Last year the Dallas Mavericks coasted through the Western Conference Finals to move into the NBA Finals, eliminating the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 in the series.
This year there was a rematch of these two teams, this time in the first round of the playoffs.
The Thunder came into the series the much better team, having a better season, and regarded by some as the best team in the league.
While the Mavericks limped into the series, happy to just be in the playoffs after the year they have had.
Dallas lost a lot of the talent they had on their championship team, and even the talent they kept around was getting much older. The Thunder, meanwhile was still one of the youngest teams in the league and were on the rise.
So the rematch was set. Most of the analysts had the Thunder moving on in six, maybe five games. But did anyone really see the Thunder sweeping the defending champions in four games?
The Mavericks made it difficult in game one, but thanks to Durant’s game winner that will only become a footnote in history.
Hard to believe how easy the Thunder eliminated the 2011Champions, not the ideal way of “defending the title.” I mean, even the Knicks beat the Heat in one game.
Oklahoma City is definitely a force to be reckoned with.
All season long they have been nothing short of dominant, destroying teams left and right. They feature the best young nucleus of talent in the NBA, all starting with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of course.
Durant scored 25 points in game one, 26 points in game two, a series high 31 points in game three, and finished out the series with 24 points in game four.
Westbrook actually had the team high in games one and two with 28 points in game one and 29 points in game two. And then added 20 points in game three, and finishing with 12 points in the final game.
But the real menace for the Thunder in game four was James Harden, coming off the bench with 29 points to lay the hammer down on Dallas in their home court.
The Mavericks simply could not find an answer for this guy, and can you blame them? Harden is the best sixth man in the league; he would be a starter on most other teams.
But it truly is crazy what difference a year can make. Last year the Mavericks were nearly unstoppable while the Thunder was still going through their growing pains.
This season it seems as if the Thunder is ready to shine and make it to the NBA Finals.
They did a great job in the first round, knocking out the defending champions in four games.
But the Thunder won’t be sneaking up on anybody this year, people know that they are a legit threat to win the title, and if they want to win they better hope that their growing pains are done and they are ready to claim the prize.
Although the Mavericks are still a decent team, that might be the easiest opponent the Thunder face in the playoffs.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High School graduate and mass communications major at the University of West Georgia. You can e-mail comments about this column to tyrollason@yahoo.com.
