The Torch is Taken

Now that it's over, I'm glad that it ended this way.

Now that it's over, I'm glad that everything that happened, happened the way it did.

Now that it's over, I feel at peace.

But getting here almost killed me.

***

I refused to write about the Spurs-Mavs series until it was over, for a variety of reasons. It was too close to home. The teams were so good no one could really say they knew what was going to happen. I didn't want to jinx the Mavs. Basically, it was important enough to me that I couldn't talk about it until I knew how it was going to end. And I don't know if I've ever felt that way about a professional sporting event before.

We just witnessed possibly the greatest NBA playoff series ever. Two all-time elite teams playing at the absolute apex of their games, battling it out for more than a 7 game series. Two teams with little love for each other competing not only to be the best in the West, but to be the best in their own state. One team with a storied recent past, looking to solidify their claim of being one of the NBA's greatest dynasties. One team with a sordid past, looking to finally move into the league's elite which they believed they've belonged in for some time.

When the series began, I thought the Spurs would pass The Torch to the Mavs. The Spurs have had great success, but are getting old and worn down, and it showed this regular season: Tim Duncan had his worst season ever while being plagued by foot problems, Manu faced injury issues all season, and the Spurs bench looked older than ever. I was disappointed that this Mavs team could not prove that they were better than the Spurs in their prime.

I could not have been more mistaken.

Any issues Duncan had this season were gone from the first tip. This was perhaps his finest performance. Manu was on top of his game and showed no signs of any injury woes. In spite of media reports to the contrary, Tony Parker was zipping around on two good legs. Even the Spurs bench showed some punch--Michael Finley played better than he had his last four years in Dallas, and Brent Barry had a solid overall series. From the tip, it was apparently that The Torch would not be passed--if it was to be had, it must be taken.

Another fact in hindsight about this series was that the Spurs, as a team, have changed--and not for the better. What was once the classiest, most respected team in the league no longer exists. Tim Duncan whines and complains like a petulant child any time a foul is not called for him, in spite of the fact that he is protected by the referees on the same level that Jordan and Kobe enjoy(ed). It's literally embarrassing to watch as he cries like a little girl anytime he misses a shot. Manu remains one of the fakest players in the league. He is the guy you want to tell during a pick up game to stop faking for calls and just play the game of basketball. Bruce Bowen remains the dirtiest player in the league to such an extent that well respected stars like Ray Allen won't speak to him.

And then there is Michael Finley, one of my favorite Mavericks of all time. I honestly don't know what to do with him. After his performance in this series, I almost don't want the Mavs to retire his number, which was a "when not if" event before this series. For years we in Dallas begged Finley to attack the basket more, and stop falling in love with his jumper. For years he hurt his team by standing 18 feet and beyond and just launching jump shot after jump shot. Now, after going to San Antonio--which he could only afford to do because the Mavs were still paying him his full salary--he plays brilliantly in this series against the Mavs, exactly as the Mavs had asked him to do for years. Attacking the rim, using his penetration and other players to get himself wide open jump shots, which he hit with outstanding success. It was frustrating to watch the player we always knew was there come back like Roger Clemens or Vince Carter and use a perceived slight from his former team that supported him for years to play like we always new he was capable of playing.

Then came the Terry incident. Shame on you Spurs. Michael Finley dives on top of Terry's head and shoulder, throwing the whole weight of his body on him, and when Terry hits him with two easy taps to tell him to get off before his collarbone is broken, Finley explodes. Nothing bad happened on that play, plays like that happen on hundreds and thousands of basketball courts every day. But the Spurs were content to cheat to win: they sent the tape to the league office, and turned a molehill into a mountain. It was a despicable, shameful, and cowardly act of a team that knew they were outmanned and were desperate to do anything to win.

It almost worked. But in the end, the Mavs persevered. In the end, against all odds, in the Spurs home court, with Dick Bavetta once again flagrantly calling for the home team, with the San Antonio crowd behind them, and with the Spurs playing to an outstanding level, it didn't matter. The Mav's best player cemented his status as a true superstar, and the better team won the series.

The Mavs are now back in the Western Conference Finals, and probably for the first time in franchise history are the favorites. Their story is not yet complete, and they still have two difficult opponents left to face, but The Torch has been taken, and they can now hold their heads high as they have proven they belong among the NBA's elite.