Dallas Mavericks Best in the West | Mavs Crushes Thunder and My NBA-Fortune-Telling Career

The Dallas Mavericks once again displayed grace under pressure, coming back and beating the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of their Western Conference Final showdown 100 - 96 and march to the 2011 NBA Finals.

Dirk and the Mavs used the same strategy they used in Game 4 - make the game close in the end and make the young Thunder wilt under their defense and pressure of the moment. The Dallas Mavericks are this year's best in the west.

And in so doing, made my NBA champ prediction and my sports fortune-telling foray to its immediate death.

The Dallas Mavericks
2011 NBA Western Conference Champion
Image from Wikipedia

I also saw the Thunder's Game 4 collapse. And it was so obvious the way Kevin Durant walk to the bench during the Mavs amazing rally. Nothing's going for him and his whole team.

In today's game 5, the Thunder gave a spirited fight for it but in the end couldn't find a way to solve the Mavs defense. And made things worse with late turnovers.

Granted that a bounce here or there could probably changed the outcome, it surprised me that Durant never showed an angry disposition that that their butts are getting kicked again in the latter part of the fourth quarter and their season on the line. I saw submission. And that may be credited to the Mavs defense headed by Shawn Marion.

I began to dislike Marion when he wanted out of Phoenix, altering the core of my favorite team. But in Game 5, I admire Marion's defense, hustle and court presence.

It looks like that we are heading to a Dallas - Miami finals rematch. And if that would be the case, I wish the Dirk and the Mavs to finally exorcise the ghost of playoff pasts. And it is so fitting for them since they disposed the defending champs LA Lakers with a sweep. Plus, the storyline for Dirk and Kidd would be awesome.

Common, D-rose, Thibs and the Bulls. Help me make at least half of my NBA Finals predictions. Let those talented guys who converged in South Beach wait another year to reach the NBA finals!