Joseph D'Amico

NBA Finals Notebook: Where Drama Happens

 When it seemed the drama of the NBA Finals couldn’t get any larger, Game 5 presented a new act in the ongoing saga between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat — actors in different roles, players redeeming themselves only to fall victim to their own demise, while the theatre of the game remained as enthralling as ever. Unlike in games past, it was the Mavericks who jumped out early and the Heat who managed to stage a comeback, before ultimately falling short, returning home with their season in the balance and the question on everyone’s mind — what is wrong with LeBron James in the fourth quarter? With rumors running rampant with a possible cause for the former two-time MVP’s recent struggles following the worst post-season performance of his career, it was no secret all eyes would be on James and he responded with a game so brilliant, yet so perplexing, it’s hard to really put into perspective. On one hand, James submitted only the sixth triple-double in the finals since 1993 – 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists — establishing himself as the leader for Miami — while Dwyane Wade battled with a hip injury he sustained early in the first half, seemingly ridding himself of whatever was ailing him in Game 4. At least that was until the fourth quarter. As the Heat managed to overcome a nine-point deficit — the largest lead the Mavs had held all series — it seemed the two teams had reversed roles and a collapse the Heat would say was owed to them was inevitable for the Mavericks. But instead, when he was needed most, James shrunk from the moment, scoring only two points in the deciding quarter, bringing his series total in the final 12 minutes in five games to a shocking 11 points. Averaging just 2.2 points in the fourth quarter in the finals, LBJ has only given detractors more reason to doubt “King James” is the heir apparent to “His Airness”. With both teams claiming Game 5 was a must win before hand, it seemed they entered the affair with an entirely different approach. A series defined by its defense — no team had scored more than 100 points in the previous four games — the last contest played in the American Airlines Center proved to be an aberration. It was apparent from the opening quarter the game was rather peculiar, as Dallas managed to tally 30 points – the first time this series either team reached the 30-point plateau in a single quarter. As the game wore on so did the defense for both squads, allowing one another to shoot over 50 percent from the field — the first time in these finals either team made more than half their attempts from the floor. Yet, it was the Mavericks who capitalized the most on the porous defending from the perimeter, connecting on 13 attempts from beyond the arc — tying the 2008 Los Angeles Lakers for the second most three-point makes in an NBA Finals game. Possibly knowing the winner of the game would hold control heading forward caused shooters to connect on an inordinate amount of attempts, but it was clear this was no ordinary game prior to tip-off. Interesting, before Game 5 both teams regarded the matchup as the biggest game of the season — Dirk Nowitzki claimed “it’s our Game 7”,- while James stated it was the biggest game of his career — without recognizing no matter what there would be another day to decide who ultimately walked away victorious. Returning to South Beach, the Heat will be faced with a feat few teams before them have overcome — win two straight or end the season empty-handed. A large part of Miami’s success will hinge on the health of Wade, who has clearly been the best player for the Heat even while plagued by injury, finishing Game 5 with a team-high 23 points despite playing only 34 minutes – his lowest minutes played in these finals. Even if the Heat have their captain playing at his highest level they won’t be able to overcome the imposing task at hand until James can deliver in “crunch time” and be the player so many claimed he was destined to become since entering the league as a teenager. The Mavs find themselves just a single game away from capturing their franchise’s first title and suddenly have support for Nowitzki on the offensive end, as Jason Terry and J.J. Barea seem to have found their outside stroke. If there ever was a situation that called for guarantees and bold predictions, now is the time for players to be making proclamations of the game being absolutely paramount, as now there is the chance there may not be a tomorrow.

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