As the NBA playoffs treat us with an impressive slate of entertaining games every single night, us Mavs fans have nothing to enjoy from our team except memories of past playoff success.  This year makes it seven long years since the incredible run by Dirk Nowitzki and company in the spring of 2011.  In order to help the MFFL feel a little more involved in this year’s playoffs, Dallas Sports Fanatic is going to look back on the notable games of the 2011 run to the NBA championship.  First up: Game five of the first round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

When the Mavs and Blazers came back to the American Airlines Center for game five of the series tied at two games a piece, most Mavs fans (including myself) weren’t feeling great about things.

Game four of the series has to go down as one of the worst games in franchise history.  The Mavs led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter and entered the fourth with a 19 point lead.  Just 12 minutes away from a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 series lead and the comfort of returning home to close things out.  18 fourth qauarter points from Brandon Roy, who only played in 47 games that season, led the Blazers back to break hearts and lead many of us Mavs fans to need long, quiet walks around the neighborhood.

The team hadn’t won a playoff series since 2009 in an upset of the injury-riddled San Antonio Spurs and the team’s playoff success in general was minimal at best.  So needless to say after the team dropped game 4 in Portland in unforgettably heartbreaking, nauseating, thought-provoking fashion, it wasn’t easy to think this team was going to respond well to getting punched in the mouth.

Spoiler alert: They responded well.

This was actually the first Mavericks playoff game I ever attended.  I was lucky enough to be a senior in high school when the Mavs went on this run so lots of social events to share the excitement with other people and gifts/money that got me tickets to this game and then the funds to splurge on a single ticket to game five of the NBA Finals. Oh, what a time.  Anyway, I found out I got tickets to the game the day before and I was scheduled at work the next day during the game.  I immediately knew I was prepared to lose my part-time job in order to be at this game, but luckily it didn’t come to that.

How the Game Was Won

The thing that stands out most about this 93-82 Dallas win in my memories is the performance of Tyson Chandler.  This is confirmed when you check out Chandler’s stats for the night:

13 points, 20 rebounds (7 offensive) and a +11 plus/minus rating in 35 minutes.

How badly could the current edition of the Dallas Mavericks use a big man like this?  Chandler’s ability to create second chance opportunities with his tip-outs and his ability to assure the opposing team only shoots once each time down the floor is something the Mavs have only had once since he left after the 2010-2011 season: during the 2014-2015 season when he was here again.

Outside of his numbers and on-court performance, one can only imagine the impact a player like Tyson Chandler made in the locker room and in the huddle after a heartbreaking loss like Dallas suffered in game four of the series.  When your two biggest leaders are soft speakers like Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, the team needed a guy like Chandler to be the voice of reason and the spark they needed on the court.

If there was one game that signified Chandler’s ultimate significance in being what took the Mavericks over the top, it was probably this one.  Prior editions of the Mavs probably would have closed up shop after having their hearts ripped out like they did in Portland in game four of the series.  Having a player with the size, edge and tenacity of Chandler was something Dallas had never had and it was the perfect weapon to have in a must-win game.

Even though this game didn’t clinch the series for Dallas, it made damn sure they weren’t going to lose it.

Look out for our Mavs writers’ memories of other key games during the 2011 playoff run in the coming weeks on Dallas Sports Fanatic.