As the longest-tenured Maverick, Michael Finley is well aware of his team's history. He knows all about what makes the Mavericks successful and what they need to flourish.

He knows how to get his team focused on its goals, too. The best example? It came in the third quarter of the Mavericks' 122-110 triumph over Minnesota on Wednesday. All he did was slice full-speed to the basket, explode over the Timberwolves' Rasho Nesterovic and force down the basket over a handful of chasing players. The dunk was explosive and powerful, but the reaction even more telling: Finley shouted all the way down the court, emphasizing his basket and the Mavericks' lead at American Airlines Center.

"I just wanted to make something happen," Finley explained. "That seemed to get the crowd into it."