2005–06 Dallas Mavericks season


The 2005–06 Dallas Mavericks season was the 26th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association. Coming off a crushing defeat to the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the playoffs last year, the Mavericks started the season off with an impressive 35-10 record as Dirk Nowitzki was selected for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston, and Avery Johnson was named Coach of The Year. This hugely successful team was also outscored by Kobe Bryant 62-60 in just 3 quarters on December 20th, 2005. The Mavericks won their final six games to finish with a 60-22 record, good enough for second place in the Southwest Division, and in the Western Conference overall. In the first round of the playoffs, the Mavericks swept the Memphis Grizzlies in four straight games, then defeated their in-state rivals, the San Antonio Spurs in a tough, hard-fought seven-game series, and finally, defeated the Phoenix Suns led by two time league MVP and former Mavericks point guard Steve Nash in a rematch of last year's Semifinals in six games in the Western Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. However, it was not meant to be as they lost to the Miami Heat, who were led by Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade, in six games. Following the season, Keith Van Horn retired.
Dallas and Miami would meet again in the 2011 NBA Finals, where the Mavericks would get their revenge, defeating the favored Heat, who was led by the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, in six games to win their first ever NBA championship; teammates Nowitzki and Jason Terry are the only members of both 2006 and 2011 Finals teams.

Offseason

Draft picks

The Mavericks did not have any selections in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Roster

Regular season

Standings

Division

Conference

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

West First Round

Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Last Playoffs meeting: This is the first meeting between the Mavericks and Grizzlies.

West Conference Semifinals

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2003 Western Conference Finals

West Conference Finals

Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2005 Western Conference Semifinals

NBA Finals

Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards and records

Awards

Transactions

Trades

Free Agents

Additions

PlayerSignedFormer team

Subtractions