IN DIRK WE TRUST

Dirk Nowitzki lit up the Dallas courts with a NBA playoff record breaking performance. Dirk scored 48 points total and made 24-24 free throws. Not even Durantula's 40 points on 10-for-18 shooting was enough to overcome the 121-112 victory showdown laid out by the Mavs.

Six Thunder players tried and failed at guarding the seven foot Dirk. But it wasn't just the Dirk show. Tonight was a team effort. They passed the ball efficiently, opening up shots, drawing fouls and getting to the foul line. The Mavs bench combined for a total 53 points. Terry the Jet had 24 points with J.J. Barea following in Jet's footsteps with 21 points. Once again the opposing team could not stop J.J.'s quick pick and roll. Barea cut through the Thunder's defense for a straight 12 point run at one point.

Game 1 was a convincing win that ensured the Dallas Mavs to be a NBA Finals finalist. Oh, and here's an interesting fun fact... teams that win the opener have won 79.6% of the series in NBA history.

...again, MAVS IN 5