11/05/24
June 14, 2006
It's a Bird! It's a Plane! No, It's Dwyane Wade!: With the NBA finals back in Miami, and the Heat needing a win in a big way, D-Wade shows us just how clutch he can be.
posted by NightingalesGone to basketball at 07:23 AM - 16 comments
And Shaq made two Big free throws in crunch time! Gotta give Miami credit for a truly gutty win. Dirk was 10 of 12 from the line and 9 of 20 from the field, and all ESPN could mention was his late miss at the line. Again, a great game, and a great win for The Heat.
posted by mjkredliner at 08:41 AM on June 14, 2006
Dwayne showed last night a glimps of the superstar he is going to be. Fantastic game by D-wade for sure. I think the Mav's still win it because D-Wade cannot give then 40+ points every night. He showed he belonged there though and if he continues to improve and play like that he will get back to the finals again.
posted by T.C. at 08:42 AM on June 14, 2006
I think it showed that D-wade will be among the game's truly elite when he matures. It's too bad he's not there now, otherwise he could make up for a fading shaq, but they may get another shot at it next year. Dallas in six
posted by ninjavshippo at 09:41 AM on June 14, 2006
Helluva game by Dwyane...Clutch shot by GP...but does the "MDE ('Most Dominant Ever')" have another vintage game left (30-30+ pts & 10+ rebs)? I suppose he might if Dallas eases up on the double-teams of Shaq and plays help defense on Wade. It's sure strange...Dampier shouldn't be a damn peer of Shaq's. Still picking Mavs in 6.
posted by curtangle at 09:44 AM on June 14, 2006
D.Wade played like it was win or die. Unfortunately if the Heat have any chance of winning this thing he's going to have to do that every single night out. Wade has the skills and the heart to do it but he can't beat the Maveric's alone. unlike in the series against Detroit,Shaq is being exposed for what he has become. A slow,HUGE low-post monster who when the game is spead up becomes a so-so superstar that even Dampier can hang with. Even though they beat the Pistons and beat them soundly.(I know they deserve to be here) I think the Pistons matched up better then they do. Shaq needs not 1 but maybe 2 huge performances for the Heat to have a chance. We'll see if he has it in him. I don't think he has it.Mav's in 6. You have to believe Wade has One left.
posted by bigpoppav at 10:44 AM on June 14, 2006
D-Wade had one of the best perfromances in an NBA finals match last ngiht. Watching that game and seeing his enthusiasm and love for the game is what it is all about. From the minute that they announced his name and he came out without his warm-up gear on looking more focussed then I have ever seen, I knew it was going to be a spectacular night.. LETS GO HEAT
posted by meatsfactor at 11:21 AM on June 14, 2006
Sure, the Heat got clutch freethrows from Shaq and Haslem, clutch 3's from Posey and Williams and who can believe that big shot from Gary Payton? This game is an abberation though. Wade will still play like a man possessed, but the key is the Shaq/Dampier matchup. And let me say this, Shaq has not won his battle YET. Dampier has played like a man possessed this whole series. Its been a pleasant sight to see. Oh, and Shaq SO pushed off on Dampier late in the 4th...that's so a cheap foul call that was missed. Dallas in 6 is the consensus...and I have to agree...its just will they take Game 4 or Game 5...that's what needs to be determined...
posted by chemwizBsquared at 01:08 PM on June 14, 2006
I think Henry Abbott over at TrueHoop has the best read on this win and what it means for this series:It's not at all clear to me that this is a replicable victory. It didn't look like the Heat solved anything about Dallas. It looked like Dwyane Wade sprouted wings. Maybe that can happen three more times.
posted by lilnemo at 01:11 PM on June 14, 2006
"I think the Mav's still win it because D-Wade cannot give then 40+ points every night. He showed he belonged there though and if he continues to improve and play like that he will get back to the finals again." T.C. that was a heck of a point there...D-Wade isn't at that point yet in his career. (heck, I don't even think LeBron is either)...the only player I've seen capable of putting 4 straight 40 point efforts out there would be MJ...though Magic and Bird in the 80's did that a bit themselves. What is remarkable about Wade is that he did all that scoring with not only 5 fouls on him, but with a gimpy knee (I remember hearing the commentators talk about that knee all 4th quarter long)...so that is definitely the stuff of legends right there... Now if only Shaq and Walker picked it up.
posted by chemwizBsquared at 01:55 PM on June 14, 2006
T.C. that was a heck of a point there...D-Wade isn't at that point yet in his career. (heck, I don't even think LeBron is either)...the only player I've seen capable of putting 4 straight 40 point efforts out there would be MJ...though Magic and Bird in the 80's did that a bit themselves. Doubt only motivates true Champions, and makes asses out of less-than-educated-guess makers.
posted by everett at 02:30 PM on June 14, 2006
dallas is keeping inserting they are going to take in six dirk is going to put 40 on miami tomorrow night . lets keep this real dallas is a better team than miami. they have fire power all over the court and the bench scores alot of points
posted by mrprendon1@verizon.net at 04:42 PM on June 14, 2006
Are you kidding...Dirk will put 50 up man...and Miami will fall down to him. If you look at the series for Dallas, each game its been someone different igniting the team. Game 1 was the great Jason Terry and his 32 points. Game 2 belonged to Stackhouse with those 10 points at the end of the 2nd quarter. Game 3 was ALL Erick Dampier and how he outplayed Shaq. Game 4 Maverick to make an impact: Devin Harris (although he and Josh Howard get my nodd for honorable mention for the impact Maverick from Game 3).
posted by chemwizBsquared at 08:28 PM on June 14, 2006
I think the Heat got their game right there. That's it. This series has been illuminating for this Shaq watcher. He just looks done. I love Dwayne Wade, but he can't do this alone. Dallas is such a complete team by comparison.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:57 PM on June 14, 2006
I agree, that this performance showed us all just how great Wade will truly be in years to come, but we should've all seen this coming 2 yrs. ago when he led Miami to a gm 7 win vs New Orleans(this is back when the Hornets were actually good; anyone remember? oh well). If you will remember, in his first ever playoff gm, he hit the game winner. How many guys can claim that? But he can't give the Heat 40 pts and not to mention 13 rebounds every night. What they need is for Shaq to be Shaq again and the other people step up and actually make shots. The other guys in gms 1&2 fell in love with the 3-pointers and in gm 1 no one but Shaq and Wade got to the free throw line and the free throw shooting by the Heat has been terrible. Shaq actually made 4 of 6 FTs last night and they still as a team made only 20 of 34. The play that Wade at the end of the game last night was great and preserved the win, but they could've sealed the win up alot sooner if they would've simply made their free throws. You can't win a championship if you don't make your foul shots, especially the critical ones that count the most. My prediction: DAL wins in 6.
posted by headgames at 12:05 AM on June 15, 2006
This series has been a little bit of a surprise for me. I watched Shaq play like a 25 year old against Detroit, and I didn't think Dallas could do anything with him pumped up that way, but it looks like he used it all up against the Pistons. The Diesel's on an empty tank, I guess.
posted by ctal1999 at 09:51 AM on June 15, 2006
D-Wade's play was nothing short of spectacular last night. not only for all the points he scored but also with his defense on the last play.