Their "MVP" goes out in the first half with an ankle sprain and the Mavericks still pull out a win. Avery calls it "gutsy". Which it is - there's no doubt about it. I call it solidifying Nash as the MVP. If the Mavs can pull out a close win without their leader on the floor, then maybe he isn't as valuable to the team as everyone says he is. Someone on the radio asked last night whether it was Dirk that was playing better or whether it was the rest of the team that was finally stepping up. I think that's an excellent point.
All the MVP talk aside, however, this win that the Mavericks pulled out is scary. It shows that they can win without Dirk. And that means they have many more talented players on their team. If he goes down or is having a bad night, someone else can step up and pick up the slack. Have the Suns proved they can do the same thing this year? I just don't know.
So while the Mavs game against the Bucks seems to have proven that Dirk may not be the MVP, it also proves that the Suns are going to have quite a fight on their hands if they get to meet the Mavericks in the playoffs.