NBA Finals 2011: What Went Wrong for the Miami Heat in Game 2?
The Miami Heat was up 15 with 7:33 remaining, Dwyane Wade was dancing in front on the Mavericks bench and it seemed almost certain that the Dallas Mavericks would be heading home down 0-2.
But then Dirk Nowitzki and his Mavericks staged a furious rally late in the fourth quarter to erase the deficit. Again.
Dallas ended Game 2 with a 22-5 run, capped off by a Nowitzki layup with just over three seconds remaining, as Dallas beat the Heat, 95-93, in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Just like Game 1, Thursday night's game was a close contest throughout the first three quarters. In the first game, Miami was able to rally late and pull away, and it appeared like they were going to do the same thing in Game 2.
But Dallas never quit, turned up its defensive pressure and had just enough left in the tank to hold on in the final seconds to even up the series.
But make no mistake: while it was a historic comeback for the Mavericks, it was also an epic and embarrassing collapse by the Heat.
What exactly went wrong?
Offensive Execution Down the Stretch
1 of 5
Does anyone know what the Miami Heat was doing late in the fourth quarter on Thursday night?
I'm not sure the players had a clue, so don't beat yourself up if you don't know the answer, either.
Miami was able to combine good outside shooting with transition points and highlight-reel plays during the first three-plus quarters, which is why it was able to get up by as much as 15 points on Dallas.
But late in the fourth quarter, the Heat had a number of terrible possessions.
For the most part, they consisted of Wade or LeBron James holding the ball beyond the three-point line, moving laterally until the shot clock wound down. Each possession eventually ended up with either James or Wade pulling up for an off-balance shot from the perimeter.
I'm still not sure why they refused to take the ball to the basket and force the issue.
Unlike Dallas, Miami had very little ball movement down the stretch, and appeared to tense up as the Mavericks crept closer and closer.
Its shot selection was abysmal late in the game, and ultimately it cost them.
The Heat Lived on the Perimeter—Again
2 of 5
Just like in Game 1, Dallas was able to limit the amount of times both Wade and James could get into the paint, and forced both players to settle for shots from the outside far too often.
As a team, the Heat attempted a whopping 30 three-pointers in Game 2, and although both Wade and Mike Bibby were hot early in the game from distance, the entire team went ice-cold down the stretch.
James only attempted four free-throws in the game, which tells you he wasn't as aggressive as he could have been in terms of taking the ball into the paint and attacking the rim.
When it comes to speed and athleticism, the Heat has a huge advantage over the Mavericks, but it has failed to utilize that advantage in the first two games of this series.
Instead, it seems content to try and beat Dallas at its own game.
Not a good idea.
Chris Bosh
3 of 5
The "Big 3" were anything but big in Game 2.
That's because Bosh, the third member of the trio, really struggled to get anything going. He finished with just 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the field, and also grabbed eight boards.
Bosh got off to a rough start, missing a number of open looks during the first few moments of the game. Unfortunately for the Heat, he was never able to recover.
Oh, and he also got abused by Nowitzki during the Mavericks final possession, allowing Dirk to get to the rim rather easily.
Bench Production
4 of 5
Miami's bench came back down to earth on Thursday, combining for only 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
Aside from a late three by Mario Chalmers, the Heat's bench failed to make any type of impact in the game.
The bench was outstanding in Game 1, and it needs to return to the form it showed in that game in order for the Heat to get back on track.
Dwyane Wade's Celebration
5 of 5
Wade had an excellent game Thursday night, scoring 36 points, dishing out six assists and grabbing five rebounds.
Additionally, Wade is a proven champion and one of the more respected players in the entire league.
However, he should know a game is not over until, well, it's over.
After hitting a three to give the Heat an 88-73 lead with just over seven minutes remaining, Wade held his arm in the air for an extended period of time, and also stared in the direction of the Dallas bench.
That seemed to both anger and inspire the Mavericks, as Dallas then went on a 22-5 run to steal the game away from Miami.
Wade's premature celebration seemed to anger Jason Terry the most, and Terry quickly responded with the first six points of the Mavericks run.
Wade knows better, and Dallas made him and the Heat pay.
