Apr 18, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd (2) congratulates power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) during the game against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Rockets 117-110. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Jason Kidd gives Mavericks fans insight into what turned 2011 NBA Finals around

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 4:20 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are 14 years removed from the lone NBA championship in franchise history.

It is considered one of the tougher championships asd recent memory, as Dirk Nowitzki was the lone All-Star on a team that beat Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge on the Portland Trail Blazers, the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, the young OKC Thunder (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden), and the Miami Heat's Big Three with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd provided some insight into the pivotal Game 2, where the Mavericks tied the series, on a YouTube video with professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau.

"One thing that happened in that game, Game 1, we thought we felt we should have won," Kidd said. "Game 2, we're down 15, and the scene is set where D-Wade and LeBron do their shadow boxing against each other, and it pissed us off. And we go out of that timeout saying we ain't gonna lose to these guys doing this.

"They were shadowboxing each other, and they were showboating a little. We came out, went on a run, and then won Game 2. And then that's when everybody started to believe that we can win the championship.”

One of the Greatest Comebacks in NBA Finals History

The moment Jason Kidd is referring to came with 7:13 remaining. The Heat ripped off a 13-0 run, closed off by Dwyane Wade hitting a three from the corner in front of Dallas' bench. That put the Heat up 88-73, and that's when LeBron James and Wade started shadow-boxing.

That forced a timeout from the Mavericks, but they ripped off an 18-0 run out of it, closed off by Dirk Nowitzki hitting a three from the left wing in the final minute. Mario Chalmers matched it after he was left wide open in the far corner on an inbounds, but Nowitzki capped the game with a left-handed layup with about eight seconds remaining, and that won the game.

Without that comeback win, there's a good chance that the Mavericks don't win the series. With the way that the rest of The Finals played out, they lost Game 3, meaning they would've needed to win four straight games, a comeback that has never been accomplished in NBA Finals history.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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