With any luck we'll be re-writing this list in the coming week. But for now, last night's pulsating win at American Airlines Center certainly is among the best in Dallas Mavericks franchise history:
10. 6.2.88 -- Mavs 105, Lakers 103: Led by Sixth Man of the Year Roy Tarpley's 20-point, 20-rebound monster game and James Donaldson's blocked shot on James Worthy in the final seconds, Dallas survives a late L.A. rally at Reunion Arena to force a Game 7 in the West Finals.
9. 4.18.85 -- Mavs 139, Blazers 131: Rolando Blackman sets a franchise playoff record with 43 points, including seven in the second overtime, as Dallas rallied from 15 points down to beat Portland in Game 1 of their first-round series.
8. 6.3.06 -- Mavs 102, Suns 93: Dallas erases an early 32-14 deficit behind Josh Howard's 20 points and 15 rebounds to win Game 6 of the West Finals in Phoenix and advance to its first NBA Finals.
7. 5.23.11 -- Mavs 112, Thunder 105: Down 15 points with five minutes remaining in Game 4 of the West Finals, Nowitzki leads a miracle comeback in Chokelahoma that includes a 17-2 run to end regulation and Jason Kidd's corner 3-pointer in overtime.
6. 6.11.06 -- Mavs 99, Heat 85: In a dominant display of defense balanced by a crucial four-point play from Jerry Stackhouse, Dallas whips Miami at AAC to take a seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead in The Finals.
5. 4.26.84 -- Mavs 105, Sonics 104: In the game that lives on as "Moody Madness", the Mavs rally from six points down with 46 seconds remaining to clinch their first playoff series victory behind Blackman's dramatic steal-and-dunk at a full, frenzied Moody Coliseum.
4. 5.8.11 -- Mavs 122, Lakers 86: Capping a stunning sweep of the two-time defending Lakers in the West Semis, Dallas makes a NBA-record tying 20 3-pointers on a memorable Mother's Day Massacre.
3. 5.22.06 -- Mavs 119, Spurs 111: Down three in the final minute of Game 7 of the West Semis in San Antonio, Dirk drives for a three-point play over Manu Ginobli and Dallas surges in overtime.
2. 6.2.11 -- Mavs 95, Heat 93: Seemingly down and out in a 88-73 hole in Miami, Nowitzki caps an improbable rally with a left-handed layup with three seconds remaining as Dallas ties The Finals 1-1.
1. 6.7.11 -- Mavs 86, Heat 83: On a night when Dirk struggles with a sinus infection, the Mavs claw back from a nine-point, fourth quarter deficit and -- thanks to a missed free throw and botched handle by nemesis Dwyane Wade -- rally to dramatically tie the NBA Finals at 2-2. The plot on the franchise graph has never been higher than it is today.
