“They should have changed that format” – Jerry Stackhouse claims the Mavs lost the 2006 NBA Finals because of a bad playing format originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Dallas Mavericks were on the cusp of winning their first Larry O’Brien trophy in 2006 when they took a 2-0 series lead over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. However, with the next three games scheduled in Miami, the Heat took advantage, won all three games to take a 3-2 series lead and put the Mavs on the ropes. With momentum on their side, they clinched the 2006 NBA title in Game 6.
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Looking back at that championship series, former Mavs guard Jerry Stackhouse said that more than anything else, the 2-3-2 playoff format was to blame for their defeat because it put them at a disadvantage, instead of having home court advantage.
“We would’ve went back home up 3-2, and there was the margin of calls that went against us, but they kinda had the momentum when we came back home. You shouldn’t feel that pressure after you had the type of regular season that we had, and after going up 2-0,” said Stackhouse.
The Finals format back then was 2-3-2
In 1985, the format of the NBA Finals was changed to 2-3-2 in order to minimize cross-country travel during the series. But while it served that purpose it was created for, it also put teams with the better record at a handicap instead of enjoying a home court edge because if the team with the inferior record won all three games at their home floor, they would head to Game 6 up 3-2.
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That season, the Mavs had the second-best record in the West at 60-22. The Heat were also No.2 in the East, but at 52-30, it was Dallas who had home court advantage in the 2006 NBA Finals, supposedly. However, the format favored the Heat, which Stackhouse said was why they lost.
“But looking at it, man, we got away from the game plan. And I think ultimately, that cost us. Dwyane had an unbelievable series, but he shot probably a few more free throws than he should have. But I’ve never been one to cry over spilled milk. It is what it is. We had our opportunities. We didn’t seize those opportunities, but they should have changed that format before that year.”
The Jet blamed the Mavs’ hotel room assignment
While Stackhouse blamed the format, Jason Terry blamed head coach Avery Johnson’s hotel room pairings for the Mavs’ downfall. That was because Johnson paired Nowitzki with veteran guard Darrell Armstrong, and the latter is known as a guy who doesn’t get a lot of sleep.
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“My roommate was Erick Dampier, and Dirk’s roommate was Darrell Armstrong,” Terry said. “
You can ask Dirk to this day — that didn’t work because Darrell doesn’t sleep, and he couldn’t get no rest. Those guys stayed up and watched TV all night. I don’t know if that quite worked out. And mine was Damp, and Damp doesn’t talk. So, here we were, trying to figure out how we were going to win Game 4, and we were in the room with guys who wouldn’t rest or wouldn’t hang out.”
Whether it was the referees, format, or room pairings, the Mavericks had plenty of excuses for blowing a 2-0 series lead in the 2006 NBA Finals. But as Stack himself admitted, they deviated from the game plan and allowed D-Wade to catch fire and take over the series by averaging 39.25 points per game from Games 3 to 6.
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Sure, there may have been more than a handful of bad calls, but it all came down to Dallas’ inability to contain Wade in the last four games of the series, especially since Games 3,5, and 6 were decided by a combined six points only.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.