This game was yet another example of how the 2006 finals were just a fluke. The Heat have not beat the Mavericks since then. This game had so many good things about it. Where to begin! Well let's start with Tyson Chandler, because he was the start of the whole game. He and Dirk Nowitzki got most of the first quarter points. TC finished with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks. I think it's safe to say he's fitting into the team quite nicely. Dirk, ever the champ, finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Nice stat line, big fella.
Another positive story for tonight was our bench. The Mavericks outscored the Heat bench 38-19 at my last tally. Jason Terry had 12, Shawn Marion had 14 along with 5 rebounds, and little JJ Barea had 13 points. In fact, six of the Mavericks scored in double digits, whereas the Heat only got that offensive output from their not-so-big three. Lebron James scored 23, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh both went for 22.
Dallas went 7 for 17 from three, and Caron Butler was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. As a big improvement from nights past, the Mavericks went 19 for 22 from the free throw line. WAY better than previous games. With this win, the Mavericks swept a four-games-in-five-nights for just the third time in 108 tries. That's a big deal.
Look for our in-house coverage from Bryan to be posted soon!!