This is a surprise. The Heat and the Mavs are tied in the NBA Finals, and the Heat are looking at one more game in their own building. The big stats last night: Antoine Walker and Jason Williams both had series lows for shots taken. It’s not a coincidence that this was the Heat’s best game of the season.
The Mavs got away from the quick double-teams of Shaq a little bit. They still did it, but there were a lot of times where the double-team came from someone other than Dirk, or it didn’t come at all. Shaq still only had 8 shots (to go along with 13 boards), but he was a lot more efficient with them, getting better looks and going 6-for-8 from the floor. And Dwyane Wade was again fantastic… despite that obviously crippling knee-injury.
On the other end of the floor, I really hate to oversimplify, but… the Mavs just missed a ton of shots. I know a lot of credit for that goes to the Miami defense, and I’ve given them credit all along, but I don’t think it was a whole lot better last night than it had been in the series. They just missed. Dirk was bricking reasonably open looks all night. They do a good job on him, but he’s still Dirk, and no matter what the defense does, he shouldn’t be going 2-of-14. Josh Howard was 1-of-8, and Jerry Stackhouse was 6-of-18. They shot 31.6% from the floor, and 13.6% (3-of-22) from behind the arc.
Some credit goes to Jerry Stackhouse, too… there aren’t many guys who would’ve taken a run at Shaq like that, and even fewer that would’ve done that, and then not run immediately for their lives. And then Antoine Walker got in Jerry Stackhouse’s face, giving everyone a hilarious glimpse of what a Stackhouse/Walker fight might be like. Shaq started to get up in a hurried fashion, though you couldn’t really tell if he was pissed off, really. After the game, he said some things about how it was “just a hard foul,” but then threw in a petulant lob about how his daughters tackle him harder.
And am I alone in thinking that the Miami pre-game intros are the worst of all-time? I hate their announcer. The guy with the flags and the weird-ass goggles is fucking weird. And the all-white crowd doesn’t help, either. I think Mason at the Palace of Auburn Hills ruined everything… ABC put his intros on because they were awesome, and now ABC feels like they have to show everyone, in the interest of fairness, and everyone else else usually sucks.
Game 5 is Sunday night.
Mary
I totally agree with you on the intros in Miami. It’s not just the announcing of the players, but the songs they play while the starters run out. And is it really necessary for them to play the dance techno version of “It’s Raining Men” while the opposing team is running onto the court?
June 16, 2006 at 2:01 am
JT
Thank you!
The Heat pre-game intros are absolutely terrible. Was I the only one that noticed them playing Phil friggin Collins when they announced the reserves?
I gotta say, ABC is just doing a terrible job overall, their ‘personalities’ are horrible, halftime is brutal. Enough with Stuart Scott, Salters isn’t even good eye candy and she can’t hold the mic up to Shaq’s mouth so nobody can hear what he’s saying, the only person I can stand is Hubie, and that’s only when I can’t see him, cause HD Hubie *shudder*.
TNT beats their coverage hands down.
They’ve been showing some classic NBA Finals matchups from the 90s, and all I can say is bring back the NBA on NBC!!
June 16, 2006 at 2:33 am
Jimbo Mercy
I disagree with the reasons for Dirk’s performance. James Posey did a great job tonight just like Udonis Haslem’s been doing the last 3 games. They just have not given him any room to breathe.
Also when the Heat PA guy is introducing the players or imploring Heat fans to stand up where the fuck is he looking? He looks from side to side at WHAT?
I hope Goggles falls down while spinning. (Do they do that before every game or just the finals? And what do goggles have to do with flags and spinning? Does he get paid?)
Bring back the NBA on NBC theme!
June 16, 2006 at 4:27 am
lopey
I think an all white crowd is the least intimidating thing ever. Unless the Portland Trailblazers are playing, they are probably scared of white people.
June 16, 2006 at 8:26 am
v-dub
i couldn’t agree with you more! i hate that guy with the goggles! he makes me think the heat don’t deserve to win. and don’t get me started on all those people in white shirts.
June 16, 2006 at 8:37 am
Pat
Seriously – their announcer doesn’t even seem excited to be there, but he’s trying to get everyone else fired up, which really doesn’t work…
June 16, 2006 at 9:48 am
Adam
This ABC broadcasting crew has been a joke during the finals…an absolute joke…http://www.brssports.blogspot.com for more on this.
June 16, 2006 at 11:10 am
matthew
It’s always gotta come back to how awesome the Pistons are, doesn’t it?
June 16, 2006 at 11:41 am
Nat
I want this series to go on forever if not for the basketball just so we can keep gettin classic quotes from shaq in pre and post game press conferences.
June 16, 2006 at 3:43 pm
Nuttin'
I thought the same thing the first time I heard their announcer; whenever he ends something with a 2 syllable word he has to hold the first syllable for as long as he can and then drop, like, 17 octaves for the second syllable.
And yeah, “White Out,” in Miami, when your name is the Heat…makes perfect sense, and original too.
June 16, 2006 at 9:37 pm