Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks – NBA Finals Game 5 Preview (Part 1)
On Thursday night, the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat will take on each other in the all important game-5 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals at American Airlines Center. The best-of-seven series is tied at two games apiece and a win in game-5 would move the winner one step closer to the Larry O’ Brien trophy.
In game-4 of the series will be remembered as the game where LeBron James made a disappearing act on the offense. James was checked down by the hustling Mavs defence on Tuesday night and the Heat couldn’t handle the pressure in the clutch to go down 86-83. The two-time MVP scored his postseason-low eight points, shooting 3-for-11 from the field.
Miami head Coach Erik Spoelstra showed his deep concern about James’ performance and said, “We'll have to look at the film. Obviously, we would like to get him involved. He is a very important piece to what we do. So we'll work to help make it easier for him next game."
James, who was superb in the clutch during the Eastern Conference Finals against Chicago Bulls, went scoreless in the final quarter of game-4 and also committed two turnovers.
The 26-year-old small forward however did not resort to his mantra of his role as a facilitator and took the blame head on. He vowed to be aggressive in game 5 and was hopeful of a comeback, "If it was the Super Bowl, I would be kicking myself in the foot. We have one game. That's it." "The great thing about this, it's a series. No matter if you can have a bad game, you can always make an imprint on the next game. Game 5 is a huge game."
Dwyane Wade, on the other hand, is cementing his reputation as the actual King of Miami by playing some of the best games of his career in the Finals. The Miami’s guard contributed a game-high 32 points, six rebounds, and two highlight-reel blocks, shooting 13-for-20 from the field in game 4 and is averaging nearly 33 points per game in the series so far. Forward Chris Bosh also played well and finished with 24 points and six rebounds in the losing effort, scoring 16 points on 8-for-12 shooting in the first half. At present only two of Miami big three are clicking on any given night. If all three manage to turn up for the Heat, the Mavs might be in serious trouble. However standing in their stride is the best power forward in the league.
Dirk Nowitzki, who had a 102-degree fever a day before game-4, was a breath of fresh air for the Mavericks. The German seven-footer recorded breath-taking 21 points and rebounding 11 times in the victory. The Big Dirk scored 10 of his point in the crucial final stanza, including a decisive drive with 14.4 seconds left to give Dallas a three-point edge.
Excited after the win and having motivated his team throughout the game, the veteran All-Star said, “This is the Finals. You are going to leave it out there. Like I said earlier in the series -- it's June. ... You have to go out there and compete and try your best for your team, so that's what I did."
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