Dallas Up 2-0 in NBA Finals.
June 12th 2006 09:42
The Dallas Mavericks are up 2-0 after beating the Miami Heat 99-85.
The reality is that the final score flattered the Heat because they got categorically smashed in every department. The Dallas starting five outplayed the Heat starters, while the bench emerged as one of the big differences between the two combatants. Furthermore, Shaquille O’Neal was held to a career playoff low five points. It was disconcerting to see the big guy a shell of his once dominant self.
Shaq was so pissed off with his performance today that he skipped the mandatory post-game interview incurring the wrath of the NBA who fined him $10, 000. Let’s be frank that is chump change for O’Neal, but the big man skipping a chance to charm the press just illustrates how low the Heat are as of this moment. Once upon a time not so long ago the Big Aristotle was capable of scoring 30 points and grabbing 20 rebounds, while putting his team on his massive back to a victory. He still can have nights like that still but not every night anymore.
The sad reality is that even the greats can’t escape the spectre of time creeping up on them and curbing their skills.
Credit should be given to the Mavs defenders who not only shut down Shaq with aggressive double-teaming with 7-foot Dirk Nowitzki, making the Diesel work extremely hard to find his teammates who ultimately let him down. Dwayne Wade had 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists, but he got his points with a horrendous 6-for-19 shooting effort. The only other really effective Miami player was Antoine Walker who dropped in 20 points, but let’s face facts. The Heat got crunched. Ouch!
Dirk Nowitzki bounced back from a shocking first game with an efficient 26 point and 16 rebound effort. The Mavs got solid contributions all round with Josh Howard scoring 15 points and Jason Terry with 16. Perhaps the biggest impact player besides the Big Wiener Schnitzel was Jerry Stackhouse, who came off the bench to score 19 points and hit some massive three pointers, including a four point play. In fact there were two four point plays in today’s game – a very rare sight in an NBA contest.
For any new readers to the wonderful world of NBA basketball a four point play occurs when a player shoots a basket from the three point line, gets fouled, and then hits the free throw. Fouls occurring on three point shooters is something that doesn’t happen that often and if it does the shooter very infrequently makes the basket. Too bad for Miami the Mavs were nasty on both the offensive and defensive ends.
At one stage in the third quarter the Mavs were 27 points up but the Heat made a run in the fourth cutting the Mavs lead to 12 points at one stage. The result
was never in doubt with Shaq sitting the final 15 minutes of the game and brooding at his performance.
Perhaps almost as surprising as Shaq’s poor play is that D-Wade is failing to step up and pick up the slack from O’Neal. Again, the poor play of the dynamic duo and the rest of the Heat team can be attributed to the amazing defence and depth of the Mavs. They will be hard to beat from here with teams leading 2-0 in the Finals winning 95 percent of the time.
The series isn’t over yet with the next three games in Miami where the Heat players will be getting the support they so desperately need. Let’s just hope that the men from South Beach play with more intensity and desperation or they will be swept by a Mavs team on a roll.
Dirk Diggler got super freaky in game 2. (Image from Wikipedia)
Shaq was so pissed off with his performance today that he skipped the mandatory post-game interview incurring the wrath of the NBA who fined him $10, 000. Let’s be frank that is chump change for O’Neal, but the big man skipping a chance to charm the press just illustrates how low the Heat are as of this moment. Once upon a time not so long ago the Big Aristotle was capable of scoring 30 points and grabbing 20 rebounds, while putting his team on his massive back to a victory. He still can have nights like that still but not every night anymore.
The sad reality is that even the greats can’t escape the spectre of time creeping up on them and curbing their skills.
Even Keith Van Horn made a solid contribution for the Mavs. (Image from Wikipedia)
Dirk Nowitzki bounced back from a shocking first game with an efficient 26 point and 16 rebound effort. The Mavs got solid contributions all round with Josh Howard scoring 15 points and Jason Terry with 16. Perhaps the biggest impact player besides the Big Wiener Schnitzel was Jerry Stackhouse, who came off the bench to score 19 points and hit some massive three pointers, including a four point play. In fact there were two four point plays in today’s game – a very rare sight in an NBA contest.
For any new readers to the wonderful world of NBA basketball a four point play occurs when a player shoots a basket from the three point line, gets fouled, and then hits the free throw. Fouls occurring on three point shooters is something that doesn’t happen that often and if it does the shooter very infrequently makes the basket. Too bad for Miami the Mavs were nasty on both the offensive and defensive ends.
At one stage in the third quarter the Mavs were 27 points up but the Heat made a run in the fourth cutting the Mavs lead to 12 points at one stage. The result
The dynamic duo for Miami are looking limp and impotent right now for the Heat. (Image from Wikipedia)
Perhaps almost as surprising as Shaq’s poor play is that D-Wade is failing to step up and pick up the slack from O’Neal. Again, the poor play of the dynamic duo and the rest of the Heat team can be attributed to the amazing defence and depth of the Mavs. They will be hard to beat from here with teams leading 2-0 in the Finals winning 95 percent of the time.
The series isn’t over yet with the next three games in Miami where the Heat players will be getting the support they so desperately need. Let’s just hope that the men from South Beach play with more intensity and desperation or they will be swept by a Mavs team on a roll.
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