NBA Finals 2011: Heat vs. Mavericks, News and Updates on Lebron, Dirk and More
By on June 2, 2011
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The Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat are on the verge of tipping off for Game 2 tonight in Miami after the Heat took Game 1 by a final score of 92-84.
It seemed as though the game could go either way until the end of the third quarter, when Miami started to seize control of the contest.
The Heat brought it on the defensive end and stifled a typically stellar offensive team (particularly the bench).
Three of Dallas's premier bench scorers—Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovic and J.J. Barea—finished the game an awful 4-21.
Dallas will need much better production from those guys if they want to win this series.
Miami also dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Mavs 46-36. They'll look to stay aggressive tonight and head back to Dallas with a 2-0 series lead.
Stay tuned for updates throughout tonight's game and the remainder of this series...
You can follow Andy Bailey on Twitter @_Andy_Bailey
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NBA Finals 2011 Live: Watch LeBron James Monster 1st Quarter Follow Dunk
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have been dominating offensively for the Miami Heat tonight. However, the team's defense hasn't been as stellar and Miami trails in this game.
So far, the biggest highlight of the game was an insane tip dunk from LeBron James during the first quarter.
You can follow Andy Bailey on Twitter @_Andy_Bailey
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NBA Finals Live Coverage: LeBron and Dwyane Wade Dominate 1st Quarter of Game 1
The Miami Heat only have the advantage at two positions in this series--shooting guard and small forward.
If LeBron and D-Wade continue to dominate the way they did the first quarter, those will be the only advantages they need.
Miami's pair of superstars had eight points each during the opening 12 minutes, and it looked as though no one on Dallas's roster could even slow them down.
If the Mavericks can't find a way to at least annoy these two a little bit, this could be a very short series.
You can follow Andy Bailey on Twitter @_Andy_Bailey
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NBA Finals Live: Dirk Nowitzki Leaves the First Quarter of Game 2 Very Early
One of the biggest question marks heading into tonight's Game 2 matchup between the Mavericks and Heat had to do with Dirk Nowitzki's injured finger.
Dirk looked pretty good while he was in the game, but came off the floor after just five minutes. Perhaps Rick Carlisle is trying to protect that injured finger.
Nowitzki has just re-entered the game with about two minutes left in the quarter. He made a nice drive, drawing the defense and hitting Haywood with an assist.
It looks as though the finger injury may not be a huge factor.
You can follow Andy Bailey on Twitter @_Andy_Bailey
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NBA Finals 2011: Are LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh Unstoppable?
We all thought these three players would be tough to stop when they first came together back in July of 2010, but as they struggled to start the year, plenty of people counted them out.
Over the last few weeks during these playoffs, it looks as though they're finally clicking the way many people thought they would.
They've won five straight games in the postseason, and are completely dominating in the fourth quarter.
Right now, I'm wondering if we all underestimated just how good this team can be (even back in July).
This is coming from a guy who considers himself to be one of the Mavs' biggest fans outside the state of Texas.
As I watch Miami play, I see two guys (James and Wade) that are very nearly unstoppable on their own. Together, they are ridiculous.
Add a solid forward like Bosh to that duo, and it's hard to believe this team's even lost three games this postseason. This may be the best and most versatile lineup of all-time.
You can follow Andy Bailey on Twitter @_Andy_Bailey
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NBA Finals 2011 Live: Will Jason Terry and the Mavs Bench Bounce Back Tonight?
Jason Terry was an abysmal 3-10 from the field for the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2011 NBA Finals. Terry wasn't the only issue off the bench for Dallas though.
The trio of Terry, J.J. Barea and Peja Stojakovic was basically a disaster throughout the game. Combined, they finished 4-21 from the field and 3-10 from three-point range.
Terry is the second-best scorer on Dallas's roster, and they'll need him to be more productive if they want to have a chance in this series.
Lack of options on offense is something that the Mavs have struggled with all season long--especially after Caron Butler went down with a season-ending injury.
That weakness is a glaring one against a team that plays defense like the Miami Heat. There's no way Dallas can break down this stellar D with only one guy scoring.
I don't expect Terry to struggle anywhere near as much as he did on Tuesday night. In addition to being the team's second-best scorer, he may be their most competitive player.
I'm sure no one was as hard on Terry as Terry himself. He should be motivated and ready to go for Game 2.
You can follow Andy Bailey on Twitter @_Andy_Bailey
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NBA Finals 2011: Will Shaquille O'Neal Cover the Finals for ESPN Next Year?
Shaquille O'Neal blew up the Twitterverse (all of cyberspace really) when he announced his retirement yesterday via TOUT and Twitter.
Immediately after he posted a video in which he told the world he was retiring, millions began speculating as to what would be next for the Big 401K.
Some thought he may pull a Brett Favre and come back. Some thought he'd star in a movie. Make a new rap album. Resurrect Shaq-Fu.
While all those may be in the cards, it looks like his first gig might be as an analyst with ESPN. Shaq even joked about coming for Jim Rome's job.
I, for one, would love to see Shaq end up with ESPN. Their current team covering the NBA is atrocious, and Diesel would be an instant upgrade to stale programming that pales in comparison to TNT.
You can follow Andy Bailey on Twitter @_Andy_Bailey
Decisions, Decisions...
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NBA Finals 2011: How Will Dirk Nowitzki's Injury Affect the Mavericks' Chances?
The most talked about digit in this series is the middle one on the non-shooting hand of Dallas Mavericks superstar forward Dirk Nowitzki.
He tore a tendon in that finger during game 1 (when he cleanly stripped the ball from Chris Bosh).
There's no doubt that a torn tendon will have some factor in Dirk's game, but Nowitzki and the rest of the team are downplaying it.
The fact that it's on his non-shooting hand is a huge plus for Dirk. It really shouldn't change his shot at all.
During this evening's pre-game show, ESPN's Jon Barry said he saw Dirk make about 95 out of 100 mid-range jump shots while warming up.
Where it will be a problem for Dirk is in handling the ball and finishing around the rim. He uses his off-hand quite a bit in attacking situations, but probably won't be able to tonight (at least not as much).
We'll found out tonight exactly how much of an impact this injury will have.
You can follow Andy Bailey on Twitter @_Andy_Bailey
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