NBA Finals 2011: Dallas Mavericks Can Still Turn the Tables on the Miami Heat
Most fans and self-proclaimed experts seem fully prepared to polish the NBA hardware and deliver it playfully bubble-wrapped in a box labelled "Miami" before tip off of Game 4.
Yet, for the time they have trailed and the deficits they've endured in the series, the Mavericks have reason to be optimistic. It would be unwise to rule them out just yet.
The Heat have three great players, a trio of bona fide superstars that demand respect and have a dominating presence on the court. Let's call a spade exactly what it is: it doesn't matter who is playing well in any particular game. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade have both excelled at opportune times throughout these playoffs.
Yet, Dallas has had an opportunity to win two games in the series, despite the Heat's containment of their primary (and, so far, exclusive) scoring threat in the series.
Why? A Maverick list of to-dos shows what has kept these games close, and they all reflect hard work, a necessity against a better team:
Rebounding? Check.
Getting to the foul line? Check.
Shooting? Not a check? The Mavericks were a paltry 34 percent from the field in Game 3.
While that number should inevitably improve, the Heat are not going to make offense easy for Dallas in any of the remaining games. Luckily for Dallas, the solution is simple.
Before relaying their most elemental key to a critical win in the coming games, it's important to understand why ruling out the Mavs could be incredibly naive.
The reality is that a large portion of America expected Dirk Nowitzki's fadeaway jumper to split the net in half at the end of Game 3. After all, so many times in the past, the indefensible shot has dropped through the rim. Regarding the star's devastating move, Jeff Van Gundy said it best during the game: "You either make it or you don't."
The reality is the Heat lead the series 2-1, and it could be 3-0. In fact, it would be unwise not to favor Miami. While certain numbers are largely in favor of Dallas, the Heat have the lead in the series. They've led for all of the fourth quarters in the series, sans five minutes that are like that last bit of flavorless shaved ice resting at the bottom of a Slush Puppy. It leaves you thinking, "Boy, I should have played that out better." In Miami's case, that ice cooled their Heat, keeping the series competitive.
Nevertheless, the reality is that the Mavericks are a shot off from leading the series themselves.
Let's be honest, favoritism is fickle. Instead of Miami's near invincibility, a loss due to another Dallas comeback in Game 3 would have had a much different media ring to it:
"LeBron: Is He Going to Fail Again?"
"Can the Heat finish? Or Are the Mavs Simply that Determined?"
"Dirk's Cool Chills LeBron's Heat."
Yet, in spite of winning key statistical categories and being in every game, we simply say, "Dallas continues to win key battles and loses anyway. It's over."
The fact is that for their edge in talent, the Heat have been involved in tight contests with the Mavericks, and NBA fans surely must anticipate Game 4 will be an encore presentation. And, if Dallas wins the critical session this evening, they'll host Game 5 with an opportunity to take the series lead.
They blew the same opportunity in their first home game. At the very least, this series will not end in Dallas. And, should the Mavericks win tonight, the entire perception of the sporting public will shift their focus to a perspective that doesn't involve a Texas tombstone being pre-ordered and placed for future burial.
How long ago optimism for the Mavericks faded in the public eye! It's a public eye that seems to be blind to a Miami team that has nearly blown substantial leads in consecutive games.
People will talk about the officials being out to "get Miami" (though they conveniently missed a backcourt violation), but I think that the focus should narrow down on a series that has statistical advantages on both sides.
If one were to dispel the Mavericks' chances, due to a low shooting percentage, couldn't one argue in equilibrium that Dallas has had a chance to win two games in spite of these issues? .
When the Heat play their game, they suffocate opponents. Yet, when they're against the wall, their offense becomes incredibly anemic and their defense suffers in tandem. Their great play is not universally applied during a contest, and it seemed to subside at the most critical juncture: the final minutes.
It wasn't long ago that a team was discounted from the championship chase, trailing their opponent 2-0 in the NBA Finals. Yet, they got on a winning streak at home and began to take advantage of their dominance on the boards, and the Heat beat Dallas on the road to become NBA champions.
The Mavericks are hoping for a sort of déjà vu in reverse.
The point is not that it will happen. It's that it can happen.
After three close games and two tremendous rallies, Dallas knows they need four consecutive quarters of solid basketball to win going forward. They've had an edge at the free throw line, due to hard work in the paint. Yet, there's no guarantee they'll have anymore open looks at the basket, which has been the trend against the defensively sound Heat.
The key isn't a drastic change in approach or any leap of faith. In order to ensure a long series, Dallas must simply be more careful.
If they can limit turnovers and continue to play in the same manner, I believe the Mavericks will return to Miami with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to truly "turn the tables" on their two-time finals nemesis.
