Storms don’t stop Mavericks fans from watching Dallas try to clinch a trip to the NBA Finals

Despite early morning storms that left hundreds of thousands of North Texans without power, fans made the trip Tuesday night to the American Airlines Center in hopes of watching the Dallas Mavericks hoist the championship trophy. the Western Conference.

A win in Game 4 would not only advance the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, but also set them up for a series against the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics and their All-Star duo: guard Jaylen Brown and forward Jayson Tatum. Just half an hour before tipoff, the skies had cleared, a sign that some fans considered a good omen for the team’s fortunes.

“Someone knew: Let the sun come up and it was shining, (that’s how) we know we were going to get the victory tonight,” said Dareus Star, who has supported the Mavericks for more than 20 years.

With the Mavericks on a roll in the Western Conference finals and leading 3-0 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Star said he likes the atmosphere. The energy of the city is different, he said. People are friendlier and talk more. We believe in the city.

Given his last name, Star — who was with his mother, Ruby, and aunt, Robbie Bright — said he had to support the Dallas teams.

“We have to support everything that’s going on in the city: the stars on the jerseys, the stars on the Cowboys, we’re all in this together,” Dareus Star said.

Joe Jordan said he did not become a true Mavericks fan, known as MFFL, or Mavericks Fan For Life, until his son was born in 2011. His son, Gabriel, had not only 12 days when they won their last championship. said. “It’s pretty cool being together,” Jordan said.

Jordan was with his son, his wife Meghan, his daughter Julia and two others. The group of six said they were looking forward to a victory. However, if that doesn’t happen, as long as it’s not a blowout, they’ll be happy, Jordan said.

Spencer Wilson, who was his son Case, said he had been a Mavericks fan for about 40 years, but never had the chance to attend a game until about eight years ago . The case was then 4 years old.

Wilson said he has been impressed with the Mavericks’ two key playmakers, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. But overall, he said the team had a lot of fight, which showed in the final moments of Game 3.

Arsalaan Asad and his younger brother, Zaid, were lining up to spin a wheel to win a prize. Both have been Mavericks fans for only a few years, but Arsalaan Asad said he was the first person to cultivate a love for basketball, starting with video games.

His favorite player is Irving, and he even bought a pair of Nike Zoom basketball shoes because he said it was one of the first shoes he saw him wear in the NBA.

“When we went into Game 6 (against the Oklahoma City Thunder) and we won, it really felt like we were part of Mavs history,” Asad said. “It was just super exciting to see the confetti, the energy in the building. If they win (tonight), it will be a different level.

Season ticket holder Alex Johnson said 2024 will be the Mavericks’ second year of redemption after winning the championship in 2011. For many in North Texas, the Lewisville resident said, the environment will give them a chance to “run wild” after storms. heavy rain and strong winds earlier this morning.

Johnson wore a homemade shirt he made after Game 2 that captures Doncic’s face after he hit the 3-pointer over Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert to seal the victory. On the back of the shirt was the phrase “One for all” along with cut-out photos of Doncic, Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington Jr.

“Ever since I was a kid, I always dreamed of being a season ticket holder,” Johnson said. “I’ve been to every game – there’s been a preseason game, 41 home games, I’ve been to all three first round games, all three semifinal games and now (this series), so I hope to go to my first NBA finals.

Johnson sits in section 115, right next to the corner where Timberwolves players enter the court. Above all, he hoped that this group would hoist the Western Conference trophy, named in honor of NBA legend Oscar Robertson.