Missing the Mavericks: A personal account of the NBA’s suspension

Remembering the good times

Though it pains me to admit it, the Mavericks aren’t exactly a heritage franchise in NBA annals.

With that said, the team’s raucous and deafening fan base contributed to so many pulsating moments in the playoffs over the years. Dallas’s triumph over the mighty Spurs in 2006 led by Dirk Nowitzki’s impossible and-one over Manu Ginobili comes to mind.

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As does the team’s 20 3-pointer shelling of the Lakers in 2011. Dirk’s 48-point rampage against the Thunder only a game later pushed Dallas to within seven wins of their first championship, which ultimately came on that eyesore of a court in South Beach against the “Big 3” Miami Heat featuring LeBron James.

Of course, Vince Carter’s missile from the corner against the same Spurs in 2014 might still be the single loudest moment I’ve ever experienced inside the now-dormant American Airlines Center.

A year later, the Mavs limped back into the playoffs and were dealt the Thunder who tossed them aside in five games. But, game two was one for the ages for Mavs nation. Deron Williams left the game with a hernia. J.J. Barea was out as well. David Lee, who had been picked up midseason, didn’t suit up with an injury, and Chandler Parsons was out for the second straight playoff series with a knee problem.

But led by Raymond Felton, Dirk, and Devin Harris, the Mavericks incomprehensibly stole game two after a wild finish to even the series at a game apiece.

Next: Looking ahead