The Dallas Mavericks are rolling. They are the fourth seed in the 2022 NBA Playoffs and are playing the five-seed Utah Jazz. But everyone that is into basketball and the Mavs knows this, so I won’t bore you with stats and game recaps that y’all already know or don’t want to hear. What I am going to do is try to get you to go and watch a Mavs game in the American Airlines Center. 

I had the pleasure of attending Game 2 of the series, which the Mavs won 110-104 with a career-high 41-point performance for Jalen Brunson with Luka Doncic out with a calf strain. 

Luke Rollins ‘23 had two tickets to the game and invited me to go with him. So, as soon as baseball practice ended we hopped in his car and drove to Dallas. We got into American Airlines Center, got some concession food, and then settled into the seats in time for the starting lineup announcements. Every time I go to a Mavs game I get chills when the lights turn off, the Mavs intro song comes on (still don’t know if it has a name, but here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdWDcFK3pKU. Give it a listen.) and Mavs PA announcer Sean Heath reads out the starting lineup. It’s undoubtedly one of the best parts of the experience. 

Then, tip-off came. The Mavs got off to a hot start led by Jalen Brunson draining a couple of threes in a row. That certainly got the stadium going. Only three minutes into the first quarter, and we could tell that the crowd was especially enthusiastic and loud that night. Throughout the remainder of the game, “ref you suck” chants rained down from the 300 sections to the courtside seats two or three times. Then late in the fourth quarter with the Mavs up 102-98, Maxi Kleber drained a corner three to put the Mavs up seven, and the arena was the loudest I have ever heard it, and I’ve been to quite a few games there were some massive shots have been made. But none of those got the crowd as loud as the Kleber three did. Then they got louder. With the Mavs up 107-102, Jalen Brunsen drove to the hoop, then made an immaculate pass to Dorian Finney-Smith, who drained a corner three to give the Mavs an eight-point lead and put the game out of reach. A minute later the game ended with a Mavs victory which evened up the series 1-1. 

“The roof came off the building and everybody was on their feet when Luka hit his third step back three in the third quarter,” Harrison Kemmer ‘23, who attended the Mavs Game 5 victory where they took a 3-2 series lead, said. 

On our way out of the arena, “Let’s Go Mavs” chants echoed throughout the concourse and spilled out into the Dallas streets surrounding the arena. 

It was the most electric sporting event I’ve ever been to and reminded me why it’s so great to be a fan of a sports team and to go see a game in person. You and 20,000 complete strangers are rallying around one team together.

Fans absolutely need to go and see a Mavs home playoff game so that they can experience that positive group and the electric atmosphere in the AAC that isn’t necessarily as present in the regular season. 

People can purchase tickets here, as well as on any other ticket sale website like Stubhub: https://www.ticketmaster.com/dallas-mavericks-tickets/artist/805932?_ga=2.203231890.249402213.1650982490-607370890.1650645249 (Ticket sales will be updated on the website as more games are needed and confirmed to happen. For example, a Game 7 of the Mavs v. Jazz series.)