Dallas beat the Miami Heat yesterday, 98-96. Dirk stepped up, Kidd hit a key shot and Josh Howard - yes that Josh Howard - made a huge impact in the 4th quarter.
Howard was the story - playing only his second game in the last month - scored 18 and made several big plays down the stretch (including taking the game-winning charge with two seconds remaining).
But to me, the more important take away from last night lies within one number: 5.
By winning last night, the Mavericks improved to 17-4 in games decided by five points or less. That has to be significant, right?
Think about playoff basketball: aren't post-season series often decided in the last few minutes of each game? Isn't that what playoff basketball is all about?
I am not completely drunk on Maverick kool-aid, but I am excited to see that this team continues to play resilient basketball. Do they have giant letdowns about once each month? Sure. But for the most part - in big, meaningful games - this team plays hard:
And despite the negative connotation surrounding the prospect of fielding an "old" team, there is something to be said for experience. Jason Kidd appears to have no problem taking - and making - big shots in clutch-time. Dirk is a stud. Terry consistently hits big shots. This team simply presents some very difficult end-game matchup scenarios for their opponents.
The team isn't great - but they have piqued my interest. If they can avoid having a giant letdown in the playoffs, an opening-series showdown with Los Angeles could be interesting.
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