On This Day: Nowitzki, Mavs Complete Epic Finals Comeback vs. Heat
As the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics prepare to begin the NBA Finals on Thursday night, the Dallas Mavericks are forced watch from home after coming up short in the Western Conference Finals. However, Mavs fans can look back fondly on a very special Finals memory that happened on this day 11 years ago.
On June 2, 2011, the Mavs were attempting to tie things up against the star-studded Miami Heat after falling down 1-0 in the finals. In Game 2, things looked grim for Dallas, as it trailed by 15 points with just seven minutes remaining. However, from that moment on, the Mavs went on a 22-5 run to defeat the Heat, 95-93, capped off by a last-second Dirk Nowitzki layup.
The Mavs lost a closely contested Game 3 at American Airlines Center following their dramatic Game 2 win, but they didn't lose another game after that. Dallas went on to beat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh – all of whom were in the primes of their careers – in six games.
Nowitzki went on to win Finals MVP with averages of 26 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Aside from his game-winning layup in Game 2 and perhaps hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy after Game 6, Nowitzki's most memorable moment from the finals likely came in Game 4, as he led the Mavs to a 86-83 win despite having a 102-degree fever and a torn ligament in one of his fingers.
The Mavs obviously wish they were making more finals memories this year, but for now, looking back on one of the greatest finals runs in NBA history will have to suffice. With how dominant Luka Doncic has been through just four seasons in the league — he recently joined Wilt Chamberlain on an exclusive playoffs list — the Mavs might get to throw another parade sooner than people think.
"It's a blessing," said Doncic after earning his third All-NBA First Team selection in four years. "It's unbelievable, thanks to my teammates and coaching staff. The teamwork. I hope some day it's going to bring us a championship."
You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg
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