DALLAS — Some moments in Dallas sports history stand the test of time.
It is fitting that we are reminded of a moment 21 years ago when the Mavericks played the Utah Jazz.
The Mavs, then an untested and young team, faced off against a seemingly over-the-hill Jazz team that still featured John Stockton and Karl Malone.
"Who would have called that shot?" said Chuck Cooperstein, who is now the radio voice of the Mavs. "There was Calvin Booth and he was ready for his moment and he'll always be remembered for it."
The Mavericks forced a Game 5 after falling behind 0-2 in that 2001 series.
The fourth quarter in Salt Lake City was a seesaw event until Booth took a quick pass from Michael Finley and made a layup that put the Mavs over the top.
"This is the most exciting time of the year. There is no good matchups in the west. It's extremely tough," said Dirk Nowitzki.
We are reminded of that moment 21 years ago because there are many parallels to this year.
The Mavs and Jazz face off again. It is again a four-seed vs. five-seed matchup coming off long playoff series win droughts -- and replace budding star Dirk Nowitzki with superstar Luka Doncic.
But, the Mavs are a very different team, and so are the Jazz.
"Maybe even make [fans] believe that the Mavericks are allowed to play basketball in May and maybe into June," said Cooperstein.
The Mavs have home-court advantage in this series. Doncic is projected out for Game 1, leaving room for more unlikely heroes to mimic Calvin Booth.