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Heat run into the NBA Finals by The Sports Network
When LeBron James declared in his maligned “Decision” he would be taking his talents to South Beach, much of the basketball world shuddered at the thought superstar players would team up in search of success, as opposed to seeking out a legacy of their own.
A look at Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, however, only supports King James’ notion he needed the aid of some talented friends.
As Ronnie Brewer walked towards the Chicago bench following his unlikely 3- pointer with under four minutes to play to put the Bulls up by 12, it seemed the series was destined to return to Miami for Game 6.
Taking a page out of the Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks book, the Miami Heat had a different trip home in mind.
Behind a 19-4 run in the final 3:53, the Heat managed to overcome the double- digit deficit to join the Mavs just days after they shocked the Oklahoma City crowd with a momentous comeback of their own.
The victory was not only vindicating as it sent the Heat to the NBA Finals, it was another instance of the club performing late in games — a criticism heard throughout the season.
Down the stretch it was a two-man show, as James and Dwyane Wade combined for 17-of-19 Heat points in the closing minutes. There was no uncertainty who the closer was going to be, as each All-Star seemed to alternate the role willingly, but ultimately it was James who secured the victory with a patented mid-range jump shot while driving to his left at the top of the key.
It was remarkable either player was so effective in the final 12 minutes, seeing how poorly they shot throughout the night.
Over the course of the game, Wade appeared to be hampered by an injury the team refused to disclose, adamantly denying anything was bothering the 29- year-old. Heading into the fourth, Wade was just 2-for-8 from the floor and didn’t seem comfortable, yet still managed to score 10 points in the final frame.
After a scorching start in the first quarter, James went ice cold from the field, shooting just 1-for-11 until converting on his final three attempts to finish with a game-high 28 points.
Heading into the game, Chicago knew it would need someone other than Derrick Rose to carry the load offensively if it had any hopes of prolonging the series — doubtful it had the two who performed the best in mind.
With the Bulls looking to throw everything in their arsenal at the Heat, two role players stepped up and looked to be the determining factor to stave off elimination. There was the aforementioned Brewer who hit a number of timely shots — scoring six points in the final quarter — while the seldom-used Kurt Thomas grabbed clutch rebounds, while converting on jumpers to extend the lead.
Their production overshadowed the absence of injured big man Omair Asik and the fourth quarter benching of Carlos Boozer.
Yet it was all for naught, as the Big Three combined for all of Miami’s 26 fourth-quarter points and there was no response for the run, as the Bulls looked more like deer caught in the headlights.
With the victory, the Heat join a past champion — the 1995 Houston Rockets — as the only team to win a best-of-seven series after being blown out by 20 or more in the series opener. Prior to their win, 23 teams had lost Game 1s in that situation and gone on to lose the series.
On to the next one.
Now the Heat find themselves in a position they have been in only once before in their franchise’s history. Fittingly enough, it will be matched against the same opponent it met last time it was fighting for the Larry O’Brien trophy – the Mavericks.
After a series beset by the defensive minded approach of both sides – the two teams never combined to score more than 194 points in any game – Miami will have a different challenge in Dallas.
Expect head coach Eric Spoelstra to be hard pressed to come up with an effective game plan to slow down Dirk Nowitzki, as he has frustrated defenses throughout the post-season. The high-octane Mavs offense will differ greatly from the one-trick pony show the Bulls ran for the most part.
In a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, there will be a first title on the line for two sure fire Hall-of-Famers — James and Nowitzki.
During a post-season that has seen both players rise to the occasion in situations where in the past results have not been as favorable, one will defy the critics and cement himself in the Pantheon of basketball greatness.
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