NBA Finals: Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks

[Kirobaito]

"We're not joined at the hip, we're cemented together." - Avery Johnson

I'm ... almost ... speechless right now. I'll tell you right here and now, this is the happiest moment of my life. Whatever IT is, this team has it.

Remember, the Mavericks were the single worst team in professional sports during the 1990's (by winning percentage). And here they are, in the NBA Finals. This is a feeling like I've never experienced before.

And now, for my rant.

Eat it, Suns.

Eat it.

This is how it feels.

This is how it feels to play a style that is INCAPABLE of winning big in the NBA. Despite what people try to say, the Suns did NOT invent this. They simply combined the pick and roll perfection of the Mavericks with the cutting and baseline action ball movement of the Kings to create an offensive juggernaut. I'll admit that when the Mavericks played it, I was naive and thought it could win. The Kings thought it too. But now, I'm sure that Del and I will be the first to admit that we were wrong. Dead wrong. The Kings are on their way to getting past it, and the Mavs are past it. They're in the Finals, with home court advantage and facing a team that they beat by an average of 23.5 ppg during the regular season. That said, it's still Shaq and Dwyane Wade, and they're playing better than they ever have. It will not be easy. But they can't stop the MVP of the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki (still anyone questioning that?), and they can't stop Josh Howard.

All that said, Mavs in 6, and an NBA Championship.

[Raistlin]

If the Suns had Amare, I think they would've beat the Mavs. And if the Mavs still played that way, you'd still think the Mavs could win that way, but now that they don't you've suddenly opened your eyes. What a strange coincidence.

And yes, I still question Dirk being the MVP, as anyone with any amount of objectivity would. A lot of people continually step up for the Mavs, and Dirk has meant less for the Mavs than Nash has for the Suns (<i>that</i> should not even be open to debate). MVP, no matter how you try to misrepresent what it means, KB, means "MOST VALUABLE PLAYER" not "best performing player" or "most outstanding player" or whatever it is your Dirk-worshipping mind perverts it to meaning to make it so that Dirk is by far the best choice, which he is not. Dirk is one of my favorite players in the NBA because he makes games entertaining and is just amazing to watch play offensively, but unlike you that doesn't stop me from thinking rationally and saying "Wow, Nash was <i>really</i> important to the Suns... I mean, their entire game-plan completely <i>revolved</i> around Nash, who himself performed very well." Give it a rest already.

[Del Murder]

Haha, yeah defense wins championships. I never really thought otherwise, but it does get you caught up when you see your team making beautiful passes and draining wide-open threes. I am glad your team did well but I think it is unhealthy for you to put so much emotion into something you have no control over.

I still agree with Raistlin about Dirk, but who cares. It's quite obvious that Dallas was the better team, and championships matter more than MVPs. I hope Dallas wins, mainly to see if Texas's head explodes.

[SnoopyG]

I'm rooting for the Mavs. I say Mavs in 7.

[Zell's Fists of Fury]

That was really heartbreaking.
I mean I knew Mavs were the better team, but I still felt like the Suns could pull it off. And they could have, had they not falled asleep the second half. And won again in Dallas, which they've shown they really can't. But still I would have liked to see them pull it out. I delivered during the game and everyone I went to was bummed out. I'll defiantly be paying more attention to them next year. As I said before I've never really followed basketball before, but after going to my first live game and having my home team get so close to the championship, especially when my home teams generally suck ass, man.

So go Heat. Not because Mavs beat Suns but because Kiro has been a giant butt the past week or so.

[DeathKnight]

I really DON'T care 'bout the West teams. I'm REALLY happy that the Miami Heat are there to kick some SERIOUS ass.

Scaring the offense WINS YOU championships, and that's what Miami Heat has been doing all throughout the playoffs.

Miami Heat for the win

[edczxcvbnm]

As I said in the other thread. Heat in 7. They have been playing very well in the Post season and have shown that on any night someone outside of Shaq and Wade can step up and have a big game...like last game when J. Willams had 21 points.

I would have given the MVP to Lebron. No way the Cavs would have won 20 games at all without his presense. They almost beat detroit because they had Lebron. He is that valuable to his team.

[Spawn of Sephiroth]

as much as i hate the heat, and as much as i hate to admit this, i believe that the heat will win this series in 5 games. shaq and wade are to good together and they are on fire.

[Kirobaito]

Mavs played like absolute dogcrap and still won.

Imagine what it'll look like when Dirk and Josh don't miss open shot after open shot.

[edczxcvbnm]

Dirk is contained and will not come alive sez I...just like Shaq ;_;

Go heat. They played a good game 4 and a decent game 3(first half was great and second half was great in the last six minutes...that averages out to decent).

Mavs will lose game 5. Stackhouse has been too important to them and now he has been suspended for game 5.

[Kirobaito]

Dirk is contained and will not come alive sez I...just like Shaq ;_;

Go heat. They played a good game 4 and a decent game 3(first half was great and second half was great in the last six minutes...that averages out to decent).

Mavs will lose game 5. Stackhouse has been too important to them and now he has been suspended for game 5.

He's shot the ball pretty badly in the Finals so far. And his suspension is a joke. No one should ever get suspended because of a flagrant foul against a Pat Riley-coached team. Mourning elbows Dirk in the face, and then taunts about it, but nothing? Shaq splits Stack's nose open, and nothing? Shaq's been allowed to hold double teamers off with his forearm the whole series, and nothing? He elbows Dirk in the jaw, and nothing? God forbid Stu Jackson and David Stern let the players decide it. I'd hate to see this series be remembered for this.

The Mavs are a better team than the Heat, and I still firmly believe that. They played the first third of this season without Stackhouse. Perhaps they'll use him as a martyr. Who knows? The Suns won game 6 in LA against the Lakers minus Raja Bell because they used his absence as a rallying point. Though his suspension was completely warranted. Stackhouse just committed a hard, playoff foul to prevent a layup, something that every other team can get away with. Somehow that means a suspension. Or maybe it's just because it's the Mavs, and they won't be near the story for the NBA that Shaq and drama queen Wade would be.

The Heat have shown themselves completely incapable of winning a game in Dallas so far. I don't think they can.

And hey, the Mavs have played their worst basketball this season in games 3 and 4. I don't think it can get any worse, and with the way the Heat played over the last 4 1/2 quarters, it can't get any better for them. Things will even out, and the better team should win. If the NBA will allow it.

[Del Murder]

The better team will win.

[Zell's Fists of Fury]

Oh, hi John Madden.

[I Took the Red Pill]

Heat lead 3-2. I bet Howard's feeling great after that classic timeout in between Wade's FTs in overtime .

[Kirobaito]

Heat lead 3-2. I bet Howard's feeling great after that classic timeout in between Wade's FTs in overtime .

According to Avery, the refs screwed that one up too.

Avery was calling several times for a TO after the 2nd free throw, Josh looked back to confirm, he signaled TO to ask if that's what Avery wanted, Avery replied "Yeah after the 2 FT's"

He said anyone who has been in the league for 20-30 years knows that's what they wanted. He said the refs assumed, for some reason, they wanted it after that 1st.

Yeah, but Wade wasn't touched on his drive. Once again, his pansy little flop antics win the game.

I'm quite furious, as you'd expect. The Mavericks won this game. That's all there is to it. Wade WAS NOT TOUCHED. The players are supposed to decide these games. This was not the case, starting with Stack's unwarranted and bizarre suspension, and continuing with breathing on Wade being a foul. What, like, 50 FTs for the Heat, half of which came on weak or non-existent calls?

Also, Wade did a nice little shove of Terry on the final drive that went uncalled.

I hate the NBA. But I love the Mavericks.

However, I expect that the NBA will rig Game 6 in favor of the Mavs. I hope they took a look on the "accidental" elbow that Wade gave Howard early in the game. Of course, the Heat have delivered more "accidental" elbows to the heads of Mavs players than is statistically possible. But of course, that would require consistency by Stu Jackson.

Ridiculous. Wade should feel ashamed of himself for winning the game in such a fashion. But he won't, because he'll just embrace the 50 new commercials that will be made about him.

Absolutely unbelievable that the refs blew that whistle. What a freakin' drama queen.

The refs are supposed to swallow their whistles. Hell, Dirk got hit on the wrist on HIS game-winning shot.

Dwyane Wade is so good, but he's given SO freakin' much. More FTs than the entire Mavs team. The game-winning free throws on an absolutely ridiculous call that no other player would ever get.

I don't blame the team at all for being furious in the press conference. They should be. They were robbed.

EDIT: Apparently robbed twice.

Wade caught the ball in the backcourt on the final play, which is legal. But you have to establish position in the backcourt first. He didn't. It should have been Mavs ball with 10 ticks left. How ridiculous.

OK, so let's count down the final play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jefurxvjneM if you want to watch.

Wade has both feet in the front court, catches the ball IN THE AIR, and lands in the backcourt. Backcourt violation. End of story, easy call, no subjectivity whatsoever. Look at the replay. Bing, bang, if the refs have any clue what they're doing, then they call that. Plain as day. Look at the video yourself.

Wade gives a straight-arm to Terry, knocking him into the scorer's table. An obvious offensive foul on any other player. But okay - I can understand not calling it if you want the players to decide the game.

So how does that explain a bailout call on Wade with 1.9 seconds left, completely surrounded by Mavs, where the only contact is Dirk's right hand resting on Wade's back, no shoving involved, where Wade tossed up a ridiculous shot that missed everything and Dirk rebounded? THINK IT'S A DOUBLE STANDARD AT ALL? smurfing ridiculous.

Then, they blow the whole timeout thing, too. Avery was talking to Josh, making sure Josh knew of the timeout (just to make sure). Josh signals timeout TO AVERY, and the refs call it, when they plainly know that there is no way that anyone would call a timeout in that situation? OK, you want to throw this out? OK. But does that explain away the first three? NO. It's quite simply a blown call and a blown game. Thanks a lot, NBA.

The Mavericks still win, though. They will kick serious ass in Games 6 and 7. Miami can't play in Dallas. The Mavs feel robbed, because they were, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. They won this game fairly and the refs stole it from them.

Icing in the cake. Mavs were royally screwed, and sorry - there is nothing anyone can say about it. End of story. Wade wasn't fouled, and committed a backcourt violation on the final play. Mavs won this game. Thank you, NBA.