Miami Heat: Why Game 4 Loss to the Mavericks Will Come Back to Haunt Heat

Game 2 shouldn’t have bothered the Heat.

For the epic collapse and the amazing resolve of the Dallas Mavericks, the Miami Heat had nothing to be concerned about.

It was a blip, a momentary lapse in the fundamentals that had seen them cruise through the Eastern Conference. It was a garden variety brain fart and one that wouldn’t be repeated again. Game 2 was nothing to worry about.

Game 4 was a different story.

To watch the fourth quarter of Game 2 and Game 4 back to back looked eerily similar. There was a point where the Heat had seemed to deflate the Mavericks' collective ego.

It was the point where you turned to your buddy and said, “Well, this game is over.” Dirk was nursing a fever and every open shot seemed to fall short for Dallas.

Then in a sudden burst of energy the Mavericks moved well, created turnovers and the Heat showed flashes of their former selves.

They were selective with their ball movement. They weren’t the selfless Miami Heat that seemed to break down the vaunted Chicago defense, but rather, the selfish isolation team that lost to Dallas twice in the regular season.

Wade attempted to do too much; LeBron James didn’t do enough.

They let the Mavericks back into the series. At some point, it has to come back to haunt them.

The Heat are adept at dealing with pressure and scrutiny. They have managed to embrace the circus they created and handle the villain role with a mixture of grace, defiance and enjoyment.

Yet, what has happened in the first four games may test the very limits of what they can handle.

Game 4 saw LeBron James play much like he did in Game 5 against the Celtics last season. He was passive, almost too passive, to the point that it was mistaken as disinterest.

As a reporter mentioned this week, it appeared as if LeBron shrunk in the moment. There has been no doubt that the NBA Finals has been won on the back of Dwyane Wade. Throughout every game, he’s been the Heat’s best player.

Now even Wade must begin to wonder what he can expect from the guy who was supposed to shoulder the load with him.

Of course, this isn’t to completely diminish LeBron’s accomplishments in the finals. While the eight points he had tonight was a paltry sum for a two-time MVP, LeBron has played well defensively and amassed as respectable amount of points.

Still, when his team has needed him to make plays in the fourth quarter, James has been nothing short of absent. It’s not insane to think that had LeBron played well, the Heat might have swept the series by now.

Things don’t get easier for the Heat from here on out. First they have to contend with the media sure to flood them with questions of desire and ability to win in the fourth quarter. For anyone who wonders what the difference between Michael Jordan and LeBron James simply has to listen to their respective press conferences.

Jordan never had to answer a question about his poor Finals performance. Such notions were unheard of.

In addition to the issues with the media, they have a bigger problem with the Mavericks. The job of the Heat was to take the wind out their sails. Both Game 2 and Game 4 were supposed to be the Heat’s chance to demoralize the Mavericks.

Yet each time the Heat got close, the Mavericks hung tough and showed the kind of resolve the Heat don’t have. They may not be the more talented team (a fact which is evident if you have watched the series at all), but they may have more heart.

In a series with so much disjointed play from the Heat, where their pick and rolls become isolations and their swarming zone defense becomes filled with gaps that open lanes for the Mavericks to drive the ball inside, heart might be the determining factor.

The Heat themselves. Tomorrow, they wake up and have to admit that what they have is a dogfight on their hands. They have given the Mavericks the one thing they never wanted to give them: hope.

The Mavericks will never feel out of it, and they'll never be afraid to chase that win.

Game 2 was a fluke. It was the hiccup in an otherwise well-executed series. Game 4 was a pattern, a friendly reminder to the NBA that the Heat can be beaten. Dallas just might be the team to do it.

Dallas has reason for hope, and it’s all Miami’s fault.