We've got ourselves an NBA finals folks. The Mavericks clawed their way back from what looked to be a 4th quarter deficit far too deep to overcome. The series, and glorious NBA season, was fading right in front of our eyes as Wade's off-balance three-pointer in front of the Dallas bench slammed the nail in the coffin. "Three-ball, corner-pocket," Mark Jackson proclaimed while LeBron gleefully pretended to be a boxer, feigning punches on D-Wade's stomach as Miami's shooting-guard flashed his pearly-whites.But then shit started going down. Kidd nailed an open three, Jet hit a 15-footer and the Matrix dropped a clever pass to Dirk in transition. As rapidly as the season seemed lost, just as quickly, Dirk was raising his hand, doing the German three-point symbol and nabbing a small lead.
Yet, it was his game-winning shot that was the most dramatic moment of the night. With the contest knotted at 93 and Miami armed with a foul to give, Dirk faced up Bosh, spun to his left and calmly windowed in the lay-up. Bosh's horrendous offensive night was overshadowed by the image of him being scorched by Big D's bigman. In the former Raptor's defense, Miami's double came way late, and just about anyone faced with the task of shutting down Dirk would have been schooled. Except for perhaps the most malleable defender in the league, LeBron James.
Coach Spo must take much of the blame for this monumental collapse. He allowed his team to rush shots down the stretch in whatever capacity they felt like. He didn't require them to slow the tempo, didn't foul Dirk on the last possession and didn't utilize Bron's defensive capabilities efficiently. Miami had a chance to put a stranglehold on the Finals and mentally broke down. It could be costly for them.
What I've gained most from this game is that the Mavericks have a group of guys that believe in themselves and don't give a fuck about much of anything. Could be a wild ride the rest of the way.
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