Dallas veterans have haunting playoff stories

Dallas Mavericks sixth man Jason Terry not only knows his pain, he knows the pain of teammates.

Before Sunday’s practice inside Oklahoma City Arena, Terry stared off into space and gave a blow-by-blow of each teammate’s heartache.

“Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento versus LA, he didn’t get it done,” Terry began.

“Myself and Dirk (Nowitzki), Finals, 2-0, didn’t get it done.

“Coach (Rick) Carlisle, two Eastern Conference Finals, never made it to the championship.

“Jason Kidd, two Finals appearances, didn’t hoist up the trophy.

“Shawn Marion has been to the Western Conference Finals twice, hasn’t got to the Finals.”

Dallas has multiple playoff scars, far more than the baby faced Oklahoma City Thunder.

This could help explain the Mavs’ lunatic domination at the outset of Game 3 on Saturday night, and could very well end up being the difference in the Western Conference Finals.

“Those unique stories are what drive us and motivate us to get it done this year,” Terry explained.

These Mavs want all those playoff scars to serve as reminders.

“They’re definitely beneficial,” said center Tyson Chandler, who lost the 2008 Western Conference semifinals to the Spurs in seven games while with the New Orleans Hornets. “There are guys who have been here before and been in this same situation (Western Conference Finals) and didn’t make it. There are guys who have been in this situation and made it and have nothing to show for it (losing in the Finals).

“I think that history right now for us is pushing guys. It’s pushing a guy like Jason Kidd at 37 years of age (actually 38), who is looking like one of the youngest guys on the floor because he understands this can all be done for him this year. I feel like for him it’s every night could be his last opportunity, so he’s going to go out there and leave it on the floor that way.”

This is Marion’s eighth postseason, and he’s still looking for his first NBA Final.

“You know what that feels like,” Marion said of not advancing.

Nowitzki said he is embracing past experiences rather than ignoring them.

“We’ve been through a lot in the playoffs,” Nowitzki said. “We’ve been through tough losses. We’ve been through great highs and some lows … so that shouldn’t get us too rattled. I like how we’ve responded to losses so far. I think that’s what the playoffs sometimes are all about. You’re not going to win them all. You’re going to have some losses and it’s the way you respond to them.”