2013 NBA Finals preview + predictions

By Kshell

This NBA Finals is probably the most anticipated NBA Finals we have seen since Magic Johnson and his Los Angeles Lakers took on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 NBA Finals. This match up is so intriguing because it appears to be two eras clashing against each other. You have the San Antonio Spurs who are going to their fifth NBA finals who represent the old dynasty. Their face of the franchise is Tim Duncan who was the #1 pick in the NBA back in 1997. The Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is 64 years old. The Miami Heat on the other hand are the team that is seen as the next dynasty led by their face Lebron James who is only 28 years and just won his fourth MVP in five seasons. Their head coach is Erik Spoelstra who is only 42 years old. In fact the age difference in the coaches is the largest in NBA finals history. This series is intriguing also because these are the two best teams in the NBA and demonstrated all season long they were the best teams. This series also features four NBA Finals MVP's in Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. This finals also has future hall of famers Chris Bosh, Manu Ginobili and Ray Allen. This series has the star power element to it. In this following post I'll preview this finals and offer up my prediction.


1. Which star player is going to increase his legacy this series with a championship performance?

The last time we saw Tim Duncan in the NBA Finals was in 2007 when he swept the 22 year old rising star Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tim Duncan after that sweep told James after the game this league will be his and thanked him for letting him get one last championship. For Duncan it took him six more years to go back to the NBA Finals. For James he had to wait five more years before winning his first title. Both players if they retired today would be in the top 10 all-time in NBA history for greatest players to have ever lived. If Duncan can win his fifth NBA title in a span of 14 years he could rise in the top 5. Duncan also saves his best for the NBA Finals as he is a three-time NBA Finals MVP. In 22 career NBA Finals games Duncan is 16-6 and has been a monster in those finals. He is averaging 22.7 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 3.4 APG and 3.04 blocks per game. In the 2003 NBA Finals win over the New Jersey Nets Duncan in six games averaged 24.1 PPG, 17.0 RPG, 5.3 APG and 5.3 blocks per game. That might be the greatest performance in NBA Finals History.

Lebron James has had a mixed bag for the NBA Finals so far in his career. In 2007 when he was swept by Duncan and the Spurs he only averaged 22.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 6.8 APG. He also shot 35.6% from the field which was very un Lebron like. In 2011 against Dallas was Lebron's low point of his career where only averaged 17.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 6.8 APG as he was only the teams' third leading scorer. That all changed for James last year when he was NBA Finals MVP against the Zombie Sonics. He averaged 28.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 7.4 APG which were all NBA Finals career highs. This postseason James is playing great once again averaging 26.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 6.4 APG. His stats don't tell the whole story as he rested a lot in the first round sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks. At the end of this series one of these two guys are going to greatly improve their legacy. I expect both players to have huge series as I don't see either team stopping Duncan who made NBA First Team at the age of 37 years old or Lebron James who is in his prime.

2. Whichever struggling star rises up this series their team wins the title:

I'm sure everyone has heard about the struggles of Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade by now but the Spurs are waiting for their key player Manu Ginobili to step up this series. For Ginobili and Wade this will be their fourth NBA Finals trip and neither team will win the title if they continue to struggle. Ginobili this postseason has been pretty bad averaging only 11.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 5.4 APG while shooting only 38.3% from the field.

For Wade he has also been dreadful this postseason averaging only 14.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 4.9 APG while shooting only 44.7% from the field. He was especially bad against the Indiana Pacers until game 7 when he scored 21 points his first 20 point outing since game two of the first round. Wade does tend to play his best in the NBA Finals though. In 17 career Finals games Wade is averaging 28.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.88 steals and 1.23 blocks which is pretty impressive. In the 2006 NBA Finals he was Finals MVP as he averaged 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.7 steals per game and 1.0 blocks per game. If Wade plays like he is capable the Heat should win the series. However given he is 31 years old and breaking down who knows what the Heat will get from Wade?

The same could be said for Ginobili who hasn't scored in double figures in four of his last five postseason games. Ginobili is going be 36 this summer and a big part of the reason why the Spurs haven't reached the NBA Finals since 2007. He hasn't been healthy since then. In the Finals he has played well in the past in 2007 he averaged 17.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 2.5 APG. In 2005 he averaged 18.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 4.0 APG. In 2003 he was more of a role player back then but he was a huge part of the last two championship teams. If the Spurs can get Ginobili to return to what he's capable of they'll win the title.

I feel like this is the series right here. I know James, Parker and Duncan will play well. If Wade can play like Wade the Heat have the advantage but if Wade struggles the Spurs have the slight edge. If Ginobili can give the Spurs something they've been missing from him this whole postseason they could very well win the title.

3. Will Tony Parker claim title of NBA's best point and have a similar performance like his NBA Finals MVP performance in 2007? 

I remember when Parker was in his first NBA Finals in 2003 the sub plot was the Spurs were going to get rid of him and sign the man he was going up against Jason Kidd. Now Parker might be the NBA's best point guard(It's him or Chris Paul). Parker is having a great playoffs so far as this has been his team since 2011 when the Spurs went from being an old aging dynasty to rejuvenated. Parker this postseason is averaging 23.0 PPG, 7.2 APG and 3.9 RPG. In the Western Conference Finals sweep vs the Memphis Grizzlies Parker averaged 24.5 PPG, 9.5 APG and 3.5 RPG. He shot a ridiculous 26-43(60.4%) from the field in the games final two games.

This is nothing new for Parker on the big stage as he has 17 NBA Finals starts under his belt. He was the NBA Finals MVP against Lebron James in the 2007 NBA Finals. He averaged 24.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 3.3 APG while shooting 56.8% from the field and 57.1% from three pointers that series. Parker is a five-time all-star and has made second team all-NBA the last two seasons. Another strong Finals this year for Parker would put him as the best point guard in the game right now. Also historically he would be the starting point guard on four title teams. Three of those teams he'd been the best player or second best player on the team. Parker has to come up huge for the Spurs to have a chance and most likely will be having Lebron James cover him in the fourth quarter.

4. Will Chris Bosh make an appearance this Finals after no showing in the ECF? 

Chris Bosh has struggled this postseason and especially in the last four games. These playoffs he is only averaging 12.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG. In the last four games Bosh is averaging only 7.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG. He is shooting 8-34(23.5%) in that four game stretch as well. Roy Hibbert completely took Bosh out of the series with his height and physicality. Bosh was over matched and lost his confidence. However, he is facing a team that he's done well against this year in their two meetings. Bosh averaged 20.5 PPG and 10.5 RPG against the Spurs while shooting 58.6% from the field. Bosh also had a memorable moment this year against the Spurs. The Heat were playing without Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers at San Antonio in late March. The Heat somehow were only trailing by one point when Chris Bosh hit the game winning three pointer . I don't think the Spurs are as physical as the Pacers are so Bosh should be in his comfort zone.

Bosh has played well in the last two NBA Finals as well. In the 2011 NBA Finals loss Bosh actually out scored Lebron as he averaged 18.5 PPG and led the team in rebounds with 7.3 per game. Last year in the Finals he was coming off an injury and played well again averaging 14.6 PPG and 9.4 RPG. In the clinching game Bosh scored 24 points and had 7 rebounds as he shot 9-14(64.3%) from the field. The Heat obviously can't win the title if Bosh provides them nothing. Bosh has to step up and I think in this match up he should do much better.

Prediction: Heat win in six games

The Miami Heat are the best team in the NBA, have home court advantage, have the best player in the game while in his prime and also haven't lost back to back games since January. This postseason when the Heat do lose a game they respond by beating their opponent by an average of 22.6 points per game. I think they have been playing around with their opponents like last years postseason saw. Last year the aging Boston Celtics pushed the Heat to elimination before the Heat won in seven. Then everyone doubted them against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Heat won in five games in what was their easiest series of the playoffs since the first round.

I expect the Spurs to get a split in Miami and I think this series will be tied at two games a piece. Unlike in 2011 I think the Heat win the pivotal game five on the road then come back home to celebrate. The Heat are in the Finals despite Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen all underachieving. Those players are all due to break out and if they just break out even slightly you see what can happen . This is James league now and Duncan prophecy will come true. This is now James league and Duncan was fortunate to go up against James when he was 22 years old. Like James said recently he is 50 times better than he was then. He's won two gold medals, four NBA MVP's and a championship since that time. Teams who have reached the NBA Finals for the third straight year have won the last five times(1990 Detroit Pistons, 1993 Chicago Bulls, 1998 Chicago Bulls, 2002 Los Angeles Lakers, and 2010 Los Angeles Lakers). Just like in 1991 the new up and coming dynasty is going to take out the old dynasty.

Dwight Howard trade cements death to small markets

By Kshell

When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Dwight Howard it just continued a long going trend that has been happening in the NBA for a while. That trend being that small market teams simply can't compete in the NBA. Howard isn't the first Super Star to be dealt from a small market to a major market and he isn't going to be the last. In the NBA the rich continue to get richer while most of the league sits back and enjoys being not a factor. The Lakers roster now features six former all-stars in Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest and Antawn Jamison. Of those six all-stars they drafted none of them and only Bryant has played his whole career there. The Lakers aren't the only team doing that as they are just trying to keep up with their rivals the Miami Heat.

When Lebron James announced he was "taking his talents to South Beach" along with Chris Bosh the Miami Heat formed a "super team" who won a championship this past season. The Heat's roster has five former all-stars in Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Of those five all-stars only Wade was drafted by the Heat. James left a small market in Cleveland while Bosh left Toronto for Miami as well. Players want to play in big markets, great weather and win a title. Since teams in big markets and with great weather have players flock to them they are naturally able to win a title as most great players go play for them. The two overwhelming favorites in the NBA are the Lakers and Heat who feature 11 former all-stars and only one was drafted by that team. This is a scary trend for the NBA which back in the 1970's saw eight different teams win an NBA championship. Since 1980 to the present day only nine teams have won an NBA championship. Los Angeles Lakers(10 titles), Chicago Bulls( 6), Boston Celtics(4), San Antonio Spurs(4), Detroit Pistons(3), Houston Rockets(2), Miami Heat(2), Philadelphia 76ers(1) and Dallas Mavericks(1). There is no parity in the NBA that is for sure.

For a small market team to win the NBA title you need to get really lucky. First you need to win the lottery to draft a franchise changing player like a Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, etc. Second you need that player to want to stay with your team which so far only Tim Duncan has done with the Spurs. Duncan led the Spurs to four NBA championships as he was the #1 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. Duncan wasn't joining a terrible team either as they had super star David Robinson who had basically missed the previous season so they immediately became a success. The only other way to succeed is to suck bad enough so you are in the NBA lottery and strike gold. Also helps having an owner who is best friends with the commish so he can give you Kevin Durant landing the #2 pick in a year with Kevin Durant, then sucking again to draft Russell Westbrook with the #4 pick then sucking again to draft James Harden with the #3 pick which is what Oklahoma City did. Under this current format there is a good chance Oklahoma City won't be able to keep all three guys there. NBA history shows one of them will bolt and still no players will continue to go there. Nothing against Oklahoma City or any other small market but NBA players don't like small markets. They want to play in Los Angeles, New York or Miami. That is where the endorsements are, that is where the beautiful women are, that is where a lifestyle outside of basketball is. Tim Duncan stayed so the Spurs won four titles, remember when Kevin Durant is a free agent he'll be 26 years old so he'll be in the exact same spot in his career which Lebron James was in. 20 years from now nobody is going to remember that Lebron James played for Cleveland.

Let's go back to the 2008 "Redeem Team" roster shall we? You had Chris Paul(New Orleans), Kobe Bryant(Los Angeles), Carmelo Anthony(Denver), Lebron James(Cleveland), Dwight Howard(Orlando), Deron Williams(Utah), Chris Bosh(Toronto), Jason Kidd(Dallas), Michael Redd(Milwaukee), Dwyane Wade(Miami), Tayshaun Prince(Detroit) and Carlos Boozer(Utah). Of those 12 guys you see 10 guys not playing for Miami, Los Angeles, and New York. As of right now nine of those guys are playing in Los Angeles(Bryant, Howard, Paul), New York(Anthony, Kidd, and Williams) and Miami(James, Wade and Bosh). Boozer left for a big market as well in Chicago while Redd and Prince careers fell off so nobody really wants them. So that is 83% of the team is now playing in big markets which screams small market teams just don't matter in the NBA.

As a northwest fan this sucks I must say. It hurts knowing that when we do get a team and they are the Sonics again we are playing against a stacked deck. On this current 2012 team only Kobe Bryant was the only player not picked in the top 10. So the only chance a small market has is to suck for multiple years in a row like Oklahoma City while also being in a draft with a game changing player like a Tim Duncan or Kevin Durant. Meanwhile Los Angeles, Miami and to a lesser degree New York will continue to clean up on free agents. David Stern in the 1980's decided to feature the players with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird instead of the teams. Due to that the players have all the power in this league which means the teams don't. Lebron James set the stage also for if players are willing to take less money to join forces to create a super team. No the Howard trade didn't change anything at all just cemented the fact that the big market teams in this league are going to continue to get better. While the small market teams are going to have to continue to fight a stacked deck which is made to prevent them from winning championships. That is the NBA that David Stern built which sucks for all small market teams. Basically as long as David Stern is commish small markets teams don't stand a chance.

Lebron goes from prince to finally becoming king!

By Kshell

After years of suffering Lebron James can finally be called an NBA champion. When the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 in game five to win the series four games to one the Heat have won their second championship in franchise history. More importantly the leagues greatest player Lebron James has won his first NBA title in his 9th season and was named NBA Finals MVP. Lebron capped his terrific playoffs with a triple double scoring 26 points, dishing out 13 assists and grabbing 11 rebounds. James in these finals averaged 28.6 points per game, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. James came to Miami to win a title and after making an ass of himself his first season in Miami that humbling experience made him who he was today.  James won his third MVP award in four seasons averaging 27.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 6.2 APG. In these playoffs he was even better averaging 30.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 5.6 APG. James who has always put up amazing stats finally silenced his critics after last year for the first time in his career he had a bad playoff series in last years NBA finals. James had amazing playoff games that will now be remembered because he finally won a title.

In the summer of 2010 James had "the decision" which was when the Seattle Sports Blog was formed so I always look back to that summer. James decided to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form the "super team." They held a celebration before ever playing a game where Lebron famously said "not one, not two, not three.....not seven championships." The Heat immediately became the villains of the NBA and James was the poster child of that hate by every NBA city. After getting off to an 8-9 start which everyone figured 40 year old head coach Erik Spoelstra would be fired the Heat battled back to go to the NBA Finals. After being up two games to one Lebron no showed the final three games and the Dallas Mavericks upset the Heat. There was speculation that the Heat should blow this up as they don't have enough role guys and that Spoelstra was over his head. Instead Pat Riley stayed the course and added Shane Battier  to the team as the only major move heading into the strike shorten 2012 season. James played free as if he accepted that he can't please everyone and more importantly he took a hard look in the mirror at himself. I noticed on twitter instead of making snarky remarks towards Cleveland Cavs owner Dan Gilbert he was interacting with fans. He vowed win or lose he was going to play hard this Finals and to his credit he backed it up. The "decision" was a bushleague move that probably helped James become an even greater player than we could have ever imagined. James had to endure last season to finally grow into this season just like Michael Jordan had to do in the late 1980's, Shaq in the 90's when losing to the Bulls then Jazz, or Kobe post Shaq. Every player has to go through these pains and James is no different and neither is Kevin Durant.

For Kevin Durant his time isn't now. For those who thought the Thunder were going to win and Vegas had them as favorites they forgot the rules of the NBA. You have to pay your dues first which Lebron, Wade and Bosh have. While Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden haven't done yet. Durant who has won the last three scoring titles and lit up game one of the finals scoring 36 points including 17 in the fourth quarter proved he is a great scorer but not on Lebron's level.....yet. Durant these finals averaged 30.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 2.2 APG making 2.6 three pointers a game. Durant was a great scorer these playoffs but his all around game could still use some work. These playoffs Durant averaged 28.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG and made 2.05 three pointers a game. Westbrook had his moments like scoring 43 points in game four loss on 20-32 shooting but also had his low moments shooting 4-20 in a game five elmination loss. James Harden who was terrific all postseason was a total no show in the finals who padded his stats when the game was a blowout in game five. Still Durant is only 23(turns 24 in September), Westbrook is 23(turns 24 in September) and Harden is 22(turns 23 in August). Their three best players are well ahead of the learning curve. The fact they are already in the NBA finals and have lost to eventual NBA champions the last three seasons shows they are right there. Durant is going to have his day eventually where he is king and winning all the rings. For now though Lebron is showing that he isn't ready to give up the "best player in the game" award that he has held the last few seasons.

When Durant finally wins his ring it won't be as big of a deal as today since there is no player quite like Lebron James. Good or bad people have a strong opinion on James that hasn't been seen before. He is talented, says stupid things and grew up in the 24/7 media world we live in which creates a perfect storm. This is Lebron's time and he left Cleveland so he can have help. Mario Chalmers scored 25 points in game four win, while Mike Miller had 23 points in game five hitting seven three pointers. Shane Battier scored 17 points hitting five three pointers in the game two win. Chris Bosh despite playing hurt these finals averaged a gritty 14.6 PPG and 9.4 RPG. Meanwhile Dwyane Wade bounced back from a rough game one to average 22.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 5.2 APG. Without those guys James probably doesn't have a ring but that isn't to diminish James title. Jon Paxson and Steve Kerr hit game winning shots in NBA finals clinchers for Michael Jordan and who can forget Ron Artest hitting a dagger three pointer to bail out Kobe Bryant's 6-24 in the Finals in game 7 in 2010?  These clutch moments by others are what helps stars reach their championship totals but stars do have to come through in big moments and James did just that this postseason.

The Heat are the first ever team to win a championship trailing in three different series. Trailing two games to one heading into game four in Indiana without Chris Bosh the Heat had to win. James responded with a historical performance not seen since 1961 by Elgin Baylor. In the Heat 101-93 win in which they trailed by 15 early Lebron scored 40 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and had 9 assists. The Heat would go on to win that series in six games. In the Eastern Conference Finals after being up 2-0 the Heat lost three in a row and were heading to Boston with their season on the line. The Heat destroyed the Celtics 98-79 as Lebron scored 30 points in the first half finishing with 45 points on 19-26(73.2%) shooting with 15 rebounds and five assists. In game seven after trailing early James once again came up big scoring 31 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. In game two of the finals with his team needing a win James scored 32 points and iced the game at the free throw line making all 12 attempts. Then in game four he was cramping and had to leave the game. He did return however to hit the go ahead three pointer giving him 26 points, 9 rebounds and 12 assists which hadn't been seen since Larry Bird in 1986. Then today Lebron finishes up his great playoffs with a triple double scoring 26 points, dishing out 13 assists and grabbing 11 rebounds. Not many powerforwards dish out 13 assists just like no many guards average nearly 10 rebounds. James can play any position on the court which he has done this entire playoffs. He had one of the all-time great playoffs by an individual anyone has ever seen.

Call James whatever you want but a "choke artist," "not-clutch," "ringless," and "disappears in the fourth" can no longer be used. In proving the critics wrong he also proved them right as well. He needed to change as a player and as a person why he has low post moves, why he isn't afraid to take over down the stretch, why he plays defense now which he didn't prior to the 2008 Olympics(he noticed how hard Kobe Bryant was going at it and it clicked to him and Wade). James is more humble now as his celebration after beating Boston in round two back in 2011 was more so than when he actually won the title. In the 1980's you had Bird-Magic, in the 1990's you had Jordan, in the 2000's you had Shaq, Duncan and Kobe. In the 10's you'll have Lebron-Durant. James won the first of many battles between these two in the finals. Durant will have his time someday but for now there is only one king and his name is Lebron James.

2012 NBA Finals preview + prediction

By Kshell

The dream NBA Finals match up that every casual basketball fan has wanted has finally arrived with three-time MVP Lebron James and the Miami Heat taking on the three-time defending scoring champion Kevin Durant. Both players will be the face of team USA this summer in London. Both of are the best players in the world who happen to play the same position. Both guys are also looking for their first championship ring in their young careers. Both guys have also left a city bitter with James having the "decision" which still has Cleveland fans pissed off. While Durant has done nothing wrong the man who signs his checks moved the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City and us Seattle fans are still hurt about losing our team along with Durant. In this post I'll break down my three keys to the series while reflecting back on the Sonics situation. Then at the end I'll offer up prediction on the series as the Oklahoma City Thunder are the heavy favorites this series after defeating the San Antonio Spurs four straight games while the Heat struggled to beat an aging Boston Celtics team in seven games.

1. Who will emerge from this Finals as the best player in the NBA?

What makes this NBA Finals so unique unlike previous other finals is that so much is riding on the superstars of each team. Fair or not the winner of this series will see their star emerge as the best player in the NBA. In most sports the role players step up and win MVP's sometimes in championship series but in the NBA the MVP is almost always the best player on their own team. This postseason both players are playing surpurb basketball. For the Heat Lebron James is averaging 30.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG and 5.1 APG. He is averaging 42:22 minutes a game in 18 games while recording 1.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He is making 1.1 three pointers a game and shooting 50.8% from the field. He is also getting to the foul line averaging 10.4 free throws a game. In the Eastern Conference Finals win over the Celtics James was terrific averaging 33.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 3.9 APG. James though has struggled in 10 career Finals games averaging only 19.6 PPG and has yet to score more than 25 points.

His counterpart will be Kevin Durant who will be playing in his very first of probably many NBA Finals. Durant these playoffs is also playing terrific averaging 27.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 4.2 APG. In 15 games he is averaging 41:33 minutes a game while recording 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He is making 1.9 three pointers a game while shooting 50.5% from the field, 36.4% on three pointers and 87.0% on 8.2 free throw attempts. Durant has defeated the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and then the hottest team in the NBA the San Antonio Spurs. All three teams have represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals the last 13 seasons including 10 championships. I have a feeling the Durant-Lebron rivalry is about to reach Bird-Magic territory as this won't be the only time these two will square off in the NBA Finals.

Whoever wins this matchup will most likely be hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy. I can't see a scenario where either player has even an average series by their own high standards and their team prevailing. One of these two is about to be the face of the NBA, team USA basketball and win their first ever championship and that is all in their hands.

2. Nobody likes a third wheel except for both these teams:

In this series Kevin Durant-Lebron James battle will grab the first, second and third headlines. The next headlines will be the battle between Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook who will also be a fun matchup as both are combo guards. If those matchups cancel each other out as they'll be going up against each other offensively and defensively then this series could be decided by the "third wheel's" on each team. For the Zombies Sonics that is sixth man of the year James Harden and for the Heat that is six-time all-star Chris Bosh who is coming off injury. Currently Bosh like Harden is coming off the bench and I actually like that move as he provides instant offense off the bench which teams have used to win a title recently with Jason Terry, Lamar Odom, and Manu Giniboli.

The man with the incredible beard James Harden has been great all year and especially in these playoffs with already two big moments(both of which were on the road against Dallas in game four and San Antonio in game five). Harden these playoffs is averaging 17.6 PPG, 5.2RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.7 steals per game in 31:04 minutes while coming off the bench. Harden is shooting 45.2% from the field, making 1.7 three pointers a game on 44.6% shooting and 87.3% of his free throws on 6.8 attempts. He is playing incredible this postseason as he has the third highest PER rating behind on James and Durant.

Meanwhile Bosh who got hurt during game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals has finally returned while coming off the bench. In this postseason Bosh has played in only nine games making six starts. He is averaging 13.7 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 28:28 minutes per game. He is shooting 52.3% from the field and making 80.0% of his free throws on 3.9 attempts. He has also made 0.6 three pointers a game on 62.5% shooting. In game seven he was a huge spark for the Heat making a career high three three pointers as he scored 19 points while pulling down eight rebounds as he looked healthy.

Harden will be guarded in crunch time by Shane Battier while Bosh will be guarded by Serge Ibaka who is better at blocking shots not necessarily playing on the perimeter. If either guy can go off and help ease the load of their two stars this could be what is needed to shift this series. Both guys are very capable of erupting for 30 plus at home or on the road.

3. Like Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg the other guys can save the day:

This series will be defined by Lebron vs Duant, Westbrook vs Wade and the two major 6th men stars. What could swing a game or two in this series is the other guys headlined by the Zombie Sonics Serge Ibaka. The Miami Heat trio of Lebron-Wade-Bosh scored the final 31 points of their game seven win over Boston. In these playoffs the Heat big three is averaging 67.4 PPG, 10.0 APG and 21.5 RPG. They are also getting 4.0 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while hitting 2.1 three pointers a game. The "other guys" on the Heat are averaging 28.7 PPG, 7.3 APG and 19.0 RPG. They are also getting 3.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game while drilling 4.3 three pointers a game.

The Oklahoma City trio of Durant-Westbrook-Harden is averaging 67.1 PPG, 13.1 APG and 18.2 RPG. They are also getting 4.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while hitting 4.6 three pointers. The "other guys" on the Zombie Sonics are averaging 35.2 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 22.1 RPG. They are also getting 4.2 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while hitting 2.3 three pointers a game. As you can see the Zombies "other guys" are more explosive than the Heat. The Zombies feature Serge Ibaka who these playoffs is averaging 10.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.3 blocks per game.

For the Heat their main "other guy" is Mario Chalmers who is averaging 11.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 3.9 APG while making 1.4 three pointers a game. The Heat don't have a deep roster there is a reason why head coach Erik Spoelstra started three different guys at center in the Celtics series alone and basically only played the big three along with Udonis Haslem, Shane Battier and Chalmers. The Zombies though have the edge in talent and championship experience with Kendrick Perkins and Derek Fisher who have combined played in nine NBA Finals while winning six NBA championships.

The national media has it all wrong and that's a damn shame!

I'm already getting annoyed with how Lebron James and the Miami Heat are the "villains" because he chose to leave his hometown team for less money to pursue a championship(already in two seasons been to more NBA finals than in seven seasons in Cleveland) while most on ESPN are covenietly ignoring how Oklahoma City became Oklahoma City. The Thunder were flat out stolen from the Sonics as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Collison were all drafted by Seatle. To pretend they are the heartfelt good guys is a slap in the face to all those in Seattle who grew up as Sonics fans.

I understand the national media doesn't want to hate on Oklahoma City or be disrespectful towards them as this is their moment. Just don't pretend they are the good guys either while Miami is the villains because that is simply not the case. We have suffered a lot in recent years with the Seahawks not having a winning season since 2007, the Mariners lost 95+ games three of the last four seasons while finishing in last place six of the last eight seasons. For our college fans the Washington Huskies going 0-12 in the Tyrone Willingham era and for the Washington State Cougars fans going 9-40 the last four seasons in the Paul Wulff era. The Sonics with Kevin Durant was supposed to be our reward and we didn't even get that. Hopefully the Sonics return(they'll be here sooner than people think you watch) I hope we are awarded a talent like Durant as this city is so overdue. At least Cleveland got the experiene of Lebron James for seven years. We got to experience Durant for one season in a lameduck year that was full on rebuild mode. Seattle fans got robbed and the national media continues to piss down our back and tell us it's raining isn't helping either.

Prediction: Heat in six games

As if I was going to take Oklahoma City in this series. In reality I'm making this prediction for basketball related reasons and I'm even wagering money on the Heat to win. I can't believe a team that features Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is being underestiminated but they are. The Heat I feel are more battle tested than the Thunder after playing in the NBA Finals just last year plus are always under the media spotlight so this is nothing new to them. While the young Thunder are on center stage for the first time. Durant especially has received a free pass from the media his entire career if he starts to slump and James is going off that won't happen this series. Westbrook has already received some backlash last year but it won't be like it is now if he struggles in the Finals. I do think experience plays a role as well as the losing team from the previous year in the NBA finals who happens to reach the finals the next year has won the championship four out of seven times since 1980. Two of those champions the 1988 Detroit Pistons and 2009 Los Angeles Lakers would actually go on to win the next two titles. The teams that lost were the 1984 Lakers who would win the title following season, 1998 Utah Jazz who lost to the Michael Jordan dynasty back to back and the 2003 New Jersey Nets who came from the weakest east ever.

Now since 1980 when teams with Finals experience went up against teams without it(basically the core players) the team with experience has won 10 of the 14 matchups. The four cases where no experience prevailed was the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers who would go on to win five NBA titles, 1991 Chicago Bulls who would go on to win six NBA titles, 2004 Detroit Pistons who would reach NBA Finals following season and 2008 Boston Celtics who were all veteran future hall of famers.  I think both these teams are going to be living in the NBA finals for the rest of this decade as Durant and James are in their prime years.

Besides experience and being battle tested the main reason I'm taking the Heat is I feel like Lebron James is playing the best ball of his career. I also think Lebron has matured and is just focused on winning a title. Last year he worried too much about his critics and was tweeting about his "haters". While this year he seems at peace with himself and that hate towards him isn't as strong as it once was. He is playing like Karl Malone if Malone was able to bring the ball up court and pass. James is playing at a super natural level and defensively he is guarding Rajon Rondo one possession while guarding Kevin Garnett the next. I think he is going to give Durant some problems in those crunch moments plus Wade brings his "A" game in the NBA Finals as Wade in 12 career games has averaged 30.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 4.5 APG. Last year in the Finals loss Wade averaged 26.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 5.2 APG as he was having another spectacular finals. In 2006 Wade won the Finals MVP averaging 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 3.8 APG. For the Heat to win Flash will need to go off once again.

This series is what every fan who doesn't live in Cleveland or Seattle can hope for. We have six stars including four guys who will be on the U.S. Olympic team and a fifth in Bosh depending on his health. All of these guys are in their primes and in the case of both teams best two players play the same position. Westbrook will be going up against Wade in the fourth quarter and more importantly Durant will be squaring off against Lebron in the fourth quarter. America better get used to this matchup as I think this will be the new Magic-Bird of the 1980's which saw one of those two play in nine of the 10 NBA finals in the 1980's winning eight championships. They went up against each other three times as well with Bird winning the first matchup while Magic won the last two. I'm looking forward to this Finals and I truly believe this is the Finals where Lebron silences his critics for good.

SSB Weekly Rant: May 12-18th edition

By Kshell

This week on the 32nd anniversary of Mt. St. Helens erupting which shook up the northwest for the worst especially my home town down in South Washington I'll be doing my weekly rant. The mountain erupting is very symbolic of the Seattle Mariners who have lost four games in a row and are currently 1-6 on this road trip. The Mariners should have did what the Seahawks are doing under Pete Carroll which is blow the team up completely instead of messing around with washed up veterans. Anyways with the NBA playoffs going on and today marking the 16th season of interleague play in baseball there is plenty to talk about this week. I'll start off with the baseball talk as the Mariners are taking on the Colorado Rockies.

This weekend the Seattle Mariners take on the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Mariners are 13-12 all-time against the Rockies but only 4-7 at Coors Field. The Mariners first ever interleague game was against the Rockies at the old Kingdome in which the Mariners won 12-11 back in 1997 in which Bobby Ayala recorded the save. The Mariners dominated this series early on from 1997-2002 going 12-7 against the Rockies but have gone just 1-5 since. I know some fans are tired of interleague play but personally I still like it. I know with free agency you have the chance to see most every player but there are some you don't get a chance to see.  It was nice seeing Tony Gwynn, Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux and Sammy Sosa playing at Safeco Field. It was nice seeing Ken Griffey Jr having his return to Seattle which let him know that the city of Seattle still loves him so he could return in 2009(I'll pretend 2010 never happened). I think interleague play still has a place in this game and was one of the better things that Bud Selig has ever done in his time as commisioner.

The Miami Heat are in serious trouble right now with Chris Bosh being out for this playoff series as the Heat have lost back to back games to the Indiana Pacers in Bosh absence. If the Heat fail to win a title again these clips of their celebration and Dan LeBatard's rant about the Heat are becoming more and more hilarious on the unintentional comeday scale. The Heat are down 2-1 and with Bosh down they are in danger of losing this series. Even if the Heat escape this series alive I don't see them beating the Boston Celtics next round and definately can't see them beating the Zombie Sonics or the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat could possibly go down as the biggest joke in sports history if they fail to win a title with the "big three" . Bosh going down has hurt the team but there is absolutely no excuse to lose to the Pacers when you still feature by far and away the two best players on the court in Dwyane Wade and Lebron James. This is their legacy right now on the line as those two choked away game two and failed to even show up for game three. Those two made the ridiculous statements and there is no turning back now. Time for those two to finally step up or they can continue to point fingers at their coach or their teammates. Years from now nobody is going to remember that Mike Miller wasn't very good they'll remember that the trio of Lebron, Wade and Bosh choked!

Sports is kind of funny cause there is always that one team that you hated but respect so much you actually start to like them. That is how I feel about the San Antonio Spurs. I've never been a big fan of Tim Duncan but there is something about how consistent he is. The Spurs are the exact opposite of the Heat. They aren't flashy, their stars don't make stupid statements, you don't see them on commercials. Instead they just win and win titles. Duncan has won four championships and three have came with teammates Manu Ginaboli and Tony Parker. I figured the Spurs would be done by now as their age had caught up to them but instead they have posted the NBA's best record two years in a row. The Spurs this postseason are 6-0 and have yet to really be challenged. Everyone assumes the Zombie Sonics will make the Finals but I feel like we are all sleeping on the Spurs. In a way a Boston Celtics-San Antonio Spurs finals would be special. It would show that good ole fassion team work, hard work and accountability still exists in today's game. The Spurs are the real deal and I think they are going to end up winning the championship which would give Duncan five titles. Could that put him in the top five players of all-time? Perhaps it can. Duncan may be boring but he is also a winner.

Well guys that is my weekly rant for this week. The Spurs just have something special about them and I thought I'd never root for them in my life yet I find myself pulling for them right now. They are the opposite of the "South Beach" media hype machine and there is something redeeming about that. The Spurs represent what is right about the NBA while "South Beach" represents what is wrong with the league. Judging by Chris Hansen's recent press conference the NBA appears to be returning to Seattle very soon. I won't write about it until it's official as I don't want to jinx anything. Once again thanks for reading my weekly rant and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Mavericks win first ever championship! Eliminate Heat in six games 105-95

By Kshell

The Dallas Mavericks led by Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki defeated the Miami Heat 105-95 in Miami to win the NBA championship in six games. For the Mavericks a team who most of America was pulling for because their roster is full of guys who came so painfully close to a title this day will last forever in their memories. For the super team known as the Heat who did their best to embarass the NBA this entire season they fall short. The main guy who created the circus Lebron James had a very average NBA Finals. The Heat scoffed at the notion of winning one title as they predicted seven titles will have to wait another year before they even win one title. For the Mavericks though this has to feel great exorcising the 2006 demons led by Nowitzki who scored 21 points today and was once again huge in the second half. One team led by their star had class throughout this entire season and in Nowitzki's case his whole career. They defeated the team who has shown no class and in James case hasn't his entire career.

In the first quarter Lebron James got off to a hot start scoring nine points in the first four minutes making his first four shots. The Heat went on a 12-1 run to lead 20-11 as it appeared they were finally going to take control of the series. Then with the Heat leading 22-15 the Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki picked up his second foul. It was the Mavericks not the Heat who responded with a 17-2 run to lead 32-24 before Eddie House hit a three pointer before the quarter ended to cut the Mavericks lead to 32-27. The Heat were led by James who had nine points on four for seven shooting including a three pointer and three assists. Chris Bosh scored seven points on two for two shooting. Wade had just four points on two for five shooting. The Mavericks were led by Jason Terry who scored nine points on four for six shooting including a three pointer. J.J. Barea scored six points on three for four shooting, Shawn Marion had six points on two for five shooting with four rebounds. While Dirk Nowitzki had just two points on one for three shooting. The Mavericks would continue their hot run into the second quarter.

The Mavericks extended their lead to 40-28 in the second quarter. Add it all up they were on a 25-6 run which had quieted the already pathetic Miami crowd. Then the Heat sat Lebron James and the Heat played their best basketball all Finals going on a 14-0 run to take a 42-40 lead. Eddie House who hadn't played hardly at all hit two three pointers during that run. Then after that it was back and forth as the Mavericks would regain the lead 53-51 at halftime. The Mavericks were up due to Jason Terry who had 19 points on 8-10 shooting and was three for five from three pointers. DeShawn Stevenson added nine points on three for four shooting from three pointers. Marion added eight points on three for seven shooting while Barea had six points. The Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki had just three points on 1-12 shooting and they led. The Mavericks continued their hot shooting making 21-43(48.8%) from the field and 7-14(50.0%) from three pointers.

The Heat felt fortunate to be in the game after yet another large run they allowed which almost burried their season. The Heat were led by James who scored 11 points on five for nine shooting but missed both free throws. Wade scored nine points on three for eight shooting but had six rebounds and six assists. Bosh scored nine points on three for four shooting with four rebounds. Eddie House provided a spark off the bench with nine points on three three pointers. Mario Chalmers making his first start of the postseason scored seven points on two for six shooting but had three free throws. The Heat one half to determine if their season would end in disappointment or continue.

In the third quarter is when the Mavericks started to put the Heat away extending their lead to 81-72 outscoring the Heat 28-21. Led by Nowitzki in the third who shot better going three of seven for eight points in the quarter. The Mavericks continued their hot shooting making 10-20(50.0%) from three point range. They were led by Terry who had 21 points 9-12 shooting including three three pointers. Barea was big with 10 points and five assists on five for eight shooting. For the Heat they had themselves to blame making just 5-15(33.3%) from three point range and 15-26(57.6%)from the free throw line. The Heat were led by Bosh who had 16 points on six for seven sh ooting. Role players like Udonis Haslem also stepped up scoring 10 points with six rebounds on four seven shooting. James had 14 points on 6-10 but was passive yet again. While Wade was struggling scoring 13 points on 4-12 shooting. The Heat had just one final quarter to avoid being the laughing stock of the NBA.

In the fourth quarter the Heat basically gave up as the Mavericks led by seven points or more the entire quarter. When the buzzer had sounds the Mavericks had won the title 105-95. Nowitzki once again the fourth stepped up big scoring 10 points on five for eight shooting. Terry added six points in the fourth as well. James scored seven in the fourth but three of which were meaningless. The Mavericks had won the title by making 11-26(42.3%) of their three pointers. They were led by Terry who scored 27 points on 11-16 shooting including three three pointers. Nowitzki scored 21 points on on 9-27 shooting but added 11 rebounds. Barea added 15 points on 7-12 shooting including a three pointer with five assists. Marion scored 12 points with eight rebounds and Jason Kidd scored nine points with eight assists. The Mavericks bench scored 43 points while the starters scored 62 points showing it was a total team effort unlike their foes.

For the Miami Heat their season was championship or bust not seen since the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers. Just like that Lakers team they lost to a team in the finals who had just one all-star. The Heat were led by James who scored 21 points on 9-15 shooting including two of five from three point range. He had four rebounds and six assists but six costly turnovers and was just one of four from the free throw line. Bosh scored 19 points on on seven for nine shooting with eight rebounds. Wade scored 17 points while shooting just 6-16 including missing all four three point attempts. Wade would finish with six assists and eight rebounds. Chalmers making his first start would have 18 points on 5-12 shooting including two three's and seven assists. Haslem gave the Heat 11 points and nine rebounds off the bench and House scored nine points. For the Heat when they had their celebration after winning the offseason championship didn't vision losing on their home court like this.

All in all, this will be remembered much like the 2004 Finals where the Heat lost more so than the Mavericks winning. Which is a shame since the Mavericks paid their dues. As a Seahawks fan who was also robbed by the refs in our only championship game I'd love to get that opportunity again to go against Pittsburgh. The Mavericks not only won the title but erased the stink of the 2006 NBA Finals and the 2007 playoffs. A team who most had picked to lose in the first round is now the NBA champions. A roster full of guys who have been so close and none of which had a championship ring. For the Miami Heat them losing brought the whole country together much like when Penn State beat the Miami Hurricanes(why is Miami full of dicks?) in the 1986 national title. The Heat will go down as one of the biggest flops in NBA history. For tonight though the Mavericks won their first ever title and for Nowitzki nobody is laughing at Rick Carisle now. Nowitzki probably moves past Charles Barkley, Kevin Garnett and maybe even Karl Malone on the all-time power forwards list. For a guy who was loyal it was good to see loyalty pay off. See it doesn't always pay to run to chase a title. Sometimes it's best to just lure players to your team instead. That is what Nowitzki did and he has a ring now while James has to wait yet another season.

Observations:

- At the Heat's arena there was a ton of blue shirts there. The Mavericks had made the trip to Miami to invade the Heat's pathetic fan base. Back home in Dallas they sold out their arena as they freaked out when they won the title. The feeling those fans have well I can't relate as Seattle has never given me that joy. Dallas has had a good sports year and have won five super bowls but haven't won a championship in their city since January of 1996. For this fan base it must be pretty cool to see the Mavericks finally win the title.

My mom was recently in Dallas during their Western Conference Finals run. She even bought me a Mavericks coffee mug so I'll always have a story to tell. I'll joke how that is the $500 coffee mug(that's how much I would have won if Lebron James gave a shit) when I drink out of it. The city of Dallas deserves this more than Miami's horrible fans. Kind of a joke they have this great team and don't appreciate them. Move them to Seattle I'm sure we would actually sell out our games.

- Chris Bosh the only guy on the Heat who actually improved his perception after this season. Bosh had his bumps but for the most part stepped up in the playoffs especially on the big stage like the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals. He struggled the first two games in Miami but since then played pretty well.

In the NBA Finals Bosh averaged 18.5 PPG and 7.3 RPG. Bosh had shot 38-92(41.3%) considering he was 9-34 to start off the series that isn't that bad. He was also pretty aggressive getting to the free throw line making 35-45(77.7%) of his free throws. For the playoffs Bosh averaged 18.6 PPG and 8.5 RPG. He shot 138-291(47.4%) from the field including a finals game winner. He made 114-140(81.4%) from the free throw line. I think it would be a huge mistake to trade away Bosh which is why Bill Simmons is a moron.

- Lebron James and Dwyane Wade look by far the biggest horses ass in these playoffs. Wade took the Eastern Conference Finals off and James took the NBA Finals off. Both didn't play well in game six which was the most important game of the season. For Wade he had a great finals and already has a finals MVP. He'll take heat for celebrating too soon on his three pointer in game two and the way he made fun of Nowitzki for being sick. Wade though averaged 26.5 PPG, 5.2 APG and 7.0 RPG. He also added 1.5 steals a game and 1.5 blocks a game. Wade shot 59-108(54.6%) from the field and 34-49(69.3%) from the free throw line. Wade showed up these Finals so the amount of crap he'll take will be some but for James on the other hand.

Well for Lebron James he wasn't awful this Finals but at times you didn't know he was on the court which is just as bad. In the third quarter he would pass the ball to seldomly used reserve Juwon Howard despite being five feet from the hoop. Lebron in these finals was very average a far cry from the Boston and Chicago series where both teams are better defensively. James averaged 17.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 6.8 APG which doesn't look bad to the naked eye. He shot 43-96(44.7%) from the field and 9-28(32.1%) from three point range. He attempted just 20 free throws in six games making only 12 of them for 60.0%. He also averaged four turnovers a game. In the fourth quarter James scored just 18 points counting his seven today. He scored zero "clutch" points which is points under five minutes when the game is within five points. James stats doesn't suggest he totally crapped the bed but he did. One thing to suck because shots aren't falling like he wants to pretend. When in reality he was scared often taking one dribble then passing the ball. His press conference after the game proves he is a loser. The great ones have it and right now today he doesn't. How many times do we have to blame his teammates or head coach when it's painfully obvious he can't get the job done when his team needs him. The whole nation is onto you Lebron and your days of fooling the nation are hopefully over.

- For Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion and of course Dirk Nowitzki who all came so painfully close they finally have a title. For Kidd he wasn't great this series but came along these playoffs after a bad regular season. In the NBA Finals Kidd averaged 7.6 PPG, 6.3 APG and 4.5 RPG. He shot 14-36(38.9%) from the field and 12-28(42.8%) from three point range. Kidd who had been to the NBA Finals back to back years with the New Jersey Nets finally has his ring.

For Jason Terry he had a monster series after a slow first three games. Terry averaged 18.0 PPG(21.7 PPG last three games) while shooting 38-77(49.3%) from the field and 11-28(39.2%) from three point range. Chandler averaged 9.7 PPG and 8.8 RPG. Marion averaged 13.7 PPG and 6.3 RPG plus helped contain Lebron James. For the Mavericks these guys paid their dues but with all due respect one guy really paid his dues for this franchise so he'll get his separate paragraph.

- Be careful about writing off Lebron James as everyone wrote off Dirk Nowitzki after the 2006 and then 2007 playoffs. He was "soft" and could never lead a team to a title many including myself thought. Now Nowitzki is finals MVP and I'd put him over Barkley and Garnett possibly even Malone. For this series Nowitzki averaged 26.0 PPG and 9.7 RPG. Nowitzki didn't shoot that well shooting just 52-125(41.6%) from the field. Nowitzki made up for it by getting to the free throw line. He shot 45-46(97.8%) from the charity stripe and 7-19(36.8%) from three point range. Nowitzki was really big in the fourth quarter scoring 62(10.3 ppg) points. It's not about how many points you score but when you score them. For Nowitzki the man who didn't bail on the Mavericks when times were down he scored plenty of big points.

In conclusion, the Mavericks proved that being classy does pay off in the end. The Mavericks flew under the radar all season long where nobody thought they could win the title. Now they are the champions and were the better team as the series wore on. The Heat had their chance to put this series away early like the 2006 Mavericks had done to the Heat. The Heat I'm sure will have another circus offseason which could include trading Bosh and firing Spoelstra who was badly outcoached by Rick Carisle. Like I said earlier we can blame the coaches and role players but ultimately Lebron James choked down the stretch. While the Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki came through even in their teams losses time and time again. Nowitzki will never have to hear how he's soft again. Crazy a year ago if you had a poll on best power forward most would say Pau Gasol. I think Nowitzki proved to every who the real best power forward is and was. For Nowitzki this is his night and he deserves it. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban bought a crappy franchise and made them winners. Now the Mavericks are the ultimate winners of them all. The Heat had the offseason championship parade but the Mavericks will have the championship parade the Heat can only wish they had. Nowitzki showed that staying loyal and having class is the way to go. Nowitzki acted like a champion and now he is a champion. While James acted like a chump since he's entered the league and still remains a chump without a ring. Funny how the sports gods once in a while throws the nation a bone. The Mavericks are the good guys and they deserved this championship especially Nowitzki.

Mavericks use three ball to defeat Heat 112-103 to move within one game of the championship

By Kshell

For the first time in franchise history the Dallas Mavericks are one game away from winning the NBA championship. Once again the Mavericks used a late fourth quarter rally to defeat the Miami Heat 112-103 behind 29 points from Dirk Nowitzki. The Heat lost despite Lebron James recording the franchises first ever triple double in playoff history but once again disappeared in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks unlike previous games finally started to knock down their three pointers making 13-19(68.4%) from downtown. What seems to be a theme this series the Heat grab a late lead in the fourth only for the Mavericks led by Nowitzki and Terry to finish the game off. The story that will dominate this game will be James who has scored just 11 points in the fourth quarter these Finals. Now the Mavericks must win just one game in Miami to be crowned world champions. For the Heat they'll return home but they have plenty of problems that need to be fixed or their season will end in disappointment.

The first quarter featured tons of scoring for both teams. It was a change of pace from the previous four games. The Heat led the first quarter 31-30 due to another half court three pointer at the buzzer by Mario Chalmers. The Heat were led by Dwyane Wade who scored eight points on one for three shooting but was perfect from six free throw attempts. Chalmers added six points on two three pointers in three attempts. Chris Bosh scored four points on two for five shooting while Lebron James scored just two points one one for four shooting. James did have four rebounds and three assists though. The Heat shot 11-20(55.0%) from the field and make three of four three pointers. The Mavericks were led by Tyson Chandler who scored nine points on three for four shooting. Dirk Nowitzki also added six points on two for four shooting. The Mavericks shot 11-18(61.1%) from the field and made two of three three pointers. The first quarter would set up another high scoring second quarter as well.

The second quarter saw more scoring and a major injury. For the Heat they received a scare when Wade was injured and went to the locker room. That is when James carried the team scoring seven points on three for six shooting. Bosh scored nine points in the quarter on three for four shooting including three for three from free throws. Chalmers scored seven points in the quarter making two three pointers. For the Mavericks they were led by Nowitzki who scored 10 points in the quarter on four for five shooting. The Mavericks outscored the Heat in the second quarter 30-26 to take a 60-57 lead at halftime. The Heat who were shooting 20-39(51.2%) from the field and 5-11(45.5%) from three point range found themselves trailing. The Heat were led by Chalmers who had 13 points on four for six shooting from three point range. Bosh also had 13 points on five for nine shooting with five rebounds. Wade scored 11 points and had three assists on two for five shooting from the field but was seven for eight from the free throw line. James scored nine points, six rebounds and four assists on 4-10 shooting.

The Mavericks shot 23-35(65.7%) from the field and made five of seven three pointers for 71.4%. The Mavericks were led by Nowitzki who scored 16 points on six for nine shooting and was perfect on four free throw attempts. Nowitzki also had four rebounds. Jason Terry scored nine points on four for six shooting including a three pointer. He also dished out four assists. Chandler scored 11 points on four for five shooting with three rebounds. The Mavericks took the lead at halftime and for the first time all series were dictating the pacce as this was an offensive game. The Heat would suffer another big blow as Wade would still be hurting and would start the second half in the locker room once again. The Mavericks would waste a golden opportunity to put the Heat away in the third quarter.

In the third quarter the Mavericks would extend their lead to 84-79 as they outscored the Heat 24-22 in the quarter. The Mavericks continued to shoot red hot from the field in the third quarter. The Heat did great damage control as Wade started the third quarter in the locker room. Mike Miller started on the court in his place and knocked down two three pointers giving him nine points on the game on three made three pointers. James would step it up scoring six points giving him 15 points on 7-15 shooting with seven rebounds and six assists. For the Mavericks they were led by Nowitzki who after three quarters had 21 points on 8-15 shooting including a three pointer. J.J. Barea added 11 points including two three pointers giving him three for the game. The Mavericks shot 10-20 in the third quarter and four for seven from three's. After three quarters the Mavericks were shooting 9-14(64.2%) from three pointers. The Heat figured the Mavericks would slow down. Well the Mavericks had other thoughts in the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter saw both teams make a huge run late in the game. With the Mavericks leading most of the second half the Heat had kept the game within five to seven points. Then with the Heat trailing 95-90 they started to play team ball. First it was Wade who found a cutting Udonis Haslem to the hoop, then it was James who found a cutting Bosh to the hoop. Then James after a turnover made the pass to Wade to give the Heat a 96-95 lead. After another Mavericks miss Wade hit a three pointer to give the Heat a 99-95 lead. That is when the Mavericks would kick it to another gear. The Mavericks would go on a 10-1 run to go up 105-100. Then with the score 105-101 with under a minute to go Terry hit a three pointer with two on the shot block to basically put the game away. The Mavericks outscored the Heat in the fourth quarter 28-24 to win 112-103 ending the game on a 17-4 run. The Heat were led by Wade in the fourth quarter as he scored 10 of the Heat's 24 points. While the Mavericks got eight points from both Terry and Nowitzki while getting six from Barea. The Mavericks came up big once again and now are just one game away from the title.

For the Heat they still have homecourt advantage but that feels like the only advantage they have. The have now lost three games this finals all of which they led in the fourth quarter by more than one possession. The Heat easily could have wrapped this series up in four or five games with a play here or there. Now they find themselves for the first time all playoffs with their backs against the wall. The Heat today actually had good production from their bench. The Heat were led today once again by Wade who scored 23 points on 6-12 shooting while making a three pointer and 10-12 from free throws. Wade also had eight assists with two steals and a block shot. Bosh was the next highest scorer with 19 points on 6-12 shooting while making seven of nine free throws. Bosh also grabbed 10 rebounds as the Heat dominated the glass outrebounding the Mavericks 36-26. Lebron James scored 17 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds on 8-19 shooting but missed all four three point attempts. James also had just just two free throw attempts and was one for four shooting in the fourth quarter. He scored his only bucket with the Heat trailing by seven points with less than 25 seconds left in the game. Chalmers off the bench added 15 points making four of six three pointers. Haslem scored 10 points on five for eight shooting while Miller scored nine points making three of four three pointers. The Heat even got six points from Juwon Howard off the bench as he made all three field goal attempts. The Heat outrebounded the Mavericks, got production from their bench, shot well from the field making 37 of 70 shots for 52.9% and 8-20(40.0%) from three's. The Heat got to the foul line making 21-26(80.8%) from the charity stripe. Now the Heat must find the hardest thing to solve right now which is the Lebron James saga in the fourth quarter. I'll dive more into James later in this writeup.

For the Dallas Mavericks they did what they had to do which was win the final two home games. For the Mavericks to have had any shot at winning the title they had to be up 3-2 going to Miami. The Mavericks shot the three point shot extremely well making 13-19(68.4%) from downtown which would beat anyone in the NBA. The Mavericks were led by Nowitzki who scored 29 points on 9-18(50.0%) while making a three pointer and a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. Terry was big again off the bench scoring 21 points including eight in the fourth on 8-12 shooting including three of five from three point range. Terry also had six assists off the bench. J.J. Barea had easily his best game of the Finals scoring 17 points on 6-11 shooting including four of five from three point range and five assists. Chandler finished with 13 points on five for seven shooting with seven rebounds and two block shots. Jason Kidd had 13 points on four for six shooting including three for four from three point range. Kidd also had six assists and three steals. Shawn Marion scored eight points on 4-11 shooting. The Mavericks offense finally erupted and now must win one final game to bring home the championshp to Dallas.

All in all, the Mavericks are so close to winning their first title. The team that almost everyone(not me) picked to get upset in the first round is now one win away from the championship. While the Miami Heat who had a championship type celebration are one loss away from being the NBA's biggest flop since the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers who lost in the finals despite having four hall of famers on their roster. The series will now shift to Miami as the Mavericks will have to win a game six or seven on the road to clinch the title which has only been done four times since 1985. The Heat instead of relying on homecourt or history must find a way to snap Lebron James out of his fourth quarter slumps. Is James slumping in the fourth or is this simply who he is? The Mavericks know they have their closer which Nowitzki has been amazing at scoring 10.4 points per game in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks led by the man who was loyal to his city are one win away from beating the "super" team. The series shifts to Miami now and the anticipation for game six will be extremely high.

Observations:

- Rick Carisle made a risky coaching move that has paid off. Usually coaches don't make starting lineup changes in game four of the NBA Finals. Carisle did replacing DeShawn Stevenson with the slumping Barea. Barea in the first three games coming off the bench was averaging just 4.3 PPG and just 1.7 APG while shooting just 5-23(21.7%) from the field and 1-8(12.5%) from three pointers.

Carisle made the switch which allowed Barea to take advantage of the slower more washed up Mike Bibby to get going early. That switch has paid off as Barea the last two games is averaging 12.5 PPG and 4.5 APG. He's shooting 9-20(45.0%) from the field and 4-7(57.1%) from three point range. The Mavericks are also 2-0 with this new starting lineup and as I'll suggest next Erik Spoelstra needs to do something as well.

- Now being down 3-2 coming back home is nothing to panic about at all. I do think Spoelstra should make a lineup change if not two. He already put Joel Anthony in at center over Zydrunas Ilgauskas who wasn't giving the team much. I think Spoelstra has to put in Mario Chalmers over Mike Bibby and just not play Bibby anymore. Bibby in the finals is averaging just 3.8 PPG which includes a 14 points high in game two. Bibby is shooting 7-20(35.0%) from the field and just 5-17(29.4%) from three point range. Most of which was in game two when he made four of seven three pointers. For the playoffs Bibby is averaging just 3.6 PPG on 27-96(28.1%) shooting from the field and 17-66(25.8%) from three point range.

While Chalmers is averaging 10.6 PPG while shooting 15-35(42.8%) and 12-28(42.8%) from three point range these finals. As you can see Chalmers at least is a threat to score while Bibby the Mavericks don't even guard. For the playoffs Chalmers is averaging 7.3 PPG on 49-112(43.8%) shooting from the field and 30-77(39.0%) from three point range. I think since there is only two games left in the season start Chalmers and play just Haslem and Miller off the bench. Maybe give Eddie House some of Bibby's minutes as Bibby has shown through 20 games this postseason that minus one game he is a liability for the Heat.

- It's raining three pointers for the Mavericks. Law of averages kicked in after the Mavericks went 0-13 in the second half from three point range in game four. The Mavericks more than made up for it this game making 13-19 three pointers. The Mavericks had six of nine guys who played hit a three pointer. Barea led the charge making four of five three pointers, then Kidd and Terry both made three for five, then DeShawn Stevenson made one of two three pointers, Nowitzki and Brian Cardinal each made their lone three point attempt. The Mavericks are almost impossible to beat when they are making that many three pointers.

No three pointer was bigger than Terry's three pointer. In the Mavericks three wins in the fourth quarter Terry is averaging 8.0 PPG while in their two losses he was shutout. Nowitzki is getting his points in the fourth quarter regardless while the Mavericks especially Nowitzki are winning because of Terry. Terry is that sidekick that Nowitzki needed in game one and especially in game three. Due to Terry's play (who ran his mouth but unlike Lebron James is backing it up) the Mavericks are now one victory away from the championship. They'll have two games to win one game to win the ultimate prize.

- Could you have two more opposite stars than Dirk Nowitzki and Lebron James? James a gift from god with his size, power, athletic ability, the ability to play all five positions. James is a 6'8" big buff black guy with tons of tattoos. James is a lighting rod which he mostly brings on himself. James isn't afraid to showboat and let everyone know about his "talents". James loves the hype that surrounds him and craves attention. James also bailed first chance he got on his original team because times were rough then made a huge circus this past offseason from the days leading up to the "decision" to the "decision" itself. Then the after math of the "decision" with the championship like celebration guaranteeing seven championships. To this finals were all the attention seems to be on him regardless of what he does or the Heat does.

Meanwhile in Nowitzki you have a guy who is tall and white. A guy who isn't from this country yet most americans can relate to him more than James. A guy who isn't as physically gifted as James but is the deadliest shooter in the league and lives on the free throw line now. Nowitzki like James has had his fair share of struggles in the postseason. That is the only similarity between the two players. Most probably didn't notice that Nowitzki was a free agent last offseason. Most didn't notice because A) we assumed he would resign in Dallas because he is loyal and B) he didn't hype himself up. Instead Nowitzki has hid under the radar all season long and then started to take down team after team. First it was the Blazers who were going to upset them while Nowitzki averaged 27.3 PPG as they eliminated the Blazers in six games. Next up was the two-time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers and Nowitzki averaged 25.3 PPG as they swept the Lakers. Then it was Oklahoma City Zombies who had the best young scorer in the NBA in Kevin Durant and Nowitzki simply averaged 32.2 PPG. Now against the "super" team Nowitzki through five games is averaging 27.0 PPG and averaging 10.4 PPG in the fourth. Nowitzki isn't "flashy" but he just does what an athlete should do which is shut his mouth and just get the job done.

- This NBA finals was supposed to be Lebron James redemption. Nothing cures stupidity like winning. James had own the Eastern Conference on his way to the NBA finals. With the way James was playing he was going to win the Finals MVP in five or six games and all that "decision" crap would seem like a distant memory. Instead James is adding more gasoline to a never ending fire.

James in these finals is putting up decent numbers all around. He's averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 7.0 APG. To the naked eye you'd say he's having a good series. The problem is that is a good series if he was Chris Bosh or a player on that level. For the best player in basketball his scoring should be increased by at least eight points which in this series is the difference of throwing a parade already and being down 3-2. James has really struggled from three point range as well. In game one he made 4-5(80.0%) from three point range. Since game one though he has shot just 3-18(16.6%). Another alarming stat is that against the Eastern Conference James averaged 9.1 free throw attempts a game while in the NBA finals he is averaging just 3.3 free throw attempts a game. Considering he's a 77.6% free throw shooter he's costing himself on average 4.5 PPG. Now by just getting to the foul line more he would be averaging 21.7 PPG which given his other numbers could be finals MVP worthy. Now in these playoffs he is shooting 35.0% from three point range. If he had made just 35% of three pointers instead of 3-18 that is another nine points over four games which is 2.2 points a game. Now he's averaging 23.9 PPG which doesn't sound that hard if he was playing like his normal self.

Now his fourth quarter troubles have been terrible. He has scored just 11 points(2.2 PPG) in the fourth quarter this series. In the last four games he's averaging 1.5 PPG which the Heat are 1-3 during that stretch. So if James just goes to the foul line like his usual self and makes his average amount of three pointers that is an extra 6.7 PPG which is huge in this series. James made a circus of this past season now he has just two games to avoid being the butt of every joke for an entire offseason. One thing for people to laugh at you about your "decision" that he can justify. Another thing though to be laughed at because he failed on the biggest stage. One more loss and James will have that label that haunted Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Romo and even Peyton Manning as anti-clutch.

Overall, the biggest winner in these NBA Finals is David Stern as I'm sure the ratings were high for this game five. The game six ratings will most likely be the best the NBA has seen since the early Michael Jordan days. If there is a game seven that could be the highest rated game since the Lakers-Celtics of the 1980's. The Mavericks are a veteran team and not like Miami is such a hostile crowd you can't win there. The Mavericks have what it takes to take care of business and clinch on the road. Just remember the 2-3-2 format is designed for the lower seed to be up 3-2 in the series. When the lower seed is up 3-2 heading into game six on the road in this 2-3-2 format in 1985 they are only 4-3(.571). When said lower seed won the game five to put them ahead 3-2 going on the road they are just 2-3(.400). Just ask the Boston Celtics last year how difficult it is to get that final victory on the road. This series as been great as there has yet to be a blowout. The Dallas Mavericks who are now America's team are just one victory away from the title. The Miami Heat are hoping that homecourt advantage can get Lebron james out of his funk. Should be a highly anticipated game six this Sunday.