Dallas Mavericks wrestle down Miami Heat in the clutch to win game 4 of NBA Finals – Part 1
The Dallas Mavericks continued their trend of comeback victories as they beat the Miami Heat 86 – 83 in game 4 of the NBA Finals. Dallas were trailing by as many as nine points early in the fourth quarter, but delighted the jam packed American Airlines Center crowd with another late surge and then hung on to the lead as time ran out.
Dirk Nowitzki, who else, was the main man again for the Mavericks. Dirk struggled with his shooting for most of the game but made some big plays at the end. He ended up with team high 21 points and also hauled down 11 boards. Nowitzki was hindered by a severe cold but the big forward battled through the game in a courageous display. His coach Rick Carlisle praised the player for his display,
"You've got a guy that's 7 foot, there's a different kind of toll it takes on your body when you're sick," Carlisle said. "Everyone could tell looking at him that he laboured."
Dirk had plenty of help from his teammates. In all, five Dallas players got into double figures. Jason Terry stepped up with 17 points after disappointing in game 3. Tyson Chandler recorded a big double-double with 13 points and game high 16 rebounds, 9 of them on the offensive glass. Shawn Marion scored 16 and DeShawn Stevenson added 11 from the bench.
The Miami Heat were carried by two of their Big Three throughout the game. Dwyane Wade was at his mesmerizing best as he scored game high 32 points and also made two big blocks. Chris Bosh was a thorn in the Mavs side all game as he dropped 24 on them. However, no other Miami player managed cross the 10-point mark. Even LeBron James struggled and ended with just 8 points. He did though have 7 assists and 9 rebounds.
LeBron James underwhelming performance was a factor in the Heat’s loss and the forward admitted after the game that he must not repeat such a showing,
"I've got to do a better job of being more assertive offensively," said James. "I'm confident in my ability. It's just about going out there and knocking them down."
The Mavs came out firing behind Dirk Nowitzki, who scored six without reply at the start, resulting in a 6 – 0 score line inside the first two minutes. The Heat responded with six straight points of their own to draw level. Afterwards the quarter was very even and it ended with the score tied at 21 – 21.
The second period started off with a 6 – 0 Miami run but soon the Mavs pulled them back. When Miami threatened to stretch the gap, Dallas responded with a 9 – 0 charge. It gave them a 4 point lead with around 4 minutes left to play in the first half. A 7 – 2 sprint at the end of the quarter however put the Heat ahead by 47 – 45 at the break.
Link for Part-2: http://www.senore.com/Dallas-Mavericks-wrestle-down-Miami-Heat-in-the-clutch-to-win-game-4-of-NBA-Finals-Part-2-a74314
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