports.com

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The game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder was decided by Kevin Durant’s last second buzzer beating basket. The Thunder was lucky and they know it. This morning I read comments and questions like, “Are the Mavericks the Worst Champions Since 1961?” and “The Mavericks should at least put up a fight.” This is my reaction to analyst comments like these.

The Dallas Mavericks don’t get the respect they deserve after winning the 2011 NBA Championship. The Mavericks earned the Larry O’brian Trophy. It wasn’t handed to them on a platter by poorly playing opponents. The 2012 version of the Mavericks are not the same team, but have the potential to be as good or better. I briefly discuss the changes here, but the core of the team has changed. They are having problems coming together as a team. The lockout and short preseason didn’t help. Old guys don’t bounce back as quick as young guys. Using the game against the Thunder we can analyze play of individual players and determine how well the team is integrating.

Dirk Nowitski, Jason Kid and Jason Terry played like veteran players who have been together a long time. Shawn Marion also played well, but seemed to have some trouble handling the ball—probably because of the broken little finger. These guys know their place on the team. I have confidence in this core group.

Delonte West looked impressive scoring 15 points, along with six assists and four rebounds. I don’t think he has any problem working with the team and will only get better as games stack up.

Haywood, Mahinmi and Williams rotated in as centers. I really liked what I saw. They attacked the basket, scored, rebounded and blocked six shots. I credit their effort and coaching. If they keep this up the Mavericks center play will be an asset.

Vince Carter still has some game left in him. His team integration looks a little raw, but should improve. Carter played aggressively, created shots, and made some of them. I’m not sure he understands his exact role yet.

Lamar Odom looks lost and confused. I believe he lost a little confidence in the trade from the Los Angeles Lakers. We know he is a good player. It’s just a matter of time before he embraces his role in the system. When Odom becomes part of the “team” we will see good things from him.

I’m not happy with an 0-3 start in a 66 game season. I’d like 3-0 much better. I think the wins will come. The Mavericks have plenty of individual talent, but they need to work as a team to make a run. It will be up to the coaches to help them become that team. Analysts and reporters make snap statements sometimes to sell a story. I think they’ll have to eat some of those sensationally negative words before the season is over.

Gerald is an outdoor sportsman who has followed the Dallas Mavericks since the mid 80s. He would like nothing better than to see the Mavericks win two more Championships with Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitski.

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With the NBA season finally underway, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and newly acquired Lamar Odom are on a quest to lead the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA championship repeat in this shortened 66-game season. Luckily Mavs fans in Dallas and across the country can watch each game on television.

Check with your service provider for channel listings in your area.

Note: All start times Central

January 2012

Sun 1, Dallas Mavericks at Minnesota Timberwolves, 6 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Mon 2, Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. (FSSW, NBATV)

Wed 4, Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Thu 5, Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Sat 7, New Orleans Hornets at Dallas Mavericks, 8 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Tue 10, Dallas Mavericks at Detroit Pistons, 6:30 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Wed 11, Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics, 7 p.m. (FSSW, ESPN)

Fri 13, Milwaukee Bucks at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Sat 14, Sacramento Kings at Dallas Mavericks, 8 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Mon 16, Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)

Wed 18, Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Clippers, 9:30 p.m. (FSSW, ESPN)

Thu 19, Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)

Sat 21, Dallas Mavericks at New Orleans Hornets, 7 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Mon 23, Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Wed 25, Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Fri 27, Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Sun 29, San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks, 5:30 p.m. (FSSW, ESPN)

Mon 30, Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns, 8 p.m. (FSSW, NBA LP)

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is a Cleveland based freelance sportswriter and Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

In 2010-11, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks met in the Western Conference Finals, the winner getting a chance to play in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks won the series and went on to win the NBA Championship. It was the second year that the Thunder made it to the postseason and they did better each year.

Dirk Nowitzki
Wikimedia Commons

Now in 2010-11, the Thunder are ready to make that next step towards their destiny. They have started the new season with a 3-0 record, looking like the long NBA lockout didn’t affect them one bit. However, the Mavericks are headed in the other direction, sitting at 0-2, they have not won a game since they won the championship last season.

Kevin Durant leads the Thunder once again. In three games, Durant has surpassed 30 points each time, the first player in franchise history, Seattle and Oklahoma City combined, to open a season with three straight 30 point games. If Durant hits 30 points again against Dallas, he will be the first NBA player since Kobe Bryant (2005-06) to open a season with four consecutive 30-point games.

James Harden is the second leading scorer, the most valuable sixth man in the NBA. Harden heads in averaging 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game. Despite not starting, Harden still averages over 30 minutes a game. Russell Westbrook fell hard in Week 3, going 0-of-13 from the field, but still averages 15.3 points, 6.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals a game.

Dirk Nowitzki leads the Mavericks once again this season, the defending 2010-11 MVP. He only averages 20.5 points in the first two games this season with only 4.5 rebounds. Outside of Nowitzki, Jason Terry (14.5), Sean Williams (12.0) and Jason Kidd (10.5) are the only double digit scorers.

Newcomers Vince Carter (8.0 points) and Lamar Odom (5.0 points, 5.5 rebounds) have not found their comfort level yet in Dallas.

From the look, the Thunder have outperformed the Mavericks in every area of play this season. In the preseason, Oklahoma City swept Dallas in both their meetings. If they beat the Mavericks now, the Thunder will be 4-0 for the first time since 2003-04 when they played in Seattle. The game against Dallas tips off at 7:00 p.m. CT on December 29 in Oklahoma City.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and is an avid sports fan that has lived in Oklahoma for over 40 years. He used to religiously follow the Dallas Mavericks until Oklahoma City found a team to call their own.

Source: NBA.COM

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The Dallas Mavericks have insisted that there is a method to the madness of dismantling a championship roster and reassembling with veteran one year deals.

By now, we all know about the summer of 2012 and the two big names the Mavericks are prepared to go after in Dallas native, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard.

Well, you can count Tracy McGrady among the people who believe the Mavericks’ master plan will work. In an interview with Yahoo! McGrady says that the Mavericks will end up with Williams and Howard next year.

Full quotes after the jump.

“If it’s just Dwight and D-Will, he’s better off just staying in Orlando. You want to go to a team that’s championship caliber, and just him and D-Will won’t get it done. There’s got to be other pieces around to make it look sweet.”

….

D-Will is from Dallas,” McGrady said. “You’ve got Dirk Nowitzki there. They’re going to have [cap space] there. That looks sweet. Dirk. D-Will. And then you get Dwight Howard. That’s it, right there.”

….
“I’ve been watching Orlando play, and I think they let it go too far – to where they can’t compete for a championship,” McGrady said. “Dwight’s going to find a sweeter spot for him next year with him being a free agent, with D-Will being a free agent, and Dallas already having an established star there. … Yup, Dallas.”

And then he laughed and said, “You heard it from me first.”

Keep planting that seed and there’ll be a vet minimum deal in it for you, T-Mac.

What do you guys think about this.

Despite a 62-win season and a determined expectation for more success, hoop pundits are ranking the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder ahead of the Chicago Bulls in preseason power polls.

Here’s quick rundown of power polls that have been released so far.

CBS Sports: 1 – Heat; 2 – Thunder; 3 – Bulls; 4 – Mavericks; 5 – Lakers.

Fox Sports: 1 – Heat; 2 – Mavericks; 3 – Thunder; 4 – Bulls; 5 – Celtics.

NBA.com: 1 – Heat; 2 – Mavericks; 3 – Thunder; 4 – Bulls; 5 – Spurs.

NBC Sports: 1 – Mavericks; 2 – Heat; 3 – Bulls; 4 – Thunder; 5 – Lakers.

Sports Illustrated: 1 – Heat; 2 – Thunder; 3 – Mavericks; 4 – Bulls; 5 – Nuggets.

So hoop pundits generally agree that the NBA’s top four teams this season are likely to include the Bulls, Heat, Mavs and Thunder.

That’s a pretty good list, although, much like the experts, I’m having a hard time figuring out who that fifth team might be. The Celtics and Spurs are too old to withstand the rigors of the condensed 66-game schedule, and it seems like the Lakers are in a state of flux; maybe a New York or Memphis, or some other completely unexpected team, could sneak into the top 5.

I’m also not sure the Mavs will be as good as everyone is expecting.

If I were developing my own power poll, here’s how my rankings would look: 1 – Bulls; 2 – Thunder; 3 – Heat; 4 – Mavericks; 5 – Knicks/Grizzlies/???.

Be all of that as it may, the across-the-board ranking of the Bulls at no better than #3 or #4 is difficult to understand.

The Bulls are basically the same team as last year’s 62-win team, but with one big difference: They went out and got the shooting guard they so desperately needed. While it’s too early to know what the success of that acquisition might be, the Derrick Rose-Rip Hamilton tandem sure looked good in the team’s final exhibition game.

Meanwhile, the Miami Heat added Shane Battier and, lol, Eddie Curry, while the Mavs completely revamped their lineup. Only the Thunder remains intact from last season – all 10 members from last year’s rotation return – when they were pretty darned good.

Time will tell if the preseason power polls were accurate, but one thing is for sure: The Bulls will be in the thick of things, and are likely to exceed the pundits’ preseason power poll rankings.

Notes: Memo to whoever’s in charge of ESPN’s NBA home page – get rid of the Miami Heat Index already. What pathetic pandering…..Anyone watch the Heat-Magic game last night? The Magic looked a lot better than I expected, the Heat, not so much…..Jannero Pargo, who rode the pine for the Bulls last year after an earlier three-year stint with the team, signed with the Atlanta Hawks, while the Detroit Pistons are rumored to be interested in Keith Bogans…..K.C. Johnson’s Bulls Mailbag has returned for the season!

Sources: Power Rankings: Heat start at top, but it’s a new NBA from there, CBSSports.com; NBA preseason power rankings, Fox Sports; NBA Power Rankings: Mavericks start out season on top, NBC Sports/ProBasketballTalk; After preseason, Heat are on top, NBA.com; Heat, Thunder top preseason heap, Sports Illustrated.

YCN featured sports contributor Steve Merritt is – for better or worse – a lifelong Chicago Bulls, Bears and Cubs fan. Follow the Bulls’ 2011-12 season from a die-hard fan’s perspective on his blog, A Fan’s Take: The 2011-12 Chicago Bulls.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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NBA franchises have only been able to make roster changes since Friday. In less than a week, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has found ways to redesign his team in efforts to a repeat as NBA Champions.

The Mavericks lost last season’s second leading scorer when the Los Angeles Clippers signed eight-year vet and two-year Mav, small forward Caron Butler to a three-year contract worth $24 million. In a way, Butler’s leaving as a free agent didn’t come by surprise because of what the team did without him and the size of the contract he wanted. All the transactions I’m about to discuss are listed on Yahoo!’s transactions page.

Butler was replaced with small/power forward Lamar Odom in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. Dallas gets a skilled versatile player, who in my mind can do more than Butler and a second-round draft pick for a first-round selection and $8.9 million.

Odom is a player who will produce big numbers in terms of points and rebounding while doing all the little things to make a team better.

The Mavericks also took place in a three team trade with the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards which sent center Tyson Chandler , who helped win the championship in one year with Dallas, to the Knicks. The Mavericks received point guard Andy Rautins from New York , who only played four-minutes in his rookie campaign last season, and a second-round pick from Washington.

Sounds like plans to build instead of rebuilding.

No need to fear in the big man category with Chandler gone because they had serviceable Brendan Haywood on the bench. His 1.5 for blocks per game for his career is the same as Chandler’s 1.4, while Chandler only holds a slight lead in points 8.3 to 7.4.

The only aspect of the game Haywood has to dedicate himself to is rebounding. Haywood’s 6.2 to Chandler’s 8.8 career line might cause problems. Then again, Odom brings his 8.9 career average to the table.

At first it looked like shooting guard Jason Terry would be dealt or traded because he will be a free agent next season, but Tuesday’s Rudy Fernandez deal says otherwise. Fernandez was sent to the Denver Nuggets with Corey Brewer for another second-round draft pick. The Spaniard never played a game with Dallas since he was traded there by the Portland Trailblazers via a draft day trade.

Cuban and the Mavs didn’t really need Fernandez because the fire power at the shooting guard position not only had Terry but Vince Carter , who was signed Monday after the Phoenix Suns waived him.

Carter might be an iffy pick up when it comes to his demeanor and if he truly wants to play basketball anymore as he enters season 14 for his career, but winning a title might bring his game semi-back around. When compared to Fernandez in terms of scoring, Carter is more proficient and efficient except for free-throws, in which Carter loses 85.5% to 79.7%.

For every player the Mavericks lost, a similar or better player was brought in. Odom is better than Butler, Carter is better than Fernandez (if he doesn’t quit, while.Haywood has to step up his rebounding and energy level if he wants to try to match Chandler.

Dallas still has a veteran floor general in Jason Kidd , superstar Dirk Nowitzki , depth, perimeter shooting and experience.

On paper, it looks like the Dallas Mavericks are thinking repeat.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all for today.

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

On Wednesday night, the sports universe celebrated itself with the annual ESPYs, a barrel of awards and yucks presided over by Seth “Mr. Comedy” Meyers. There were NBA lockout zings and a good time was had by all.

However, the Dallas Mavericks’ win in the Best Team (the biggest award of the night, I think, although who really knows) created a bit of controversy. When the team won, assorted players, including Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki(notes) and Finals participant Brian Cardinal(notes), went up on stage to give awkward speeches. But they were also joined by team owner Mark Cuban, which means everyone exchanged handshakes and some short congratulations.

By the NBA’s lockout rules, Cuban should be fined for these interactions. However, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller got word from an NBA spokesman that Cuban got clearance to fraternize with the enemy beforehand.

As in the case of Heat brass attending Chris Bosh’s wedding, it seems as if the NBA is willing to make exceptions for important personal events or unavoidable public interactions, especially if those events involve corporate partners that pay the league billions of dollars for television rights. Still, it’s a little unclear to me why certain interactions are allowed and others are not. For instance, a wedding is certainly a major event in a person’s life, and his friends should be around to celebrate. But shouldn’t those same friends be allowed to send each other messages on their birthdays?

It’s nice that the NBA allows some interaction, but they are still creating arbitrary distinctions between what kinds of relationships are important and which aren’t. It’s one thing to be in a protracted labor dispute. Acting as if those same people should stop treating each other like human beings goes too far.

Whatever the case, I’m glad the Mavs got to hang out with Jason Bateman. I hear Cubes is a big fan of “Valerie’s Family.”

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
• The ‘Supermom’ who leads Team USA
• Rivals’ Top 25 college football players of the decade • Mom embarrasses HS star son in middle of game

Related: Brian Cardinal, Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks, Video, Lockout videos

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On Wednesday night, the sports universe celebrated itself with the annual ESPYs, a barrel of awards and yucks presided over by Seth “Mr. Comedy” Meyers. There were NBA lockout zings and a good time was had by all.

However, the Dallas Mavericks’ win in the Best Team (the biggest award of the night, I think, although who really knows) created a bit of controversy. When the team won, assorted players, including Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki(notes) and Finals participant Brian Cardinal(notes), went up on stage to give awkward speeches. But they were also joined by team owner Mark Cuban, which means everyone exchanged handshakes and some short congratulations.

By the NBA’s lockout rules, Cuban should be fined for these interactions. However, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller got word from an NBA spokesman that Cuban got clearance to fraternize with the enemy beforehand.

As in the case of Heat brass attending Chris Bosh’s wedding, it seems as if the NBA is willing to make exceptions for important personal events or unavoidable public interactions, especially if those events involve corporate partners that pay the league billions of dollars for television rights. Still, it’s a little unclear to me why certain interactions are allowed and others are not. For instance, a wedding is certainly a major event in a person’s life, and his friends should be around to celebrate. But shouldn’t those same friends be allowed to send each other messages on their birthdays?

It’s nice that the NBA allows some interaction, but they are still creating arbitrary distinctions between what kinds of relationships are important and which aren’t. It’s one thing to be in a protracted labor dispute. Acting as if those same people should stop treating each other like human beings goes too far.

Whatever the case, I’m glad the Mavs got to hang out with Jason Bateman. I hear Cubes is a big fan of “Valerie’s Family.”

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
• The ‘Supermom’ who leads Team USA
• Rivals’ Top 25 college football players of the decade • Mom embarrasses HS star son in middle of game

Related: Brian Cardinal, Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks, Video, Lockout videos

Leave your comments on the news below.

Somewhat-famously, last June, Mark Cuban jokingly dismissed the idea of giving his championship Dallas Mavericks their championship rings. Cuban called the idea behind handing out the traditional championship rings “old school,” and mused aloud as to what sort of show-offy prize he would give his team.

Now, after the NBA owners locked out their players, Cuban can’t even re-tweet a celebration photo from Dirk Nowitzki’s(notes) Twitter account without facing a million-dollar fine, much less hand out some prized jewelry. That’s where Bazooka steps in, sporting all sorts of sugar-laden bling.

Bazooka is sending the team a series of Maverick-blue candy rings. Via CBS Sports:

“Bazooka Candy Brands, the iconic confectionary company and manufacturer of Ring Pops, believes that the Dallas Mavericks should be rewarded for all their hard work and their NBA Finals win,” the company said in a statement.

“That is why they will be stepping in and saving the day, creating Swarovski-encrusted Ring Pops in the team colors of Blue and White for the team to wear to celebrate their feat.

The Ring Pops will be shipped to the team shortly.”

Your move, Mark.

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Other popular Yahoo! Sports stories:
• MLB fan dies after player tossed him ball
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Related: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks, 2011 NBA Playoffs, NBA lockout

That’s all for today.

Read More: Jason Kidd (G – DAL), Tyson Chandler (C – DAL), Jason Terry (G – DAL), DeShawn Stevenson (G – DAL), LeBron James (F – MIA), Dwyane Wade (G – MIA), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

Here is the much-discussed “celebration” that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade engaged in that supposedly fired up the Dallas Mavericks and caused them to rally from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. It was a play that Tyson Chandler, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd all resented, with Chandler going as far to say that it “angered” the Mavericks. This means that everyone writing about this game has a built-in narrative that will be happily consumed by the masses thanks to all the Heat hate.

But let’s step back for a second. Really, Dallas Mavericks? That’s the celebration that you say inspired you? Weak sauce.

As Holly MacKenzie pointed out: if that’s your standard for a celebration, then Miami should be inspired every time DeShawn Stevenson does anything. If you watch the video, the only player on the Mavericks who is even responding to Wade holding his follow through is Terry, which is ironic in and of itself considering Terry’s antics when he hits big shots. As for Chandler, you can’t even really see him in the picture anyway.

Wade and James didn’t seem to think it was a big deal either. Via Dan Wetzel of Yahoo!

“It was no celebration at all,” James said, unwilling to acknowledge the comments pouring out of the Mavericks’ locker room. “I was excited about the fact that [Wade] hit a big shot, and we went up 15. The same thing we’ve done over the course of the season. There was no celebration at all. We knew we had seven minutes to go still to close out the game.”

“There was no celebration,” Wade said. “It was a shot made going into a timeout. Every team does something. That’s the game. … That’s not the first time. It won’t be the last time.”

It’s a nice little turning point that Mavericks players can turn to after the fact to explain their stunning comeback, but that’s not the same thing as saying it actually fired them up. No, what fired Dallas up was facing a 15-point deficit in what was essentially a must-win game in the NBA Finals. If the Mavericks want to say otherwise, it’s their right, but that’s closer to the truth.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

COMMENTARY | After watching the Oklahoma City Thunder lose Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks, I actually felt sorry for Kevin Durant. In his post-game teleconference, Durant showed a side that I did not know. In the teleconference, I felt sorry, sympathetic, and empathetic for him as he felt that he let his team and city down. With such a heartfelt announcement, I hoped for an exciting Game 5 and for the Thunder to win at least one more game.

With the Mavericks only one game away from the NBA Finals, Dallas began the game playing quick, up-tempo basketball. The Mavericks demonstrated strong offense by scoring the first six points in the first quarter. Led by Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler, the team played a great quarter, but so did the Thunder. James Harden responded strongly, and the Thunder was able to lead at the end of the first quarter with the score 27-26.

The Thunder also played an excellent second quarter, again led by Durant and Harden. One of my first thoughts during the second was that as long as Harden does not foul out, as he did in game four, then Oklahoma City may be able to play one more game this season. Off the bench, Harden played very safe basketball and was a dominant force. In game five, he scored 23 points, had six assists, and garnered five rebounds. The Thunder was able to end the half with the score of 55-52.

As the third quarter began, I believed the Thunder would pull away or that the Mavericks would continue to show the NBA that they are the team to beat in 2011. Instead, both teams played great basketball, entering a “tug-of-war” match. The score at the end of the third was 76-72.

Playing at home, the Mavericks in the fourth quarter played enthusiastic and invigorating basketball. Shawn Marion played with renewed faith in himself, scoring an astonishing 14 of 26 points in the final quarter to help end Durant’s and the Thunder’s 2011 season.

The Mavericks will play the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. In my opinion, a series between the Mavericks and Heat will be one of the most exciting and most watched finals runs in years.

Sources:

Jaime Aron, Associated Press, “Nowitzki, Marion send Mavericks back to NBA finals”, Yahoo! Sports.

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