11/21/24
June 15, 2006
Heat 98, Mavericks 74: Miami holds Dallas to an NBA Finals record low seven points in the fourth quarter to tie the series.
posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 11:55 PM - 42 comments
I'm shocked. After the Mavs dominated game 2 I figured the Heat might win one game. Game 3 seemed like that one game with the improbable comeback by the Heat unlikely to be repeated. Now I don't have any idea how it will turn out. I suspect there will be a game 7.
posted by Most_Voluble_Poster at 01:48 AM on June 16, 2006
The Mavs seemed like they were gonna run away with the title, but i guess the Heat proved that they were better than what they showed in the first two games. I think the way the finals are set up to have "home-court adv" is flawed. The team w/ the the better record would get the full benefit of home-court adv. if they had three games in a row at home, then three in a row away, then the last at home. The way the games are set up now pretty much make for a lot of game sevens.
posted by youngflippa18 at 02:39 AM on June 16, 2006
A 3-3-1 would give too much advantage to the team that starts with three at home. I prefer 2-2-1-1-1 to 2-3-2, but if you can't win one of three road games in a row, you don't deserve the title. At this point, the Mavs are in bigger trouble than the Heat. Game 5's a must-win for them, after the way they handed over game 3 and were atrocious last night. They're accustomed to digging themselves out of holes, but winning two at home after losing three straight on the road would be tough. Avery Johnson's been getting a lot of credit for his coaching moves, but I think he made the mistake of the series in the last six minutes of game 3. When you're the better free-throw shooting team, you're ahead by 13, and Wade has five fouls, drive the basket every time and make them foul you. You'll get enough points from the free throw line to stop the rally.
posted by rcade at 08:14 AM on June 16, 2006
I didn't understand why they didn't run every drive at Wade after he got his fifth foul in Game 3 to either make him foul out or give up easy baskets. Miami picked up their defense, Shaq was better, and they finally got some help from their bench. It seemed more like Dallas just was missing their shots than Miami shut them down. I think Dallas still might have an edge, because they're a better road team than Miami, but Game 5 is huge. I rooting for Dallas, but I wouldn't mind if Miami won. I just want an interesting series, and we've certainly got that now.
posted by kirkaracha at 09:26 AM on June 16, 2006
I think that the Mav's meltdown was more attributed to themselves than anything that the Heat did. While the Heat have clamed down the last two games defensively, game three just got into the Mav's head I think. They just couldn't buy a bucket last night.
posted by NightingalesGone at 09:50 AM on June 16, 2006
Great point, rcade.....
posted by smithers at 09:54 AM on June 16, 2006
Mavs looked a little lost out there. I haven't seen them seem that relatively clueless since the playoffs started. Well, we've got a series again. Should be a great game five. (I hate the 2-3-2 format.)
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:44 AM on June 16, 2006
You know, we see the exact same thing year in year out...the "favorite" wins Game's 1 and 2. The "underdog" goes home and regroups to win Game's 3 and 4. Yet, look at the 97 Bulls and more recently the 05 Spurs. Both teams won their first 2 games, then proceeded to drop the next 2 on the road before getting big efforts from their stars and clutch shots from the role players. Guys, yeah, I'm terrified about Dallas. Dirk and Howard are both struggling. But if Avery wants to make a difference, why not switch Stackhouse and Howard. Why not try that for a game. See what happens. Stack has been playing with lots of energy...and giving Howard the chance to come off the bench and play may be what he needs. On the Heat side of things, Posey shouldn't be penciled in to start Game 5, he should be INKED in. Period. End of story. What has Antoine Walker given the Heat anyways? Sure his Game 4 efforts were a step up from the rest of the series (and he finally hit a 3...that's when I just cut it off because hell'd finally frozen over).
posted by chemwizBsquared at 10:45 AM on June 16, 2006
Oh yeah...2-3-2 SUCKS!!!!!!!!! This isn't baseball guys...this is the freakin NBA. The 2-2-1-1-1 works for the other rounds of the playoffs...why screw up a beautiful thing?
posted by chemwizBsquared at 10:46 AM on June 16, 2006
One of the big problems I have with good jump shooting teams is that they seem to get into that low percentage shot mode and refuse to drive the net. The Kings of 2-3 years ago were a perfect example of this and it looks like it could be Dallas' undoing. Dallas really needs to pull one out in Miami and take this series at home. I can's stand the idea of Alonzo Mourning winning an NBA title.
posted by HATER 187 at 11:00 AM on June 16, 2006
Do I smell a seven game series? NBA marketing does it again.
posted by mustang71 at 11:02 AM on June 16, 2006
What don't you like about Mourning? The guy is all heart... Well, I guess he's partially liver as well now, but seriously he's still mostly heart.
posted by everett at 11:03 AM on June 16, 2006
I can't wait for game 5. You gotta believe that whoever wins Sunday should be the favorite to take it all. I know the last two are in Dallas, so if Miami wins, there's no guarantees, but 3 in a row would be tough for Dallas to overcome. As good as DWade has bee, I think it all depends on Shaq - the only life Dallas showed yesterday in the second half was when the Diesel went to the bench in the 3rd quarter for a rest. (Has anybody else noticed that for every questionable call, Hubie Brown says, "it all depends on the Ref's angle"? Yeah, we got it Hubie! Find something new to say)
posted by chamo at 11:05 AM on June 16, 2006
What don't you like about Mourning? I'm a Knicks fan, it's just not allowed.
posted by HATER 187 at 11:16 AM on June 16, 2006
Amen, everett. He's the only reason I'm pulling for the Heat...well, that and at least the Pistons could say they lost to the champs.
posted by ctal1999 at 11:17 AM on June 16, 2006
Anyone see the hit Stack put on Shaq? If the league stays true to form, he's gonna miss a game or two (were this the regular season I'd say they give him a five game suspension at the least). Stack made zero effort to even make it look like he was going for the ball. He just clubbed Shaq in the head with a forearm to the side of his face. Streetballers are rarely so agressive- it was that bad. And the effect on the team chemistry could go either way (I'd say it would harm them but then look what happened to Phoenix when that "kid" Raja Bell clothselined Kobe).
posted by MW12 at 11:38 AM on June 16, 2006
I think you're making too much of that foul, which Shaq laughed off. Considering the punishment that Shaq doles out all the time by being monstrously huge and clumsy with his elbows, it would be a travesty if Stackhouse was suspended for a hard foul that only involved his arms. He didn't even put his body into it.
posted by rcade at 12:01 PM on June 16, 2006
What don't you like about Mourning? . Everything. The guy is a gutless loser quitter.
posted by tommybiden at 12:19 PM on June 16, 2006
Mavs looked tired (so many shots short and off the front iron) and full of give-up. Was it a hangover from choking in game 3 or a sign of things to come? Game 5 will probably tell.
posted by graymatters at 12:28 PM on June 16, 2006
I do not see how they can justify suspending Stackhouse when there were 3 officials on the floor that didn't even call a flagrant foul. It was a hard foul no doubt, but you are not going to get Shaq's attention with anything less. It was not a cheap shot, it was just a hard foul.
posted by T.C. at 12:35 PM on June 16, 2006
Shaq did indeed jump to his feet and laugh off the fact that he was tackled. But I believe you'll agree the hit is not going to be taken lightly by the league if you'll check this out.
posted by MW12 at 12:38 PM on June 16, 2006
the foul on shaq was called as a flagrant 1, which is two shots and the ball for miami. had it been a flagrant 2, the heat would have gotten two shots and the ball and stackhouse would have gotten the boot- then we may have seen a suspension. as it stands, stackhouse should be in the lineup for game 5 and it's nice to see that the series in interesting again. it looked like dallas might run away with it.
posted by ksb122 at 12:48 PM on June 16, 2006
What don't you like about Mourning? . Everything. The guy is a gutless loser quitter. Like when he was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a rare kidney disease. I mean, it took him almost a full year to get back into the NBA after getting a kidney transplant. And he's obviously not contributing to the team since he only finished in 3rd place in blocks-per-game (2.66), despite playing only 20min a game. What a pussy.
posted by grum@work at 12:56 PM on June 16, 2006
Jason Williams set Shaq up to be fouled by trying a fancy-pants pass for a dunk instead of just laying it in himself. (I've heard people call a pass like that in soccer a "hospital ball.") The refs made the right call. I don't think Stackhouse should be suspended. The refs were allowing a lot of physical play in last night's game (Nowitski went to the ground a lot, with fouls only called about half of the time), and Stackhouse's foul wasn't that far out of line. From ESPN: "The previous NBA Finals record for fewest points scored in a quarter was nine, done by Utah against Chicago in 1998 and New Jersey against San Antonio in 2003." Utah and New Jersey both lost their series. Avery Johnson better cure the Mavs' hangover before Sunday. I don't think they'd be able to win two games at home if they go down 3-2. (Although, as King Kaufman points out, the Heat looked beat after two games.)
posted by kirkaracha at 01:11 PM on June 16, 2006
What don't you like about Mourning? . Everything. The guy is a gutless loser quitter. What in the world are you talking about?
posted by everett at 01:34 PM on June 16, 2006
It seemed like for the better part of the 4th quarter Dallas went to their throw-your-body-into-the-defender-and-hope-for-a-foul style instead of working the ball around for a good shot, which has been so successful for them. That style worked against San Antonio, as Dallas was constantly getting the calls and going to the foul line, but last night, the refs didn't bite.
posted by chamo at 01:43 PM on June 16, 2006
Everything. The guy is a gutless loser quitter. What in the world are you talking about? Not to keep this going or anything, but I think he's refeering to quitting on the Nets in the '03-'04 seasons, right after K-Mart was traded and it appeared they were going into a re-building mode.
posted by HATER 187 at 02:27 PM on June 16, 2006
No, he's referring to being traded to the Raptors in the Vince Carter deal and refusing to report, essentially holding the team hostage so that not only did they not get his services, they had to pay him $10 million to buy out his contract. He didn't even bother to leave his house - citing some injury-realted excuse. Afther being granted his wish and bought out, he reported to the Heat three days later and has shown how much he can contribute since. So, no, I don't like him much either.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:30 PM on June 16, 2006
As per weedy's explanation, i am also in the cheer against mourning bus. i was driving the vince carter shuttle for similar reasons until it crashed into a ditch in the earlier rounds.
posted by ninjavshippo at 03:29 PM on June 16, 2006
What weedy said. And ninjavshippo, were you wearing a helmet at the time of the crash?
posted by smithers at 04:27 PM on June 16, 2006
I'll agree that he's a "loser quitter", but I don't think "gutless" should apply given his ability to play after his serious illness and surgery. Unless, of course, he should have his kidneys removed permanently, then he'd literally be "gutless" at that point.
posted by grum@work at 04:32 PM on June 16, 2006
grum, Alonzo Mourning's bowels on line two for you, and they don't sound happy.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:52 PM on June 16, 2006
Fuck. Stack's out for game 5. Stern *really* doesn't want to hand that trophy to Mark Cuban.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:53 PM on June 16, 2006
What a pussy. Thanks grum, i couldn't have said it better.
posted by tommybiden at 05:14 PM on June 16, 2006
The Stack suspension's a series-changer. Shaq's hard fouls on Dirk and Stack in game 1 didn't even rate a league look.
posted by rcade at 05:28 PM on June 16, 2006
Methinks Cuban was too busy drumming up publicity to send a tape into the league office.
posted by lilnemo at 05:55 PM on June 16, 2006
in my opinion (and the leagues too, apparantly) there's a difference between a hard foul and a flagrant. if shaq was just trying to knock people around, at least he gave the appearance he was going for the ball. stack didn't even do that, he just ran across the floor and barrelled into shaq out of, what seemed like, irritation at the way the game was headed. having said that, i think the suspension is bogus but the mavericks are deep enough to compensate.
posted by ksb122 at 06:12 PM on June 16, 2006
lilnemo: A tape of what? Shaq's hard fouls? He'd have to donkey punch Darell Armstrong while a crackpipe hangs out of his mouth in front of a class of four year olds to get a suspension in the playoffs.
posted by Ufez Jones at 07:02 PM on June 16, 2006
I would pay good money for such a tape.
posted by lilnemo at 07:10 PM on June 16, 2006
What'cha got against DA? Hater.
posted by Ufez Jones at 07:13 PM on June 16, 2006
Sad, but true Ufez.
posted by ctal1999 at 07:44 PM on June 16, 2006
Wow. Just when I'd decided that the Heat had run out of gas, they put a thumping on the Mavs. Should be interesting to see what happens in big D.