Dallas Mavericks top five 2011 playoff moments

Mar 25, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward

(41) drives in the post against Oklahoma City Thunder forward

(35) at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

4. Dirk’s three, game five vs. Thunder: The entire 2011 Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder was so much fun. First, there was Dirk Nowitzki’s classic 48 point game in game one at home, where he only took 15 shots, but was 24-24 from the free throw line. In game four, with the Thunder up 15 in the fourth quarter, Dirk and Dallas rallied to win overtime, shocking the young Thunder.

Game five was Dallas’ chance to finally return to the NBA finals, but the Thunder wouldn’t go quietly. With OKC up 94-92 with less than two minutes left, Nowitzki broke their hearts like he did all series with this classic moment:

That Nowitzki celebration is now painted on a mural in Deep Ellum of Downtown Dallas. Nowitzki’s performance against the Thunder was brilliant for all five games, and that was the icing on the cake.

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