NBA Finals 2011: 3 Things Mavericks Must Do to Win Game 4
Trailing 2-1, the Dallas Mavericks' season hangs in the balance tonight in a pivotal Game 4.
A win ties the series at two games apiece and essentially turns the finals into a best-of-three contest. But a loss puts Dallas in a crippling 3-1 hole, and the thought of this Miami squad losing three straight games is just inconceivable at this point.
This series has major historical implications and the outcome of Game 4 will undoubtedly be a key factor in determining how we evaluate these players long after their careers are over.
LeBron, D-Wade and Chris Bosh aren't going anywhere, but Dirk Nowitzki will likely never get another shot at a title. Ditto for Jason Kidd.
With legacies and that shiny gold trophy on the line, the Mavericks must do these three things if they are to give themselves a realistic shot at winning this series.
Hit the Corner Three
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The three-point shot from the corner can be a magnificent weapon for an NBA team because it is only 22 feet away from the hoop, compared to the above-the-break three (where the line begins to arc), which is 23.75 feet out.
The Mavericks, with all their deadly outside shooters, should be able to take advantage of this structural gift and punish Miami from the corners.
However, according to NBA.com's StatsCube, Dallas is just 5-17 on corner threes in this series. That's only 29 percent, 15 percent below their season average.
The Heat, on the other hand, are utilizing the corner trey beautifully, shooting 42 percent, an increase from their season average of 37 percent.
Obviously some of this disparity can be attributed to the speed and length of Miami's defenders, who are defying basketball logic by being faster than the ball as it's passed from player to player.
But the Mavericks have been able to create some open looks, they just aren't knocking down the shots.
These teams are pretty evenly matched, as the three games thus far have been decided by just a combined 12 points. If Dallas can hit the corner three-pointer with consistency, they give themselves a great opportunity to win Game 4.
Jason Terry Must Excel in 4th Quarter
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Although he comes off the bench, Jason Terry is the Mavericks' second-best scorer behind Nowitzki and is vital to his team's success.
It's no coincidence that in both of the Mavericks' losses, Terry has been completely shut down by LeBron James in the fourth quarter.
He is a combined 0-7 in the fourth quarters of Games 1 and 3, forcing the Mavericks offense to rely solely on Nowitzki to generate points.
In Game 2, Terry scored eight points in the fourth, equaling his total from the first three quarters combined.
The result? A historic Dallas comeback and a two-point victory.
It's quite apparent that Terry's shot-making ability in the fourth quarter has been a determining factor in this series. If he is able to gain some separation from James and shoot with confidence, he will greatly increase the Mavericks' chances.
Give Corey Brewer a Chance
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Jason Kidd has put forth an admirable defensive effort for a 38-year-old point guard, but Dwyane Wade is simply too young, too athletic and too good for Kidd to handle.
Wade has absolutely destroyed Kidd in the last two games, averaging 32.5 points while shooting an absurd 60.9 percent from the field.
Wade is everything that Kidd is not: long, fast, athletic, young.
But you know who just happens to have a young, long, fast, athletic, defensive specialist rotting away on their bench?
Why, the Dallas Mavericks do!
As several people have pointed out (most notably John Hollinger and Henry Abbott of ESPN), Corey Brewer possesses the perfect set of physical tools to handle Wade and is widely regarded as a fantastic perimeter defender.
And yet, he has played exactly zero minutes so far in the Finals.
It may seem like somewhat of a desperate move to insert such a seldom-used player into the biggest game of the series, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
And it actually makes perfect sense.
Kidd has been utterly annihilated. Brewer is an excellent defender who just happens to match up perfectly with the man that's exploiting Kidd.
At this point, deciding not to play Brewer would be as stubborn as it is illogical.
