NBA Finals 2011: Heat @ Mavs Post Game Five Quotes "Three wins"

What the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat said 
after Game 5.

Quotes (pics fluently)

Mavericks

Coach Carlisle

(On Offense) "We made more shots. We did a lot of good things defensively, which led to good offense. Look, I don't know, it was ... did Chicago score 100 the first game of that series? That was one time they did? You never know when the games are going to go that way. The thing we got to do is we got to make sure our defense is consistent."

(on Terry) "He played great. He played great. During periods where Dirk was out of the game, we were going to him, and he was delivering. Those are tough stretches of minutes for us, because it's just tough when Dirk is out of the game. But it's the total game that we've all been preaching to Jet really since the playoffs began. And tonight he did a terrific job."

(On the Series) "Well, we've got to just continue to work the process, and for us the process is being in a stance, being tied together, being really tight defensively, because they're great players and put unbelievable pressure on you. We understand where we're at, but we also understand what got us here, and that is making sure we stay in the moment."

(On what happend after Miami got it's 99-95 Lead) "Well, we have to get some penetration and get the ball in the basket and we have to get some stops. They were able to do that. They were able to do that. Miami, they keep coming at you. They keep coming at you. They got guys that really attack. Their bigs are very versatile. They're very tough to guard."

(On JJ) "Barea's penetration was terrific. He got going with his outside game and his inside game, which really helped us. Look, we threw in some difficult shots, but when you play as hard as we've been playing, the basketball gods tend to be kinder to you. We have had some tough luck shooting the ball. Tonight I thought the way we hung in and the wherewithal we showed and played with helped us get over the hump a little bit."

(On Threes and the Win) "Both teams are shooting the three well. They shot 40%. They made 8 out of 20, which is a big number for the playoffs. 13 is a big number. You get hot, you get on a roll, and you can have a night like that.
They don't happen very often. Last time we had a shooting night like this was Game 4 against the Lakers. That's why you just keep working your game. And that's why you stay persistent, you keep defending, you keep systemically stepping into shots that are there and you're going to have some breakthrough games. Persistence is our game. We're an old school team. We're not high fliers. We have a couple of guys that can get up in the air a little bit. Our game is near the ground. We have to play with brains and guts.

(On Efficiency) "Well, I would think that a lot of time we were getting stops that led to those situations. Look, we made some tough shots, and we had some good momentum in our offense tonight, and that helps."

(On Dirk maybe less than healthy) "I don't believe so. He may not be 100%, but he seemed to be okay."

(On Brian Cardinal, no really, BRIAN CARDINAL) "Yeah, terrific. Last two games, I mean, he's really a unique player. So resourceful defensively, always around the ball. He's always going to be there taking charges and he's always going to be there he's going to be making contact with people. I thought the block that was called on him may have been the wrong call. I thought he was in position. I thought Wade came right through his chest. He's going to be there, and when he's on the floor, you know, we become a more active defensive team for sure."

(On Mahinmi) "He did a terrific job for us. And with Haywood out, looking at the thing, I wasn't sure where those backup center minutes were going to come, whether it was going to be Marion playing with some hybrid lineups or whether there would be an opportunity to get Ian out there. Because I believe he can help us, because he's very active and he played a lot of very effective minutes for us during the regular season. But he helped us tonight. For sure. See what i did there?"

(On Wade's Hip injury slowing him down) "Not to me, but, you know. I mean he was still driving it good and getting to the free throw line. I'm not sure what happened to him. The guy that started for him hit two threes that started the half. Didn't look like they lost a whole lot."

(On Jason Terry, complete Player) "He's been playing well, really. If you look at the whole playoffs, he's been playing terrific all around basketball. With a great player like that Dirk, a guy of that magnitude, everybody wants to try to find who the number two scorer is, which guy has got to score the second most points, or whatever.
Jet is a great scorer, he's a great shooter, and he's a great player. But he's a terrific all around player. He used to play point guard exclusively, so he has a lot of experience as a play maker. In situations in the playoffs where a guy like him draws attention, sometimes he's going to have to facilitate and create openings for other guys. Like the play where he got Kidd the three on the right top, that's a monster play. And that happens because he draws attention and he sees the floor. It's that, and it's the defensive end. So, you know, look, he was sensational tonight. Especially in the fourth."

(On Game 6) "Again, I just would say to you that we're going to stay in the moment and we're going to just keep studying how we play our best. We're going to play whistle to whistle. I heard that term. Been watching the hockey series. A lot of the people in the hockey world use that term. And that's what we're going to do. We're going to try to win each possession and just take it one at a time. An NBA Finals is a 16 day deal or whatever it is. And it's very long, but somehow or other it goes by fast. By staying in the moment and just really focusing on what's important for us, that helps us."

(On somebody besides Dirk stepping up in crunch-time) "We've got a lot of guys that have been terrific finishers for us. A lot of times our game becomes very balanced. We had five guys in double figures tonight. We had a guy with eight and two guys with four and a guy with three. So that's pretty good for us. Some nights it's just we need seven guys with four points or more. You're never quite sure how the total is going to get to where it gets. That's kind of defined us as a team. There's no set formula, other than we need each other. And we need to play a certain way, and we need to play with a certain collective intelligence and will. And the defense has got to be tight. So we were able to do a lot of those things tonight, and I think that's why we won."

Dirk Nowitzki

(On the Win) "Yeah, I mean that was a big win for us, obviously. We didn't want to go to Miami and give them basically two shots to close us out. So kept plugging there in the fourth. So definitely a big win for us. And now we have to go down there and basically approach Sunday's game as Game 7. You don't want to give this great team any hope or anything. So we got to play more of the same and keep attacking and we'll see what happens Sunday."

(On the Game) "Well, I don't actually think that was a good defensive night for us. All series long we're trying to figure out our offense. Tonight we're moving and shooting the ball well, but I thought all of a sudden we started giving up too many points. That's not how we won, and that's not how we want to win. We started trading baskets, even in the first half, when we were going well offensively. We traded baskets, gave up too many lay ups. So that was a little disappointing. But at least we shot the ball well enough to get the win. I thought J.J. Barea was phenomenal behind screens, making shots, and Jet obviously in the fourth quarter made the big three top of the key to tie it. And basically made a tough one on the right wing to put the game away. Really, we kind of been waiting on an offensive night for us that we finally shoot the ball well. We felt like we had opportunities in the first four games, just couldn't knock anything down. So that was encouraging to see today that we made some shots."

(On Terry) " Jet was phenomenal. He was aggressive again from the get go, I felt. Even the first half he came in, had a couple of pull ups, got in the lane, got a floater, I remember. That's the Jet we need. We need him to attack and get in the lane. It opens up a lot of stuff for everybody else out there. It opens up Tyson on the rolls, that we actually hit him a bunch of times today. Our fives rolling, that was good. Also that opens up the corner threes and made a couple. We need Jet, Jet attacking. He was great. So did J.J. in the starting lineup attacking, got to the lane a couple of times, made some lay ups. I thought that opened up his three ball."

(On Lebron vs Jet) "Well, I think if he just stands there and looks at him, I think LeBron is long enough and quick enough to kind of contest his shot late. So he's got to attack him. He's got to attack his feet. I thought the last two games he did a great job. We got to run obviously LeBron threw some screens when he's on him, screen and rolls for him. So LeBron constantly has to chase him and fight over some picks. I thought we did a better job of that tonight."

(On Jason Talky) "We all know Jet is a confident young man. He always has a lot to say to us in the locker room. He's always talking. He's just an energetic guy. He loves to talk and he loves to hear himself talk. (Laughter)."

(On the other games being lowscoring ones) "I thought we got in the fast break a little bit early. That was good. Had some good looks in the fast break. We were able to knock some shots down. But like I said, I thought in the first four games we looked at the film, we stepped into some good shots. We just for some reason we weren't knocking them down like we did in the first three series. I mean, if we would have struggled shooting the ball like that in the first three series, I don't know if we would have gotten here. Our ability to make shots in the weak side is a big part of what we do. Tonight we talked about it. Keep stepping into those shots when they're there. The J.J. screen and roll somewhere he stepped in and shot the ball great all season long. We kept telling him be aggressive and shoot those, and he was phenomenal, and so was Jet. J Kidd had a big three there when we were up two. We swung it, swung it to go up five. That was a big shot. I thought we hit big, timely shots tonight."

(On staying calm and collected) "Yes, I think like I said, it's not a best of five series; it's a best of seven. So the first team to four wins. So we couldn't celebrate tonight, even though it was a big win for us. The series is not over. If you look at it really now, all that's happened, you can look they won their two home games, we won all three home games. That's how you look at it. They got two more. So far it looks like everybody protected their home court and they still have two games at home. So there's really nothing to celebrate. We're going in there Sunday swinging, like we did today, from the jump. And hopefully steal one Sunday."

(On enjoying) "I really can't enjoy it much, because in the playoffs for some reason you're always on the edge. You don't sleep much. You think basketball 24/7. I can enjoy it hopefully next week when we're on vacation. As of right now, I'm always thinking ahead and thinking about the next game, what can I do better, what didn't I do and what I have to do to get other guys involved and more open. Hopefully I can enjoy it next week."

(On what was said after Miami took the lead) "Just stick with it. Just stick with it. First of all, this was the last home game in this building in front of our fans, who have been phenomenal all year and pushed us forward. We obviously didn't want to end this season here for them on a loss. I think we addressed that. We wanted to keep plugging, keep going. It was big, I think, when we were down four, the next offense I was able to get in the lane, get a pump fake, get to the free throw line, kind of settle everybody down, make it a two point game. And I thought that was big for us not to shoot a bad jumper and they go down in transition again. So it was good to kind of stop the clock, get two free throws and kind of set our defense. I thought that was a big momentum play."

Jason Terry

(On Dirk's view of Terry's talking) "Sometimes he puts a muzzle on me. He don't like me to talk to you guys too much because I give away the game plan. It's something I grew up with, watching my idols like Gary Payton and guys like that. Being from the inner city, it's just a part of my game."

(On closing the 4th quarter) "It's my job. All season long, ever since I've been a Maverick, I've been the guy in the fourth quarter they depended on to either make plays or make shots. So I really relish in that role. Regardless of what's going on throughout three quarters of the game, in the fourth quarter I know I'm depended on to come through. Thank God I was able to do that again tonight."

(On dribble penetration against James) "Again, just being a student of the game, watching these series play out, Games 1 and 2 you feel it out, you get things on film that you can see where you can be successful. The dribble penetration, yes, is a part of my game. Obviously I know what I'm best at, catch and shoot. But I can put the ball on the floor. I think that's just something maybe they weren't as prepared for. It's something I see where I can have some success and is a part of being aggressive."

(On 68% on Threes) "We are getting the same looks we knew we would get. After Games 1 and 2, you watch it on film, you see it and then you realize where you're going to have the opportunities. I said to myself, I said to my teammates, we're not going to continue to miss those open shots that we're getting. And so, again, being confident, preparing, getting extra shots in, in those spots is what allow you to go out in the game. And when you get those opportunities, knock them down."

(On Wade's injury) "When he came back in the game, he came back aggressive. So I don't know if he was hurt or what. To us it doesn't matter. He was on the floor. He got opportunities. He drove to the basket. So he's a tough cover. If he's out there, he's a threat."

(On Kidd's three) "I had some opportunities in the third quarter where I wasn't as decisive. So I knew once Coach put me back in the game, I had to get something done immediately. I was really looking to get to the basket and draw a foul. They do a great job of help defense. My outlet was Jason Kidd. He shoots it well from the shot he was in. The right decision. The right play to make."

(On the last Home Win) "The fans have been great. They're the best in the business. We really take pride in our home court advantage. We use it as an edge. And from the tip they were into it. It's something that we love. We cherish it. And now we have to go on the road and take care of business. We want to win this thing for them as much as we do for ourselves."

(On the next game) "Game 6. It's the first one to win four. We have our opportunity in Game 6. We must go out, play aggressively and take advantage of our opportunity."

(On his late deep three) "Preparation for me. It's something I do at the end of my workouts. Get into a good rhythm. Rhythm dribble. If there's space, I'm going to let it fly. The clock was winding down. It's just like being out there on the playground back home in Seattle. Emulating your idols in The Finals situation, game on the line. Raise up, knock it down."

(Would you have taken it with more time on the clock?) " I definitely would have. (Laughter). Dirk don't want to hear that. I may have in that situation. I really wanted the ball in that situation. Jason Kidd got it to me and I was in rhythm."

(On Game Sevens) "Sounds repetitive, but yes. Game 6 is Game 7 for us. We want to play like there's no tomorrow. If we do that, I have no doubt in my mind we can be successful. We must come out aggressively. Tonight was great. We came out offensively and found our rhythm. Defensively we took a step backwards. We didn't have the same focus on certain areas in the game for 48 minutes. And so I said if we can get to 100, we like our chances. We did that, but we definitely don't want to give them 100 points. Because then it leaves the window of opportunity for them to get a win."

(On Unselfishness) "It's all about our leader Jason Kidd. The way he plays the game, the way he has always played the game rubs off. The extra pass for us is what we have to do to be successful. We have two or three guys maybe that can break you down and penetrate and get in the lane. But for the most part, we do it with spacing, we do it with the extra pass."

Jason Kidd

(On Adjustments for Gm 6) "Well, I think we have to play better defense. They shot over 50%, and we got to limit them to one tough shot. LeBron has a triple double, D Wade plays ... he's having a great series. So big thing for us is to make them take tough shots and rebound the ball and get out and run."

(On the Mood of the Team) "Well, I think we're happy with our performance, but there's always room to get better. So defensively, you know, in that fourth quarter we gave up too many lay ups to them, and they took the lead. But the big thing is we know it's hard to win on the road. And we have to find a way to win on the road come Sunday and see what happens."

(On Chalmers halfcourtheave and not playing from behind all game) "It always seems somewhere at the end of the quarter or half or one of the quarters they make a half court three. So to get that out of the way in the first was maybe a good sign. (Laughter). Because we turned the ball over and they come down we thought we played a pretty good first quarter where we had the lead. But we turn the ball over, and they make a three and they take the lead. Hopefully we can start making threes at some point, and we did that tonight. Again, we have to take care of the ball."

(On staying calm) "Well, I think just understanding the game a little bit, I'm still learning. But the big thing is just to not panic. The game is about runs and rhythm. And they made a run on us where they were getting lay ups. We had to find a way to stop. On the other end, you have to continue to keep playing when they do score. You have to find a way to score on the other end. We did and guys stepped up and made some big plays down the stretch."

(On what was said in the huddle after Miami took the 99-95 lead) "Just to stay together and keep fighting. The big thing is defensively we got to get a stop. Make or miss on the offensive end, we got to find a way to break their rhythm, because they were running the pick and rolls and they were slipping out getting lay up after lay up. Normally when you do that to a team, you tend to drop your head and compound it by not scoring on the other end. Guys just kept playing, finding a way."

(On Wade's absence) "I felt, I don't know how my teammates felt, I knew he was going to come back. This is The Finals. We all knew he was going to come back at some point. But the big thing is LeBron putting pressure on us on the defensive end, where he was penetrating and guys were helping, and he was finding the open guy. Miller made two threes to start that half. So we didn't get off to a good start defensively. But as the game went on, we knew at some point D Wade would be back and he was going to have an impact on the game."

(On being 138 years old, possibly winning a ring soon) "I haven't thought about it. I'm just staying in the moment and understanding we have to find a way to win come Sunday. Everything else will fall into place if we can find a way to win. When you come into this league, you feel that you can always win a championship. You just don't understand when you're young just the competition and the level that you have to play with and play as a team. And then there's the business side of basketball, where you can be traded or you lose a teammate or something. So you learn that about basketball, the business side, but you don't stop working. You're never too young or too old to always improve your game. For me at 238, I've always felt that I had to improve my shooting if I want to be on the floor and help my teammates out. As I've gotten older, it's just about timing, and not so much scoring 20 points or having 15 assists or 10 rebounds. It's just being at the right place at the right time, and feeling that your teammates believe in you. And Dirk and Jet, Jet made a heck of a play out, driving the ball and throws it out, and being able to knock down that three. Just the trust that he trusted in me I was going to make that shot."

(On Dirk not celebrating) "Well, I think he's been in this position before in '06, and they've put teams around Dirk for a while now and he hasn't gotten back here. He's enjoying the moment but he's also focused and understands how hard it is to win a championship. So his hard work, he works every day on his game, and I think right now he's just focused on trying to help his team win."

(On Turnovers) "I kept it under four, so that's a good sign. (Laughter) For some reason I've been throwing it to the Heat. I think we understand how important the ball is against this team, because if you turn it over, by the time you take one step back on defense, they're already dunking it. So we're trying to work. Sometimes it doesn't look like it, but we're not trying to turn the ball over on purpose. You have to give the Heat a lot of credit. They are great on the defensive end."

(On Jason 'Scorer' Kidd) "I think the lay up definitely helped. I haven't had a lay up in a while. Getting the ball to the basket and getting that lay up gave me a little confidence. My job isn't to score. My job is to get my teammates in a position to be successful. But my teammates get on me sometimes about shooting the ball and looking to score a little bit to help them. So tonight was one of those games where I had some good looks, and they went in."

(On Terry) "Jet is a very emotional player. He loves the fourth quarter. In his career he's been incredible in the fourth. I think the challenge is for him with LeBron he's got to use his quickness. So LeBron is one of the best defenders in this league. And he made some incredible shots tonight, especially one out there by the American Airlines logo. That was a big shot. When he gets going, he's tough. No matter who is guarding him."

(On Barea) "I think he was aggressive. In Game 4, he was aggressive in Game 4 where he missed some shots that we all know he makes. And he hasn't backed down. He might be ... what is he listed at 5'10"? We'll go with that. (Laughter). He enjoys that challenge of being a small guy and maybe being overlooked. And, again, he made some big shots, too. But just being aggressive and, again, he only had one turnover. We trust him, J.J., when he has the ball he's going to find the right guy or make the right play. He's done that two games in a row."

(How ready and prepared is the team to deliver the knockout blow on Sunday?) "Look, we're trying to execute our game plan and see if we have the most points come Sunday. We're not looking to knock no one out. We're here to play team basketball and continue to do what we've been doing the last two games."

(On Trix guarding Wade with 5 to go) "Trix and I talked walking out. I said, do you want to switch? He said, why not? That's just communicating between feeling ... we have to try to give them different looks. They're so talented. When you talk about Wade and LeBron, I mean, you give them the same look, they're going to take advantage of that. So that was just a time where we said we wanted to give them a different look down the stretch."

Tyson Chandler

(On trashtalk, pregame) "This is the Finals. At this point, it doesn't matter what you say about anybody. I mean, we've got three games left in the season and we're playing for an NBA championship. I don't need anybody over there to rattle me up. They can talk about my mom. It's not going to make me more angry coming into the game than I already am. We all should be at maximum anyway.''

(On the last half of the 4th Quarter) "It looked like a Mavericks game."

(On James offensive foul) "I felt like it was a charge. I've seen that baseline move before, and for a couple of games now I've been thinking that if I can just get there and get set and make him think I'm going to jump, that I could get a charge. It just happened to be at a key time.''

(On the last three Minutes, holding the Heat to 1-6 FG) "We finally picked it up defensively. We were scrambling getting around. We got to close the show, and finally we buckled down and made the stop."

(On the Mavs Fans) "We didn't want to disappoint. This city deserves a champion and we're going to try to bring it home to them."

Shawn Marion

He is.

(On the Offense) "This was our highest scoring game of the series. We were bound to get one easy [offensive] game sooner or later. It was just a matter of when it was gonna happen. We should be due for another."

(On taking the Ball from Wade, then getting 'blocked' by James) "Big steal, I thought I got fouled on the break."

Brian Cardinal

(On the Win) "Everybody in this locker room knew that this was going to be the last game here. And we wanted to go out and play hard and play well and give the fans something to cheer about."

DeShawn Stevenson

(On Offense) "Everybody stepped up in a different way. J.J., Jason Kidd and Jet did an awesome job. It just says a lot about out team. Any given night somebody can do something for us to win, and we need that in the Finals."

(On the Perception of Dirk) "He's not flashy. It's going to take a ring to get his respect."

(On Wade vs Cardinal)"Brian hit a big 3, took a key charge and tried to take a charge on Dwyane and Wade hurt his hip. We have guys that have been in the league for a long time and are ready. It says a lot about our team with Brian coming in there having not played a lot of minutes in the playoffs and he's in the Finals giving his all. We just have guys in here that are very confident. We're a family."

Heat

Coach Spoelstra

(On the Series) "By definition, this certainly is a series of mental and physical endurance, and that's why it's a seven game series. Each game is a possession game going down to the stretch. We were able to steal one here, and they did what they needed to do. They took care of the last two games going down the stretch. So we're going back to Miami, and we have to do the same thing."

(On Wade's Injury) "I was staying in the moment. Jay just said, "He can't start this half. I'll let you know in a few minutes whether he can go or not." My plan was for him not to go. I didn't even see him on the bench when he came back. We went on from there. We still had an opportunity to close this out. We weren't able to do it, and so now when we go back to Miami we wouldn't have it any other way. We worked extremely hard to get that home court. Nothing that we've achieved this year has been easy. So we're certainly not going to start now."

(On how that hip is going to be in the next 48, 72 hours) "Way too early [to speculate]. We'll have to see how it responds tomorrow. When he's able to sweat and keep it warm, he was fine. Fortunately, we have an extra day. We'll see if that's enough."

(On 68%) "They made their shots. This is a shot making team. We were aware of that before we came into the series. They can really extend your defense and you have to be active and athletic, all of these things. I think what led to that were a lot of the relief points they got in the first half. And we talk about this all season long. We try to take away the relief. Easy opportunities in the open court, easy opportunities right at the rim. They were getting all of that in the first half. And the psychological part of that is naturally the basket starts to look bigger. Then they got some good looks, they made those, and even some of them I think they had three or four at the end of the clock that were defended pretty well, and they knocked those down too. But if you're getting good shots during the course of the game, you can make tough shots down the stretch."

(On Lebron in the 4th being a priority going forward) "We'll see. There's obviously going to be some priorities in terms of closing out games, which we've been very good at the last two and a half months, and particularly during our playoff run. We haven't been able to do it consistently enough in this series. And that's something we'll address. That's been a fabric all season long, being able to work and improve on things. LeBron was much more aggressive tonight. Obviously, he had a triple double. And he had an impact on the game."

(On Turnovers) "Yes, again that leads to the relief. And some of those turnovers led to one on zero or a number of breaks that were easy opportunities for them in the first half. And we were a little bit sloppy against their pressure. That's normally what we're used to doing to other teams. So we definitely have to take care of the ball better."

(On what makes Dallas so difficult to defend down the stretch of close games and in particular Dirk) "Of course, you have the shooting. They stretch the floor at the majority of the positions. And Nowitzki requires at least attention of one and a half and oftentimes two guys and create some kind of trigger. Barea was able to get in the paint, make some plays, break us down, and Terry was able to do that as well. Our defense has been proven. Our defense has been successful against all kinds of different offenses. It is not easy against this team, but we are capable, very capable when we're on top of it. We were not good enough in the first half. They got too many rhythm opportunities, particularly in the paint."

(On the Miami D) "Yeah. The opportunities they had in the paint, and the relief opportunities. We always talk about that with our team. We're a rhythm team. When we get out in the open court, when we get our attacks, when we get to the free throw line, our rhythm players can knock down threes as well. Especially when it comes in the context of what we're doing. Chandler got rolls to the rim. Their bigs were getting to the rim. They were getting transition relief and gained a lot of confidence. So when we really started to pick up our defense in the second half and were much more active and athletic and disruptive, they had a great rhythm already going there. And so that's what you'll see in this league. You'll see some of those tough, end of the clock shots go when you're gaining confidence during the course of the game. We're much better than this. We've been better than this for the series, and that's what it will require as we move on to Miami."

(On closing) "Against very good competition, you've got to be better. And even while we had a lot of success during the playoffs up to this point, we have to close. And you can't simply do it on one side of the floor. It's not only executing and scoring offensively. Sometimes it's make or miss. And a couple of those possessions were an example of that tonight. But what we have felt that we built the habits to do is to be able to close teams out defensively as well. And we weren't able to do that tonight."

(On what's the feeling of being one game away from elimination) "We look at it the other way. We're going home, and we wouldn't have it any other way than the hard way. This is an opportunity for us. That's why you play a seven game series. You got to play it out. And this is where we feel comfortable."

(On giving the Ball to Bron in the 2nd and not so much after halftime) " We went to different actions that were working for us and got there late in the fourth quarter. They started to adjust their defense a little bit. We wanted to get the ball moving. Scoring, I don't think, was a major issue for us until the last few minutes of the game."

(On Bron in the Post vs Ballhandling) "We'll see. Mario was tired at that point, so I put in Mike and that's what we usually do. LeBron will play the point or Dwyane. Either one we can run the offense with."

(On Terry) "He's a tough cover. Again, a lot of actions involve Nowitzki. He's a big key to the team. He's been that way all season long, and that's why we've treated him with due respect. He was able to get into a great rhythm tonight. He was aggressive. We'll see what happens in Game 6."

Dwyane Wade

(On Confidence in bouncing back) "Yeah, no problem at all. I'll be good for Game 6. Like I said, I feel our team did a great job while I was out. We have a team that's deep enough that can make things happen. Mike Miller did a great job and enabled me to get more treatment in the back, so I could come back and finish out the game."

(On the Injury) "You know, I'm not going to do that. I don't talk about injuries. It was unfortunate I had to leave the game. But I came back and I finished it."

(Was it really hard to play through that?) "No, once you're on the court, you're on the court. I don't have no excuses. I was on the court. I was able to help my team get an opportunity to win. And I'll be fine Sunday."

(On not closing) "It's unfortunate. Obviously we put ourselves in a position on the road especially to win games. We haven't been able to do that. That's been our staple. That's the reason we're here. The good thing about life and the good thing about this game, we get another opportunity, another crack at it. We know it's the thing that's going to either lose or win us a championship. It comes down to either not closing out games or closing it out. We have another game Sunday to be able to do that."

(On maybe not returning) "No, everybody know me at that point just trying to come out. The doctor not ruling me out, I can come out and help my team with my presence on the floor. I'm smart enough to play the game without obviously being 100%. That's all I did when I came back. I want to help us get back in this ballgame, and I was able to be effective in a sense."

(On Momentum and the Mavs, ca '06) "Well, I mean, obviously they're a tough team to guard. Like we said, they're the best offensive team in this game. But I guess they have momentum in the sense they came home and won two games. But each game is its own. We're going to come out every game has been pretty much a possession here, a possession there. Either team can come in and say they can be up different than what they are. We'll be coming to the game understanding it's a possession game in Game 6. Doing whatever it takes to win the ballgame. So we're confident."

LeBron James

(LeBron, you called this game the biggest of your career. Are you struggling at all with the pressure of The Finals, the pressure of the fourth quarter?) "No, I don't think so. I don't believe so. I know I'm not. We as a team, we played good enough to win again. Put ourself in position to win down the stretch. Everyone, guys made plays. They just made a few more than we did. That's what it came down to."

(Do they need more offense from you in the fourth quarter?) "I don't think it was a case of offense again tonight. There was enough offensive play. We shot 52%, they shot 56%. We scored 103 points, they scored 112. The offense wasn't a problem."

(On Terry vs Rose) "He made big shots. He made some great three point shots tonight. A hand contested in his face. Some of them was open. He's just aggressive. We always said when he plays well, they're very tough to beat. That's what he's done the last two games."

(On closing) "Well, it starts defensively. We've had a few breakdowns late in games in this series that we didn't have in the first three series. So it's something we know we can do. We just got to push through it. At this point we have no choice, honestly. We got two games left, and we worked hard all year to get home court advantage. So we have to take advantage of it."

(On Wade out) "Just try to work our same offense. I was able to get into the lane a couple of times, hit out for threes, hit out for guys that got some lay ups, and also I was able to get to the rim a couple of times, put a little pressure on the defense. But it's nothing that you really can change. It's our habits we've been working through all season. With him being out, we just try to do the same thing as if he was in, but knowing that one of our scorers is down. But guys had to come in and try to make plays and pick up the slack while he was out."

(On $tats meaning zilch) "Absolutely. The only thing that applies to me is a win. A win or a loss. I could have made a couple more plays for my team. But at the end of the day, all it's about is a win or a loss. Triple double means absolutely nothing in a loss. So we will be better in Game 6 on Sunday."

(LeBron, in the two games you guys have won, Jason Terry didn't score a single point in the fourth quarter. In the games that they won, he scores eight or nine. Going forward, how much do you take on yourself to really shut him down in the fourth quarter?) "Like I said, it's never a one on one matchup. I said that when he was struggling in the first couple of games, the games that we won. I said it's never a one on one matchup. JT is the reason why, like I said, in the top vote getters of Sixth Man of the Year every year. He does a great job of staying active, staying in rhythm and they get him the ball in the fourth quarter. So I take pride in it. Like I said, I'm not going to always stop him or hold him under his average. I would hope so. He gets enough looks, he gets enough cracks at it, he's going to make a few in. We have to make sure we stay locked in and not allow him to get open ones like he had tonight."

(On getting the ball in the post in Q2, not so much thereafter) "Honestly, we just worked our game. I was able to get the ball in the post a few times in the first half. It worked. Some of them didn't work. Second half with D Wade being out to start the second half, I took it upon to be a little more of a ball handler, get guys into our offense.
But we just try to take what the defense gives us. We have nothing to say about our offense tonight. We shot 53% from the floor. These guys shot 57. Shot almost 70% from the three point line. Offensively had nothing to do with why we lost this game. We just couldn't get enough stops down the stretch."

(LeBron, at 102-100 you had the ball at the top and you took a three there. Did you think about maybe trying to drive by him, or was he giving you so much space that was the best play?) "I didn't think about it. D Wade gave it to me, I had enough room and I shot it. Shots I made before. I just didn't make it that time."

Chris Bosh

(On Wade's injury) "I don't know. I'm not a doctor. You know what I'm saying? He was just out and had to get something tended to. We go along as planned and we play the game."

(On Wade's absence) "Any time you have a situation like that with one of your guys out, you have to play your system, play like you're used to. I think Mike did a fantastic job of just coming out, being aggressive, making plays, staying solid on defense. There wasn't a huge discrepancy. It was back and forth pretty much for the whole time. He did a good job."

(On Dallas O) "We didn't get off to a good start defensively. We gave up too many points in the paint, too many lay ups, uncontested shots, you name it. That isn't our niche, that isn't what we do. And we're going to have to do a better job of initially starting the defense. We saw what they're capable of. Some of the shots they hit were just some tough shots. That's going to happen sometimes. We cannot give them lay ups."

(Chris, in the first half you had 13 points. In the second half it seemed like you disappeared on the offensive end a bit. Was it something they were doing that negated your abilities offensively, or was it just a question you not getting enough opportunities and touches?) "I don't know. I don't know. I don't really notice all that stuff. I just play the game.

(Does this loss hurt more because you guys let opportunities maybe go in Games 2 and 4?) "I mean, every loss hurts. You know what I'm saying? We fought hard all season for home court advantage. We're down 3 2. This is what we fought for home court advantage for during the regular season. We protect home court, we win the series. So we have to keep that in mind. We're back at home now. We just have to make sure we take it one game at a time and take care of business and get off to a good start and really put their backs against the wall early."

(On going home) "I think just being comfortable being back at home. We've been out here for a week or so. It's always good to just get refreshed and, you know, just be somewhere where you're a little more comfortable. This is unchartered territory for us, but all year has been unchartered ever since we came together. So we're going to have to use all of those experiences that we've went through in this past year collectively to overcome this."

(On Miami being such a dominant fourth quarter team in the Boston and Chicago series, being able to put teams away in those final minutes. Where has that gone in this series?) "I think if you look at it, this team has more offensive firepower than any other team that we've played. I mean, for the most part we've been doing a good job defensively, especially in the fourth quarter. We had a lapse today. And you know, it won't happen again. It can't happen again. I think we're to that point where they can't be comfortable. They can't get wide open shots. They can't get lay ups. They can't have guys more than Dirk having a good game. So we're to that point. We're just going to have to execute when it's time."

(On James' Performance)"Triple double. We just didn't win the game."

(Do you think was he aggressive enough?) "I mean, yeah. He shot 19 shots. Some of them were good looks. He had feet planted. Shot some shots he normally makes. This is a tough place to play. We expect to bounce back. We're at home. Those shots are going to fall and we're going to play much better. We're going to try and take this thing to seven games."

Mario Chalmers

(How do you stop this team?) "We've got to do a better job keeping these guys off the foul line. We've got a lot of free throws down. We've just got to get into a rhythm at the end."

(When you see they're hitting threes like that, when the shot clock's running out and they're hoisting them up from way, way out, how demoralizing is that?) "A little bit. Eventually, we've got to hit shots like that."

(Has the momentum gotten away from you guys in the series, you feel?) "No, not at all. We're going back home, so I think we've got all the momentum. Two games left and we're desperate."

(You kept Barea in check for four games. He got it going tonight.) "I think he's just knocking out shots, penetrating through our defense, and we've got to do a better job of dealing with that."

(Is this why losing those two games before tonight really hurts, because you knew that eventually this team would start making shots?) "Yeah, definitely, especially the one at home, Game 2, when we were up 15, but it's over and done with, and we're going to get ready for Game 6."

(You've got yourself into this hole. Are you confident you can get yourself out?) "Definitely, we've been like that all year. Anytime we lose games, we bounce back, and we're ready to bounce back."

(You really hit them on the boards tonight, but they didn't get a lot of turnovers, and like you mentioned, they got to the foul line a lot, in fact ONE more time than the Heat, to be precise) "Yeah, definitely, I think they were a little bit more aggressive than we were. You know, they were getting the calls."

(Is that surprising, given everybody knows how important Game 5 of The Finals is?) "It is important. I mean, we have to do a better job of sticking to our game plan."

(Did you guys feel deflated at all when Dwyane went out with that hip injury?) "Not at all. We knew he was going to come back. He came back and played excellent."

Vids

Be ready

...of the Day

..to clinch

Nightly Notable

Game Recap

Podium

Carlisle

Chandler

Trix

Cardinal

NBA.com Postgamebits

Dirk | Kidd | Rick | Spo | DWhistle & Bron | Bosh | Terry | NBA Star arenalink

ESPN Audio

Links

Yougotdunkedon by Dirk

MMB | Brucecap: A German, A Chandler and a Jet

The third quarter started with me in the kitchen opening a beer and missing some Matrix flippedy doo dah, some 3's by both teams and apparently Wade went back to the locker room. To cry maybe? Who knows. Dirk hit a double rainbow 3 pointer with three seconds on the shot clock midway through the quarter, it was so beautiful that Lazarus was revived, AGAIN. Not wanting to be shown up, JJ Barea hit a 3 on the next possession. Lazarus quickly passed on to the next plane.

Peninsula Is Mightier Heat falter

This was certainly a game where the role players stepped up, and I guess the Mavs just got the best of Miami. 

A 9-0 run by the Heat would help them capture their first lead of the 2^nd half, and they were up by 4 with 4½ minutes left.  They wouldn't score much from there on out though, as Dallas answered with a 17-4 run to close out the game, hitting some big time shots that put the game out of reach.  Miami now heads home needing back-to-back wins if they want to knock off the Mavs and take the title.

 

NBA.com Finding the Mark, Brink | Table turned

Jason Terry tugged on the edges of his jersey and took a good, long look at that sea of screaming faces in the American Airlines Center crowd staring back at him and let it out.

"This is what I do," the Mavericks' sixth man said after draining a shot-clock beating 26-footer over LeBron James with 33.8 seconds to play, icing the game for the Mavericks and choking whatever life was left in the Miami Heat in Game 5 of The Finals.

Five years ago the franchise whooped it up inside the American Airlines Center after cinching the championship and they exited the building with a strut. This time, they left in a rut.

You didn't need to see the slumped shoulders, the pained grimaces or feel the somber mood Thursday to know the Heat's trip to Big D was just shy of a Big D-zaster. Unmitigated. Unquestioned. And unfulfilled.

ESPN Dime Full rotation

The Dallas Mavericks were convinced that Dwyane Wade barreled right through Brian Cardinal's chest on that first-quarter drive. So they naturally screamed for a charging call.

In retrospect?

Let's just say that the starving home team -- once all of its ringless vets got past their fury over Cardinal getting called for a block -- wound up getting so much more than the whistle it wanted.

Because of that early collision, Wade had to make two trips to the locker room for treatment in what LeBron James openly called the "biggest game of my life." Because of the damage that tangle did to Wade's left hip, Dallas never had to deal with the defense-shredding slasher who, until this Game 5, looked hauntingly like the relentless younger model that wrecked the Mavericks in 2006.

ESPN Dallas Dirk all about Results, not Hype

His free agency decision last summer wasn't celebrated with smoke machines and dance routines. He's never had a major endorsement deal. His highlight reel is filled with jump shots, not high-flying attacks on the rim. He's not even close to cracking seven figures in Twitter followers.

Compared to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki is one boring dude.

Of course, Nowitzki doesn't care about matching the Miami Heat megastars' hype. He's just fine with quietly being the best player in these NBA Finals, which his Dallas Mavericks are one victory away from winning after Thursday night's 112-103 victory in Game 5.

Heat Index: Coulda woulda shoulda

The Miami Heat are wading deeper into a pool of regret, one that now threatens to drown them.

Ironically, not much of it will come from what happened in Game 5 as the Dallas Mavericks took their first lead of these NBA Finals with an impressive 112-103 win Thursday night. The Mavs flat-out beat the Heat in this game regardless of LeBron James’ triple-double, marginalized due to another weak fourth quarter, or even Dwyane Wade’s bum hip.

No, the Heat are not going back to Miami on the brink of elimination because Jason Terry backed up his trash talk like a champion prize fighter, J.J. Barea rediscovered his little-man mojo and Dirk Nowitzki conquered the flu.

No, not because Dallas made 13 of 19 3-pointers, because of Brian Cardinal’s timely hip check on Wade and because of the most important charge Tyson Chandler has taken in his life.

The Heat aren't down 3-2 because a great offensive and home team finally put together a great offensive game on its home floor. The Heat aren't facing a summer of sheer misery and a lifetime of avoiding the 2011 Finals on ESPN Classic because of anything that happened in what was a wonderful-to-watch Game 5.

The Heat are in trouble because of all the woulda, coulda and shouldas that defined Games 2 and 4. The Heat gave away -- or some would say the Mavs expertly stole -- those two games. It is said that a seven-game series is long, but it's not long enough to afford such missteps.

Hoopdata Boxscore (Miami had 19 Shots at the Rim, making 17. The Two Misses? LeBron)  | Notes for Mavs: 60 Heat 26

That's the score of the 24-minute composite representing the last six minutes...of the last four games in the NBA Finals. The equivalent of "one half" of a basketball game, but spread out over THE MOST IMPORTANT MINUTES of four different encounters.

LAST SIX MINUTES
Game Two: Dallas 20, Miami 5
Game Three: Dallas 12, Miami 7
Game Four: Dallas 11, Miami 5
Game Five: Dallas 17, Miami 9

Total: Dallas 60, Miami 26

If one of these teams had won an actual half by a score like that, the world would stand in awe. The leader would be celebrated for its dominance. The loser, humiliated (at least temporarily).

An advanced Boxscore at Arturo

The Mavs continue to roll like a team. Jet, Kidd and Barea all came back from the Hereafter to haunt Miami

As for the German dagger? Fun Stat time: 4th Quarter Scoring in the Finals Dirk 52, Lebron 11.

SI.com Opportunity for James

The question raised to LeBron James on the morning of Game 5 was whether the evening's performance would define him. Hours later comes the answer, following a 112-103 loss in which James contributed two points in the fourth quarter. The answer is no -- not yet.

This series has gone to form, after all. Miami continues to hold home-court advantage and, if it protects its home floor in Games 6 & 7 -- as the Lakers did in this same situation one year ago -- then the Heat will prevail. And what will be the final word on LeBron then?

BDL Lights out

On Thursday, though, that was Dallas' realm. Those nets are still smoking.

Basketballprospectus On the Verge

at Dallas 112, Miami 103 (Dallas leads 2-1)
Pace: 82.8
Offensive Ratings: Dallas 131.6, Miami 120.3

The Miami Heat is LeBron James' team. That was painfully clear in Game Five, when for better or worse (mostly the latter), Miami took his personality.

The Heat played with an understated, yet disappointing, effectiveness before crumbling down the stretch as the Dallas Mavericks took a 3-2 series lead that has them a win away from their first NBA title.

 

NBAPlaybook Why the ChargeCall was right | Staggered

During game 4 with Brian Cardinal in the game for Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks tried to run their staggered ball screen using Cardinal and Chandler

Refcalls During the Day

NBA players travel too much, too.

PBT One away | Outlier, but so what? | Miami D let's 'em down

If the Mavericks are to get that last victory, Game 6 would appear to be their best opportunity to do so.

The Dallas Mavericks took a 3-2 series lead on Thursday night with a 112-103 win, but their tremendous offense — the propulsive force that allowed them to pull within a single victory of taking the NBA title — was immediately tagged as an outlier, and saddled with all of the negative stigma that statistical improbabilities tend to attract. Dallas won the game, but only because they hit "tough" (NBA speak for low-percentage) shots. Only because the Mavericks converted that which should not have been converted. Only because they defied who they are, and managed to jump outside the curve for a swim in the unsustainable.

Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry were allowed to dribble into shots that they make with the frequency that most players knock down layups. Nowitzki continued to play whoever was guarding him like a violin and got himself to the line for 10 free points. Tyson Chandler was allowed to roll to the rim and dunk with impunity. Some of Dallas’ threes were the kind of shots you simply must admire and move on, but a good portion of them were unguarded.

Hoopshyp Tweets

Carlos Delfino: Now I think Miami is in the situation everyone was waiting to see them on...Who is Robin? ;) they still have a lot of talent... about 29 minutes ago

Carlos Delfino: As a fan I love to see Dallas up in the series because they play as a team...but they still need one more because the job is not done yet... about 30 minutes ago

Stephon Marbury: It's sad that 95 percent of the people that are watching the finals in USA want Lebron James to lose a basketball game to say I told you so about 6 hours ago

Corey Brewer: Great win that's all I can say about 6 hours ago

Andrew Bogut: What a Great Finals series!!! I still think Mavs have a lot work to do! 2 tough road games coming up, maybe 1? about 6 hours ago

Allan Houston: JT gave credit to God for giving him strength 6 hours ago

Anthony Morrow: Mavs shot 68 percent from 3? yesterday

Spencer Hawes: What a game. What a finals. Can't wait for sunday! #fastforwardlife yesterday

Roger Mason: Is anybody shocked Dallas is up 3 to 2? yesterday

Steve Nash: Miami clinical to take the lead then got stagnant & panicked as Barea, Dirk, Kidd & Terry all hit big shots in crunch time. Mavs = destined? yesterday

Travis Leslie: Lebron be scared to take over lol yesterday

Richard Hamilton: Watching these playoffs are making me say Damn Damn Damn. yesterday

Travis Leslie: 17, 10, 10... 17 where he messed up at Smh. Ain't good enough yesterday

Jorge Sierra: Great game tonight. Best of the Finals. Dallas, projected by many to be defeated by Portland, is one win away from the title. yesterday

Ryan Anderson: What a great series! The time is NOWitzki!!! yesterday

Dorell Wright: Great Game 2nite!!! WoooooW yesterday

Austin Daye: great game....... game 6 is gunna b crazy yesterday

Jorge Sierra: Jason Terry's tattoo is happy. yesterday

Marquis Daniels: Another great finals game not gonna lie this is a great series #beleedat yesterday

Amir Johnson: Man what a good game #dallas got Heart yesterday

Eric Gordon: Yup I think its a done deal tonight. Good job mavs. yesterday

Roger Mason: To be a champion you gotta play BIG down the stretch. Dallas stepped up tonight. Can't wait to see how Mia responds Sunday... yesterday

Nate Robinson: Yeah jet show the world how the #206 get down brah #WorDaApP yesterday

Matthew Bryan-Amaning: And Seattle does it again...lol @Jason Terry JET just hit them with the dagger.. yesterday

Nate Robinson: Headed home soon #WorDaApP can't wait B yesterday

Anthony Morrow: Hand Down MAN down yesterday

CJ Watson: its ova (toast voice) yesterday

Charlie Bell: Game over yesterday

Jared Dudley: Let's GO HOME!!!!!!!!!! yesterday

Elliot Williams: Mannnn yesterday

Charles Oakley: Well... yesterday

Talor Battle: Lebron who? yesterday

Dorell Wright: WooooooooooooooooooooooW sht just got REAL!!!!! yesterday

Larry Sanders: Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! yesterday

Spencer Hawes: The jet is on the runway! #206 yesterday

Maurice Williams: They letting them boys play yesterday

Bernie Lee: Maybe this is part of Lebron's genius, the more he struggles down the stretch of games, the more he bcomes the under dog yesterday

Austin Daye: can some1 give me a link so i can watch game 5 im in Martinique TV is trippin yesterday

Ryan Anderson: Alright then, Finals are coming on... It's hard to watch tho! Wish we could still be playing yesterday

Marcus Morris: I'm really missing this game smfh man yesterday

Roger Mason: What a game!! yesterday

Anthony Morrow: Big shot JKidd yesterday

Dorell Wright: Woooooooow HUGE shot frm J.Kidd!!! Whooooaaaaa yesterday

Marshon Brooks: I WILL NO LONGER ARGUE WITH U GUYS!!!! yesterday

Ekpe Udoh: IT IS ROCKING IN HERE!!! yesterday

Talor Battle: Heatt quiet and bron is so not clutch... Its over for him yesterday

Anthony Morrow: Great play by chandler yesterday

Larry Sanders: Just got REAL.. yesterday

Steve Nash: Great game! Great series... Tonight's winner will be @NBA champs. yesterday

Jordan Crawford: MJ don't trip you good!!! yesterday

Larry Sanders: And they said he couldn't shoot... yesterday

Ryan Anderson: Yes yes I know the Finals are on... This might surprise some people but as much as I love basketball, it doesn't consume my life 24/7 yesterday

Jonny Flynn: No Barea = No breakdown guy in the game for the Mavs. He was getting a piece of the paint and causing scoring opportunities for the Mavs yesterday

Bernie Lee: Haha here's another gr8 MJ story..he got into it w/D Steve & hit him w/the line "just bcuz u have a tat on ur neck it doesn't mean ur tough" yesterday

Nicolas Batum: Barea MVP lol yesterday

Anthony Morrow: KillerRr yesterday

Bernie Lee: According to D Steve's neck Abraham Linlcoln cut himself shaving this am yesterday

Nicolas Batum: Good foul Juwan... yesterday

Charlie Bell: Brian Cardinal flopping too much. Chill bro yesterday

Spencer Hawes: What type of creature is tatted on marions right shoulder?!? yesterday

Jordan Crawford: Jeff vann jus jump in my top 3 commentators wit that last statement!!! Funny as hell..... yesterday

Maurice Williams: Dirk is the best 7 footer ever that don't have to dunk 1 time to dominate. yesterday

Jorge Sierra: One would say LeBron James plays more comfortable out there without Dwyane Wade. yesterday

Charlie Bell: The pace of this game is in Dallas favor. High scoring game tonight yesterday

DeAndre Jordan: Dirk...BOTTOMS UP! Did y'all hear that net snap back??? yesterday

Maurice Williams: Ohhh shiitt..... yesterday

Charles Oakley: Damn! yesterday

Craig Smith: Man what do you guys think of the game so far? yesterday

Steve Nash: The Heat have no chance guarding Dirk right now. I'd mix it up some and put Lebron on him. Might not matter he's that good. yesterday

Bruce Bowen: High scoring game thus far, who's going to get the STOPS that are NECESSARY? yesterday

Brandon Rush: This fool @Mario Chalmers stay hitting that shii yesterday

Iman Shumpert: #SuperMario lol yesterday

Iman Shumpert: He always hitting that trash... yesterday

Anthony Morrow: Both teams shooting well early yesterday

Charlie Bell: The custodian getting buckets yesterday

Spencer Hawes: #custodian! yesterday

Spencer Hawes: Dallas hands on hearts all the way down the line. Only see one on the heat covering up. Note to kids cover ur heart for the national anthem! yesterday

John Wall: Like watching girls basketball...cause they do a great job executing! yesterday

Kevin Love: Game 5, who you got??? yesterday

The Point Forward Miami's D breaks

Here’s an underplayed story from Game 5 that will be overlooked amid LeBron mania: the Heat’s defense finally broke. Part of Dallas’ offensive explosion Thursday night stemmed from the law of averages and some ridiculous shot-making, especially from Jason Terry and J.J. Barea. But what happened in Game 5 went beyond that. The Mavericks, as they have in every series so far, have figured out smart and subtle ways to attack Miami’s aggressive defense, and the Heat, perhaps a bit flustered, have started making uncharacteristic mistakes.

2MG's The Difference

One more. That’s all that stands between Dallas and the prize the Dallas Mavericks were never supposed to win, between Dirk Nowitzki and the validation that players like him supposedly didn’t have in them to secure. The Mavs’ insane shooting performance was an outlier, but one that has changed the series and can never be reversed. One could yap all day about sustainability, but nothing in that chatter can reverse what has been stone, or push Dallas from the brink of the title. There’s still so much left to be accomplished — stealing another game in Miami will be no easy feat — but Dallas’ versatility should give them reason for optimism. This was the first game in the Finals when the Mavericks actually shot well, and though plenty of that shooting was against good defensive coverage, there is value in the fact that two wins were earned without consistently competent offense. The Mavs can’t again afford the defensive breakdowns they suffered in Game 5, but they likely won’t have to. Dallas will tweak and adjust. Rick Carlisle will have them ready to roll, and iron out the wrinkles. They haven’t won their championship yet, but they’ll be ready to close in Miami, and the defense will undoubtedly execute at the level we’ve come to expect.

Stats

FT-Watch

Haywood bricked nil of [twiceasmuch] from the line bench. Why oh why don't you chop that wood more, Portland Lakers Thunder Miami? He is now 20-43 on FTs in 16 games. Celebration for our third-best Center, Beaches! [nsfw]

Dirk missed zero FTs on 10 Attempts. You know why.

Miami bricked 5 of 26, Dallas 6 of 27

20-20-4 Watch

Chandler 13-7-2 Haywood DNP-Hippy. Mahinmi DNP-Playoffs/French  3-1-0

Field Goals

Mavs 39, Heat 37  Shootout!

Boarding

Mavs 26 (4 O) Heat 36 (9 O) No Bricks, no Boards.

PIP-Boys

MIA 46 DAL 34. Survived by threes.

Bench

MIA 40 Pts on 24 Shots, DAL 32 on 16 Shots  OEff wowzas!

Break it FAST

DAL 14(but allowed 'only' 15 Points off 11 Turnovers)

MIA 11 (allowed 21 Pts off 18 To) Pretty much role reversal deluxe.

The TEAM STAT

DAL 23 Assists MIA 25 Assists  Prettay, prettay...

 Bonus(patience)

Dallas Boys

Pics via mocksession, HPBasketball, Nowitzness81

Disclaimer: If you couldn't tell by now, all italic sentences are made up thoughts, not actual quotes. Also, 769...Needs moar Photos!

Finally....KneeJerk Recap (TM) Jonthefon v5.05

The Mavs (beat/lost to) [the Miami Heat]¹ tonight (thanks to/despite) totol reliance on Dirk’s Awesomeness in general and especially late in the 4th Quarter. The (cloud in the silver lining/major culprit) once more as usual was the (reliabilty/lack) of support from his team-mates, with the exception of Jason Kidd/Tyson Chandler². Especially useless was Jose Barea/Peja Stojakovic Heads/Brendan Haywood's hip flexor/DeShawn Stevenson/Shawn Marion/Jason Terry/Brian Cardinal³ and it is (GUESS WHAT) THEY’RE ALMOST NOT ALL USELESS!

¹ Inserted Opponent

² Only one of them, mind you. Kidd had one less Block....

³ Two at the minimum, up to all six seven of them.