Time to buy into the Mavericks?

By Stephen Beam

Dallas- Walking into American Airlines Center before last Sunday's Western Conference 2nd Round Series between the Mavericks and Lakers, you got two unmistakable feelings.

The first one was that undeniable end of line feeling for the Lakers. They were not winning in Game 4 much less coming back to win the series as some people thought.

The second feeling was one of a city buying back into to a team after years of frusteration and heartbreak. Quite frankly, the Mavericks gave them a reason to jump off with their early Spring flameouts the last four years but also gave them a reason to buy back in with their play over the first two rounds of this Spring.

Once a trendy first round upset pick, your Dallas Mavs are now the favorite to get out of the West after the dismantling the two time defending champions. And who is to argue they cannot be playing the first few weeks of June especially when Dallas drills a franchise record 20 three pointers as they did on Sunday.

There is something different about this Dallas team that you saw back in the regular season but you needed to see it again the playoffs just to make sure your eyes were not seeing a mirage again.

It was a commitment to defense and new found resiliency and toughness that has been lacking in the playoffs in recent years.

He also credits the turnaround to "embracing defense" which is what determines advancing in the playoffs or going home. The acquisition of eraser Tyson Chandler reinforced this this commitment last summer.

Chandler has brought a mean streak and nastiness to The Metroplex which the Mavs or their fans have never seen. He is simply not aftra

In the four games against Los Angeles, Dallas held the vaunted Lakers attack to 94, 81, 92 and 86 points in the four games. That is a far cry from the days of trying to outscore the opponent.

It also says something that some teams were trying to avoid the Lakers in the playoffs while the Mavs were winning games trying not to avoid them.

Carlisle said as much after the game that his team wanted the Lakers.

"They were multiple teams who were trying to avoid the possibility of LA in the second round and we were not one of them," Carlisle said. "We thought we were better off playing them in the second round than in the Western Conference Finals. We wanted the momentum of winning games."

Now, the Mavs have their best shot to win a World Championship since 2006 and it is the the three D's that are going to take them there. Defense, Dirk and determination.

The 32 year old Nowitzki has raised his game to another level if that was even possible. He not only is getting himself shots but he is getting his teammates open shots as well. It also helps when Jason Terry is playing the best basketball of his career.

The Mavs are a veteran bunch with playoff experience and past failures, which may have made them tougher for this current run.

This run is not bad for a team many thought would not even make it out of the first round.

The ride is only beginning Mavs fans and it promises to get a lot more entertaining. It is time to buy back in.