Top Ten Dallas Mavericks Moments of the Decade

Welcome back to the second part of this series, the 2nd Dallas team we will be focused on is the Dallas Mavericks. From their championship run in 2011, to the Luka Doncic era, there is many highlight moments for this team dating back to 2010. So let's dive right in!

10. Dirk's Takeover

    

In Game 1 of the WCF, the Mavs had just taken down the defending champions 4-0, and were set to take on the young and upcoming Thunder. Led by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka. The young Durant even had a 40 point game to combat the Mavs. But it wasn't enough, as the German sensation Dirk Nowitzki dropped 48 points on 24-24 free throws! Setting a playoff record that has still not been broken to this day, as the Mavs took a 1-0 lead over the Thunder 121-112.

Full Game:https://youtu.be/1kwxXPr5u_s?si=yKW7dTfoIs82x5MN

9. Doncic's First Game Winner

In Game 4 of the first round vs the Clippers in 2020, The Mavs were a huge underdog vs the star-studded Clippers at the time. With Kawhi and PG, it was sure to be a surefire victory for the Clippers. However, Luka Doncic, without Porzingis, had dropped a 40 point triple double until the last minute of the game when the Mavs were up 132-130. Then, Marcus Morris knocked down an incredible shot to give the Clippers a one point lead with 5 seconds remaining. That's when Luka Doncic hit his patented step-back 3 pointer to win the game for the Mavericks, and tie the series up at 2 games apiece.

8. Game 7

The Mavs and Suns had met in a pivotal game 7, where both teams needed this win to move on to the next round. The Suns were the heavy favorites, and the home teams in this series hadn't lost a game yet in this series. The Suns were cocky, mocking Doncic, making fun of him and his cries to the ref with the phrase "Luka Special". So in game 7, Luka Doncic scored the same amount of points as the Suns in the first half and broke Cam Johnson's ankles to end the half. The "Luka Special" turned out to be a dominating display of brilliance as he dropped a 35 point triple double while the "Booker Special" dropped 8 points on 3-14 shooting on one of his biggest games of his career.

7. Terry's Shot over James

In Game 5 of the 2011 Nba Finals, the Mavs were neck and neck with the big 3 of the Heat. Lebron, Wade, and Bosh had provided a tricky challenge for Dirk and the Mavs and the Mavs had led 105-101 over the Heat with 1 minute remaining. With a possession that was going nowhere, Jason Terry found himself guarded by Lebron James himself, a much bigger and faster defender. Terry rose up and shot over James and sinked it to give the Mavs a 7 point lead, which is something that the Mavs would continue to ride and take a 3-2 lead over the Heat, and eventually win the Finals.

6. Game 6

In Game 6 of the WCSF, the Mavs were down big to the Thunder in a possible move on game for the Mavs to reach the WCF. They came back bit by bit and soon they found themselves within striking distance with the Thunder. Down 108-107, Kyrie picked up a loose ball and made a miraculous circus shot to give the Mavs a 2 point lead. The Thunder eventually regained the lead. With 3 seconds remaining, Doncic kicked it out to PJ Washington who was fouled on a 3 point attempt to give the Mavericks a chance to win the game. He would hit 2 of the 3 tree throws and give the Mavericks the win over the OKC Thunder.

5. Loyalty never fades away

Not so much of a game as it is a spectacular moment in Maverick history. The Mavericks honored the legend of their franchise with an iconic statue. Depicting Dirk's signature move, his one-legged fadeaway with a quote that summarized Dirk's Career as a whole. "Loyalty Never Fades Away".

4. 60-20-10

In what seemed like a meaningless game vs the Knicks, Doncic exploded vs them. But the Mavs found themselves down 9 with one minute remaining. The Mavs clawed all the way back, but still were down 3 with Doncic up to shoot 2 free throws. Luka Doncic hit his first free throw and intentionally missed it, caught it off the board, threw it up and hit the shot all in one motion. Some incredible shot that is certainly impossible for most nba players. The Mavs went on to win this game, and Luka set a franchise record for most points, something that he would break just a year later.

3. You Can't F*cking Guard Me

in the 2024 WCF, the Mavs were on the road trying to steal a game from the Timberwolves and take a 2 game series lead over them. The Mavericks found themselves down 2 with about 15 seconds remaining. So, they did the next best thing, and gave the ball to Luka Doncic to win the game. Luka Doncic got the switch on Rudy Gobert, and hit his famous step back three over him. Then, proceeded to send a very kind message to him and the rest of the Timberwolves team. "You can't guard me mutherf*cker". The Mavs would go on to take a 2 game series lead, and later win the seires.

2. An improbable Game 2 comeback

Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals was a defining moment in the Dallas Mavericks' championship run and one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history. The Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, seemed in full control late in the game, holding a commanding 15-point lead (88–73) with just over seven minutes remaining. Wade, especially, was sensational, hitting clutch threes and celebrating emphatically in front of the Dallas bench after a deep corner triple. However, what followed was a stunning collapse by Miami and an inspiring surge by Dallas, orchestrated by Dirk Nowitzki. Despite playing with a torn tendon in his left middle finger, Dirk scored 10 of his 24 points in the final five minutes. He tied the game with a left-handed layup with under a minute remaining and hit another left-handed driving layup with just 3.6 seconds left to give Dallas a 95–93 lead. The Mavericks’ defense held strong on Miami’s final possession, denying both LeBron and Bosh attempts to tie or win the game. The victory not only evened the series at 1–1 but also shifted momentum dramatically. It symbolized a redemptive moment for Nowitzki and the Mavericks, who had infamously blown a similar lead to the Heat in the 2006 Finals. This time, Dallas showed resilience and poise, eventually going on to win the series in six games and securing the franchise’s first NBA championship.

1. A New Record

Luka Doncic’s 73-point masterpiece on January 26, 2024, in Atlanta was an awe-inspiring display of offensive dominance and efficiency, marking one of the greatest individual performances in NBA history. He exploded for 41 points in the first half, surpassing both his previous Mavericks high and setting a franchise record espn.com+13nba.com+13washingtonpost.com+13. By game's end, Luka had amassed 73 points on an astounding 25-of-33 shooting (≈76 %), including 8-of-13 from three and 15-of-16 from the free-throw line si.com+1mavsmoneyball.com+1. He also secured 10 rebounds and 7 assists, nearly turning the night into a historic triple-double nba.com+1cnn.com+1. This achievement tied him with Wilt Chamberlain and David Thompson for the fourth-highest single-game point total ever, placing him just behind legends like Kobe Bryant and Chamberlain himself apnews.com+13espn.com+13nba.com+13. Notably, it was the most efficient 70-plus-point game ever recorded, with a true shooting percentage around 91 % apnews.com+3si.com+3en.wikipedia.org+3. Despite relentless defensive pressure—including double-teams—Luka dissected the Hawks’ defense with surgical precision, responding to previous scrutiny and a recent team slump by emphatically anchoring a 148–143 Mavericks victory en.as.com+10si.com+10si.com+10. His teammates doused him with water in the locker room, celebrating a performance that not only reclaimed momentum for Dallas but also placed Luka among the all-time greats, proving he was “just going” and unstoppable that night.

Well there you have it, the ten greatest moments of the Maverick's Decade. Next up will be the other team in Arlington, the Texas Rangers.