In the NBA Finals Preview a couple of weeks ago, I said that the series between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks would come down to a battle of wills.
Last night the Mavericks for the second time in this series imposed their will upon the Miami Heat.
Dirk Nowitzki, playing with a sinus infection scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks went on a 21-9 run to overcome a 9-point fourth quarter deficit to once again shock the visiting Heat 86-83 to tie the series at two games apiece. In Game 2 the Mavericks used a 22-5 run in the final period to stun the Heat 95-93.
The Heat held a 74-65 lead with 10:12 remaining in regulation when the Mavericks went on a tear to avoid going down in the series 3-1, a feat that has been insurmountable in the history of the NBA Finals.
Dirk’s feat wasn’t as impressive as Michael Jordan’s 38-point performance with a 103- degree fever in the ’97 Finals against the Jazz, but with the grit and will he displayed it didn’t need to be. The Mavericks juggled their line up by starting J.J. Barea in place of DeShawn Stevenson giving the Mavs a smaller yet quicker backcourt.
Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh carried the Heat offensively finishing with 32 and 24 points, respectively. LeBron James, who spoke of “desperation” prior to Miami’s Game 3 victory was desperately trying to find a rhythm as he struggled, finishing with a playoff career-low 8 points on 3 of 11 shooting. James did lead the team in rebounds 9 and assists 7.
Nowitzki’s supporting cast stepped up in this crucial game, Jason Terry answered Nowitzki’s call with 17 points but still struggled from beyond the arc (1-4), Tyson Chandler finished with 13 points and 16 rebounds in 43 minutes of work. DeShawn Stevenson knocked down was 3-7 from three-point distance for 11 points coming off the bench, But the unsung hero of these NBA Finals continues to be Shawn Marion who slashed his way to 16 points and 4 rebounds.
In the end it boiled down to the Heat and missed opportunities down the stretch – a missed free throw led to two points at the line for Jason Terry increasing the lead to three points and a mishandled pass by Wade forced a Mike Miller heave at the horn that was offline.
Either team can make a case to be up 3-1 in the series but miscues have made this a wide-open series – which is now a best of three..
The Kardashians have failed again…….. Khloe is Bosh, Kim is Lebron, and Kourtney is D-Wade……..
Bosh is Khloe because he’s the tall mysterious/thinks he’s a big big star in actuality he’s just another chip off the old block an above average big man……. In other words a real diva with an ego above the roof…..
Lebron is Kim….. Has been around a bit……. Doesn’t know if he’s #1 or #2…… Quits on the next thing smoking…….. If you know what I mean…… A real cry baby if something isn’t going right…… That on to the next attitude…..LOL
D-Wade is Kourtney…….. Behind the scenes…… Doesn’t speak that much…… Just let’s her game speak for himself…… Great actor…… Good in the public eye……. Overall better than the other two sisters……
I miss the 4 horseman days when their was Rick Flair, Barry Windham, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard……. No man was above the Nature Boy because the others knew their roles within the crew….. Thats why they had longevity within that crew…….
Now the Mega Powers with Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Brutus The Barber Beef Cake…….. They didnt last that long and had serious beef within the crew……..
The moral of the story is that when you have guys who claim to be #1’s and you get #4-#5 results…….. Theirs going to be an issue…….. Lebron only shot the ball 1 time in the 4th quater and became M.I.A. in an MIA jersey….. Thats why I call them the Kardashians of the the NBA……. IF they lose this series their going to point fingers at Erick Spolstra…… I feel bad for the young man……… I’ve never seen more crying and whining up and down the court arguing with the refs while the opposing team is running a fast break and your still complaining……. Bosh’s acting skills are through the roof…. SMH!!!!!!!
What man goes down after an eye poke???????? I’ve seen Rip Hamilton break his nose and stand on his feet like a man……. Bosh went down faster than a 2 dollar whore and with his body flopping like a fish out of water…… I feel Jakihm Noah……. They HOLLYWOOD as HELL…….. NBA is now VH1…… The Kardashians take MIAMI…… LOL!!!!!!
@jroc757, So who gets jumped in the lockerroom (Ole Anderson).
LMAO…… @Ronglover…….. Ole Anderson……. The NBA is watered down……. These guys are just the franchise face of this movement……. We are looking at a fading sport becoming a reality show…… Lamar and Khole…… The basketball House wives……… I miss the Kurt Rambis’s and Bill Lambier’s…….. Guys who played hard game after game and isn’t afraid to lose any teeth……. But we have these 3 Tulips who cry on every play and when something doesn’t go their way…….. They start to cry…….
But aren’t afraid to lose any teeth……..
I beleive the 2006 Heat team is better than this squad…..
Shaq, Wade, Payton, Posey, Walker, J. Williams, Haslem, Alonzo Mourning, Dorell Wright and Derek Anderson and etc…… Every man knew their role and help them win 4 straight in 2006…….. This Miami Heat team can close a box of cereal correctly……. I hope they lose……. I dont like the MAVS but the MIAMI SWEET aka ….. The MEGA POWERS need to learn how to be men and stop CRYING……. “MY RAY LEWIS VOICE”
Man, Posey came up on 2 rings.
Ron, Jroc, TOO FUNNY! LMBO! Bosh went down faster than a 2 dollar whore! LMBO! CLASSIC! That’s expensive, the Kenzos take food stamps. BWAHAHAHA!! He was flopping around like that youtube video of the dolphin humping the dude on the pier. TOO FUNNY! My back is hurting!
Bosh is as soft as cotton. D Wade is a real superstar–I honestly would rather have him over Lebron. As far as the Mavs go, the MVP(aside from Dirk) for the Mavs has got to be Tyson Chandler. The dude is a hustler and plays the game with an attitude that makes the whole team tougher. He is every bit as important as Dirk. In fact, without Chandler the Mavs would never have even made it out of the first round.
Finally, can the comparison games stop? Lebron to Jordan//Larry Bird vs Dirk? Larry Bird is on a different level from Dirk. While Dirk is clutch and shoots the ball as well, he as an aversion to defense. I have never seen a 7 footer not challenge a driving SG as a help defender. I mean, how many times are we going to see Lebron or D Wade beat their man and see Dirk just watch as the guy has an easy throw down or lay up. Step up and take a charge, lay a foul or block a shot. Do something, you are a supposed superstar 7 footer.
Fran, i agree with some of your comments, but you gotta admit Bosh has played like a man this series. Hes playing like a superstar PF (He may be moving up on my list, stay tuned). As for wade he is infact the best player in world right now. Next to Jordan id take dwade on my team in the finals any time, but besides that he has all of the intangibles, speed, quickness, agility, ability to play lockdown defense blocking shots stealing the ball, then his offense speaks for itself probably the best slashing sg weve had in this league… a nice jumper, he has it all.
Lebron is in a funk right now that hes gotta get out of… I cant really explain it… but im under the impression that he will infact come out thursday night blazing hot n like a man possessed, hes hearing all of the chatter about him now its time to give a reply to all the critics…
Here are some stats to calm some of this bron bron chatter down, Kobe has scored 11 points total in a NBA finals game, Larry bird has had back to back 8 point games in two NBA finals games, so to make a huge deal out of Bron Brons 8 point performance is hysterical, he was in a funk but him being the great player he is will bounce back…
The greats do not disappear in games this big like Lebrick did. Even if his shot is not going down he should be getting to the foul line. He was invisible last game and the greats do not do that. A poor shooting night is no excuse because the great would shoot 6 for 20 on a bad night but still do things to help their team win.
Jon Hart, what do you mean “Kobe has scored 11 points total in a NBA finals game”. I’m not sure what that means. Did you miss a word? A typo or something? Please clarify.
Here’s why I want Dallas to win:
Dirk and Kidd – Great career but old and would like to see them win one. If they don’t win this, I doubt they have another chance. The Heat will have plenty of chance to win multiple times.
The Heat a whiny – They fall all over the floor with the slightest touch. Complain all the time to the refs and their on court demeanor is sickening at best (Wade mostly). Tired of seeing Wade strut around like everything he does he great.
I thought we weren’t allowed to use stats, Jon? I guess that is only when we are proving you wrong and making you look stupid?
Anywho, the reason LeBron is in a funk is because *Dennis Green Voice* “He is who we thought he was”…… A choker. Can’t come up big in the clutch.
Scorp, in a game against the magic in the nba finals kobe only scored 11 points. Played a awful awful game…. Larry Legend had back to back 8 point games in the nba finals, you consider them greats right? So as you can see great players do have bad games in the finals, but what matters is how they come back the following game… Bron Bron will get it together tonight…
Jon Hart, why don’t you get your own material and getting all your ish from SPORTSNATION you moron.
And that wasn’t a finals game you idiot, it was in January. F’n moron. Get your facts straight.
Kobe’s PT totals in the Finals against the Magic:
Game 1) 40 pts
Game 2) 29 pts
Game 3) 31 pts
Game 4) 32 pts
Game 5) 30 pts
Get your facts straight you chump. You don’t even know what you’re talking about.
LOL at Hart getting ripped. Just goes to show this moron knows nothing and is just a parrot repeating everything he sees on other sites.
Sports, why do you keep saying that as if i said that? Who said stats were bad to use?
Alot of the anger directed at Bron Bron is personal. You guys have developed this strong dislike for him which is absurd and unwarranted. Its hate like this that makes the philly fan base have the reputation it has. I think back when AI was on the sixers and the yr after his MVP season the media and fans wanted him gone which was the stupidous thing i ever seen and heard, but thats how it is here, Every major sports figure in this city the fans have been wanting to run them out of town, AI, MCNABB, TO, RYAN HOWARD, CHASE UTLEY, JIMMY ROLLINS, MIKE RICHARDS, JEFF CARTER and the list goes on, next will be mike vick…
Now you guys have directed your attention on extreme hate for lebron for no reason at all… good thing hes not a sixer cuz yall woulda been tryna run him outta town like you tried doing with AI…
Kobe Bryant Game 5 vs. Indiana 2000 NBA Finals – 8 points 5 rebounds 3 as
Need i go further?
The “hate” for Lebron comes from people countering all the UNWARRANTED praise he receives.
He has had the NBA handed to him since he first stepped foot into the league, even before then. He took Michaels # thinking he was going to be able to live up to the hype — to this point, he hasn’t.
He has “Chosen 1” tatted on his back because he truly believes he is….yet he’s far from it. He want’s to be known as the “KING”, when he’s more like a prince when the pressure is on.
People tried doing the same with Kobe early in his career, the whole “next michael” thing — the reason I respect Kobe is because he never bought into it. He never said he was the “chosen 1” nor that he was trying to get on Jordans level — he simply said he was going to create his OWN legacy.
So you continue to be a peasant to “King James” Jon Hart, you continue to not be a “fan”, no no, Lebron doesn’t have “fans”, he has “witnesses”. So continue to be a “witness” to the most egotistical bastard to ever set foot in an NBA arena. Try not to get a permanent neck cramp from all the head-bobbing.
Is that your counter? Game 5 of the 2000 Finals? Where he wasn’t even in his PRIME yet? LMAO. Laughable.
Say what you want about Kobe. He has 5 rings — and something tells me he’s not done.
Kobe scored just 11 pts in game 3 of the 2004 NBA Finals The Lakers lost the game 88-68… Hmm should i go on? You idiots!
I never argued that Kobe didn’t have a bad game in the Finals.
That wasn’t YOUR statement. You said he did it against the Magic…..cause you’re a moron and don’t know wtf you’re talking about.
BirdHoe in 2004 kobe wasnt in his prime? Shut the heck up dumb dumb
You sound like a kobe bryant worshiper, you must be the hoe he had in colorado.. are you still into wearing blonde wigs? You bumhoe
Are you arguing with yourself right now? Are you not comprehending? I NEVER said Kobe didn’t have a bad game in a Finals game……my argument to your idiotic post was that you said he scored 11 pts against the Magic in the Finals — that is false. You are a moron and don’t do your research. You talk out of your ass and it has been proven here in this thread. You have been owned, get over it. Now go watch some more black male porn while you dream of “Bron Bron”.
BirdHoe is so happy i wrote the wrong team on a post hahaha what a cheap hoe… But once a hoe always a hoe… you didnt answer the question do you still roc blonde wigs?
You “wrote the wrong” team because you don’t know what you’re talking about. You were talking out of your ass. Get some NBA knowledge and stop going by second hand info.
Why do we all waste our time with you? You’re the dumbest poster on this site, and that says alot, it truly does.
I just find it funny a “Sixers fan” could slobber so much on another teams star players jock.
And your cheap insults just further prove that you can’t accept defeat. Just accept it. I know its hard. But defeat is something we all must accept at one point or another.
Hahaha @ BirdHoe making the case that i dont have nba knowledge bc i wrote the wrong team hahaha, then he wrote a general statement saying why do we waste our time with you? You sound so pathetic… if you wasnt a gcobb.com website whore you wouldnt feel the need to formulate a response to every post i write… it shows that your obsessed with Mr. Jon Hart… And you still havent answered my question, you seem to be avoiding it. Do you still roc those blonde wings?
Yeah Birdo. That is what Hart does to deflect because his 12 year old brain can only comprehend so much. That and repeat that he is abusing us with his vast NBA knowledge. Seems like he has run out of responses and has just been relegated to being a broken record.
@SportsBum — I’ve been owning cats on this site left and right lately — GCobb needs to provide some better posters. The ones coming in wishing to start controversy just aren’t cutting it. They don’t seem to be smart enough.
Wow Jon Hart is getting hammered with logic. The Lebron worship seems to rankle some folks. Lebron James is not even the best player on his own team, let alone in the league. Maybe he should earn respect before he refers to himself as the chosen one and KIng James
This is the part where Hart comes back at us, calling us “SportsDumb”, “FranDrescher”, and “BirdHoe”, while saying that he is putting us in our place and embarrassing us with his sports knowledge. Do I have that about right?
Lebron has an Iggy-like game last night. Sure the stat line looks nice but disappeared when the team needed him the most.
Lebron James aka the best regular season player ever.
I’m not going to dispute Lebrick’s talent but the dude just doesn’t have any edge. He tries to act calm and cool all the time. When the true greats have a bad game you know they know they had one. Let a reporter ask them something about their game and they would respond with a little attitude. Wade has it. Lebrick doesn’t. He’s a great player but going to Miami hasn’t given him that killer instinct that he should be exhibiting with all the praise he receives.
It’s easy for him to put up 30 when they are getting a bunch of turnovers and playing fast break basketball but when he has to play offense in the half court all game, he cannot do it. His post game is weak and he can’t play off the ball. This is why Wade is the most dangerous player on their team…. he’s the most versatile. In order for the Heat to win, Lebron will need the ball in his hands and let Wade play off the ball because Wade is better at that. But when Wade has the ball in his hands, James is just standing around not cutting, not moving through screens, nothing. And when he doesn’t have it going, he shuts down and his defense suffers.
I’d respect the guy more if he shot the ball 10 times in the 4th and just missed than barely taking any shots. Because at least you know he’s trying.
Lebron may have more athletic abiltiy than any athlete of the modern era, but it really doesn’t matter cause he needs to see the wizard and get some heart, that’s what separates the greatest from the rest, look around, sometimes the greatest have suspect tools, like Montana, but they all come through in the clutch at crunch time, not Lebron, he has that scared look o his face
All-Time Top 5 NBA Finals Disappointments
#1) LeBron James
#2) LeBron James
#3) Lebron James
#4) Aaron McKie
#5) Jon Hart
Right now Jon Hart is sucking on his thumb and crying in his mommy’s basement. He is hoping and praying that the Heat come back and win and LeBron actually does something meaningful. I for one, like to see Jon Hart hiding with his tail between his legs, and hope that the Heat lose so we won’t have to see him again.
Sports, that’s not his thumb! LMFBO!!! š