Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
69th NBA All-Star Game
East 141 West 139
Sunday was exactly what Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones envisioned when the two superpowers decided to join forces, bringing the 2010 All-Star gala to North Texas.
(Photo by Juan O'Campo/NBAE via Getty Images)
The two fantasized about making Cowboys Stadium in Arlington the center of the basketball world. Sunday night their fantasy became a reality, as the massive stadium housed the most attended basketball game ever when 108,713 fans filled the monumental construction to capacity.
"(Cuban) made this happen," Jones said praising the Mavericks owner. "He was tremendeously influential with me. And when he said we can do this, then I immediately bought into it.
"I'm pleased by looking at (the crowd). It's a thrill to be here, with this stadium."
Before the game tipped off, Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki greeted the hometown fans by simply saying: "Everything is bigger in Texas."
Bigger may have been a little bit of an understatement.
"It's amazing how many people came out," Nowitzki would say later after the game. "I'm glad I was a part of this whole weekend, especially in my new hometown...I'm really proud of what Dallas was able to showcase this week."
Nowitzki, a nine-time All-Star, was in the Western Conference's starting lineup to the crowd's delight. West coach George Karl inserted the 7-footer into the first unit when Lakers guard Kobe Bryant pulled out of the game with an ankle injury.
Fittingly, Nowitzki connected on the first two shots of the night for his squad.
Also appearing in the game was Mavs point guard Jason Kidd, making his 10th All-Star affair after being named Bryant's replacement. But the two Mavericks came up on the losing side of a closely contested game, as the Eastern Conference edged their counterparts from the West with a 141-139 win.
(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
The experience of playing in the historic game was enough to make the night memorable for Nowitzki, who rained in 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting in a losing cause. A win would have merely been icing on the cake, according to No. 41.
"It was great. We just needed that win at the end to cap the whole thing off," Nowitzki added. "It was an amazing weekend, and I'll always remember this."
But Dwyane Wade's MVP 28-point, 11-assist night helped to make Nowitzki's weekend incomplete. Still, with the game down to its last possession, it was Nowitzki that Karl wanted taking the final shot. Instead the final play worked out differently, as Carmelo Anthony pulled up for a game-winning 3-point attempt that scrapped the front end of the rim.
"Down the stretch, both teams wanted to win," Nowitzki said of the back and forth final minutes. "They just made one more play than we did. But we had a shot at the end, Carmelo had a decent look...Just to compete, be in it at the end of the game and have a chance to win is great."
Not even losing the historic affair was enough to ruin Nowitzki's experience.
"This game was an unreal experience," Nowitzki said summing up the night. "I will always remember it for the rest of my life."
Now, Nowitzki and his new-look squad turn their attention to the second half of the season. The star will be welcoming in three new teammates, while bidding adieu to four former Mavs, after the organization acquired Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson from the Washington Wizards on Saturday night. Dallas sent the Wizards Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, James Singleton and Quinton Ross in exchange.
It is a move that will immediately need to pay dividends, according to Nowitzki, as the Mavericks prepare for four games in five days after the All-Star break.
"We're excited and hopefully we can come together quick," Nowitzki said.
Coming out of the break, Dallas will first head to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Tuesday night. The Mavericks lead the season series 2-0. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT.
On the next night, the Mavs will host the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. That game will air nationally on ESPN and locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 8 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS. The two teams have split the first two games of the season series.
For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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