Do-or-Die in Dallas: How Our Teams Fare in Elimination Games

To the Texas Rangers, tonight's do-or-die game is unprecedented, uncharted territory. But as metroplex sports fans, we're accustomed to these elimination scenarios. And, you know what? We're pretty damn good at them. While the Rangers take their pathetic 3-11 playoff pedigree into tonight's decisive Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays,...

By Richie Whitt

October 12, 2010

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To the Texas Rangers, tonight's do-or-die game is unprecedented, uncharted territory. But as metroplex sports fans, we're accustomed to these elimination scenarios.

And, you know what? We're pretty damn good at them.

While the Rangers take their pathetic 3-11 playoff pedigree into tonight's decisive Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks have produced a combined post-season record of 177-176. You win more playoff games than you lose and you're doing OK, right?

Even better, in loser-goes-home games the three teams are a combined are 40-28.

To the Cowboys, of course, every playoff game is do-or-die. Dallas is 33-25 all-time in the post-season, including 5-3 in the ultimate decisive game - the Super Bowl.

The Mavericks, known as our biggest chokers, are a surprising 5-1 in all-time Game 5s and 7s. Dallas won a Game 5 in Moody Madness in '84, beat Utah in '01 on Calvin Booth's game-winner and won home Game 7s against Portland and Sacramento in '03, Houston in '05 and the landmark Game 7 in San Antonio on its way to the NBA Finals in '06. The lone loss: Game 7 of the '88 Western Conference Finals at the Lakers.

The Stars are 2-2 in elimination games, highlighted by Game 7 wins at Reunion Arena over the Colorado Avalanche in '99 and '00.

Over .500 in the playoffs and .588 in do-or-die games ain't bad at all.

You hear that Rangers?

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