Dirk & Terry Seek Title Mavs Let Slip Away In '06

DALLAS (AP) - For five years, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry have lived with the regret of letting an NBA championship slip away.

Next week, they get to try again. Maybe even in the same place where everything fell apart.

The scene was Miami, where the Dallas Mavericks led 2-0 in the series and by 13 points with 6:34 left in Game 3. Had the Mavs held on, they almost certainly would've claimed their first title. Instead, they lost that game and the next three, a humiliating finish to the greatest season in club history.

Now they've topped themselves. A 12-3 romp through the postseason has put the Mavs back in the finals. They'd meet the Heat again if Miami can cash in on its 3-1 lead over Chicago in the Eastern Conference finals. Game 5 is Thursday night.

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