Randy Hollis: This week in the NBA: Shaq stops, Dirk doesn't

Yes, with his size, strength and agility, Shaq should've been the Most Dominant Ever, perhaps the greatest player of all time. But he didn't ever get himself in good enough shape, improve his game or work on his weaknesses enough to truly wear the title of MDE. Instead, he relied on his monstrous size to get the job done — size which betrayed him when that big body started breaking down later in his career.

So he'll just have to settle for being the most dominant big man of his era, which ended this past week.

Speaking of something being "over," well, we certainly thought the NBA Finals were pretty much a done deal when the Miami Heat took a 15-point lead over the Dallas Mavericks with 7:15 remaining in Game 2 on Thursday.

The Heat were seemingly headed for a 2-0 series lead, and everyone knew it'd be next to impossible for the Mavs to win four of the next five Finals games in order to take the title and deny Miami's "Dream Team" — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh & Co. — of a championship.

But Dirk Nowitzki fueled a furious Dallas comeback, as the Mavs outscored Miami 22-5 over the final 7 minutes to come away with an improbable 95-93 road win and square the series at 1-1, with the next three games in Dallas.

Yes, Shaq may have decided to quit, but the Mavs most definitely did not.

And, consequently, Dallas now has a legitimate chance at the franchise's first NBA championship.

We'll find out whether the Mavs can make the most of their glorious opportunity, and if the Heat are suffering from a huge hangover, when Game 3 tips off tonight.

It's such a promising series showdown that even "Shaq Fu" will likely be watching — especially now that he's got a lot of free time on his hands.

email: rhollis@desnews.com