The Mavericks defeated the Lakers on Friday in Game 3 by a final score of 98-92. It was a taut thriller, a vicious back-and-forth battle. For a while in the third, it seemed like the Mavericks were about to let the game slip away, with the Lakers going up by as much as seven points in the period and then up by as much as eight early on in the fourth quarter. But then something happened, something pretty special.  

Dirk Nowitzki, who had been dominant all night to that point but largely alone, finally got some help. 

Peja Stojakovic missed all but one of his five shots in the first half but he and Dirk found a way to connect in devastating fashion. As Nowitzki led the way with an aggressive push, Stojakovic ended up 4-for-6 in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points and joining Dirk (himself with 9 points and an assist), and the three Js (Jasons Terry and Kidd, as well as Jose Juan Barea) in scoring the team’s 32 points, while holding the Lakers to 20 in the quarter. 

There was Tyson Chandler stealing a Kobe Bryant pass.

There was Kidd assisting on a Nowitzki three and sticking a pair of free throws.

There was Nowitzki driving into the paint and kicking out to Peja for three.

There was Jason Terry sticking a three from Kidd and two pairs of free throws.

In the fourth, it seemed that every time they needed it, the Mavs got a bucket. They wore away at L.A.’s lead until Dirk drew a foul on Andrew Bynum and converted the pair, helping Dallas take the lead at 88-87 with 2:40 to go. They didn’t look back from there.

Dallas has been much maligned as a team of choke artists by many, especially after the 2006 Finals and Nowitzki’s performance in the first round the following season against the Warriors. Few seem to remember the 2006 Western Conference Finals, or that he’s typically a dominant playoff performer or that since 2007 he’s turned himself into one of the most dominant mid-post players in the history of basketball to overcome his struggles against smaller defenders. Or that he plays on a team without a legitimate second option, most especially since Caron Butler when down due to injury earlier this year.  

The Mavericks have failed to do for Nowitzki what San Antonio did for Tim Duncan and Los Angeles did for Kobe, which is to put a legitimate second All-Star next to him. They put a guy who used to be that type of player a half-decade ago, but Kidd’s closer to 40 than to 35 and it makes a difference, even if the savvy veteran point guard was a big part of the fourth quarter action.  

Still, it remains true that the Mavs have made a statement in this series; they’re going to come after you. They’re going to come after you hard. And with the defensive presence of Tyson Chandler added to the team, and maybe a few more contributions like what we saw from Peja in the fourth quarter, this team has a chance to make a lot of noise. They can start by closing the Lakers out on Sunday and take it from there.