112-76. That was the score of a Dallas Mavericks victory over the Miami Heat earlier this year. After that night, the Heat won 10 straight games and went 34-15 overall; you could say it was a defeat that turned their season around. This postseason has been one of the very best, and it’s only fitting that the teams who find themselves in the finals have never been there before. After all, no one wanted to see a slugfest, defense-dominated Spurs and Pistons matchup, right? Miami was 0-2 against Dallas this season, first losing 103-90 at home Nov. 25 – without Shaq, who was out with a sprained ankle – and then the 36-point loss 2 1/2 months later on the Mavericks’ home floor. Still, most of the regular season numbers clearly don’t mean a thing at this point, as this series figures to be a highly contested one.
Both teams are healthy, well-coached, have a deep bench and can win with defense or by simply outscoring you. Diop and Dampier are big bodies who should at least make Shaq work, and if all else fails, send him to the line repeatedly. Wade and Nowitzki are playing the best basketball of their careers, and the one who has the better series of the two will likely be hoisting the trophy when it’s all said and done. These playoffs have been pretty unpredictable, but I still say the Mavs, who have looked like the favorites to bring home the title for a few weeks now, ultimately prevail. The best NBA playoffs seen in years ends with a thrilling game seven, and the sight of a cringing David Stern handing a crying Mark Cuban the trophy will be priceless.
Mavs 4-3
Leave a Reply