Year 1 of the Superstar Experiment came to a crashing halt, as Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and the Dallas Mavericks were able to capture the franchise’s first N.B.A. championship with a 105-95 win over the Miami Heat in Game 6.
Terry had 27 points, 19 of which came in the first half on an 8-10 effort from the field, and was awarded with player of the game honors.
After a slow start exacerbated by poor shooting and foul trouble, Nowitzki did what he needed to do in the second half, much as he has done through the series and throughout the playoffs. He finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds and was awarded with Finals M.V.P.
Thirty-eight year-old Jason Kidd finished with a game-high 8 assists.
After a great start that included three made jump shots in the first quarter, LeBron James once again fell apart, losing his confidence and deferring to teammates. The Heat’s best runs came with LeBron on the bench, and his only sense of urgency appeared with less that two minutes to go in the game. The Heat were minus 24 with LeBron on the floor. He finished with 21 points and just four rebounds.
Dwyane Wade did what he could do with clogged driving lanes and finished with 17 points. Chris Bosh had a quiet 19 on only 9 shots.
10:43 P.M.Long Summer
It’s going to be a long summer for LeBron, D-Wade, and the rest of the Heat.
Classy move by LeBron untucking his shirt with a minute to go, too. Someone get him a life coach. Shotgun not it.
10:42 P.M.This one is over.
The Dallas Grown-Ups will surely finish this one, as the Miami Children continue to run around without any direction or purpose, much like I do in regards to my entire life. I empathize.
10:36 P.M.Clowns, Clowns, Clowns
Clowns, clowns, clowns, clowns.
The Heat are a bunch of clowns.
Dirk Nowitzki is not a clown. With that last extremely difficult jump-shot, the Mavs now lead 99-89 with 2 minutes to go.
Hopefully the Heat’s go-to-guy-according-to-LeBron, Mario Chalmers, can come up with something.
10:34 P.M.Unreal
Is LeBron trying to see how fast he can get rid of the ball?
As soon as he touches it he whips it to closest guy.
Dallas leads, 97-89, with three minutes to go.
10:32 P.M.Another difference
When Dirk doesn’t play well, he still inspires confidence because he remains confident.
When LeBron doesn’t play well, his teammates get nervous and it permeates throughout the team.
10:29 P.M.Kobe
I wonder what Kobe is doing right now. My guess would be crying while lifting weights in the dark, listening to the game on his radio.
10:28 P.M.Update
Just over five to go, Mavs lead, 94-87.
10:26 P.M.This is better
It’s just more fun to watch LeBron play well. Love him or hate him, watching him struggle is annoying. You can still hope they lose, but have LeBron play well.
10:25 P.M.Really?
Chalmers has more points than LeBron? Come on, LeBron.
10:22 P.M.Check that
His TOUCH is his biggest weakness. LeBron just chucked an 8-footer that cracked the glass and made everyone in the room cringe upon seeing its ugliness. No way he recovers from that botch job tonight.
With over eight to play, Mavs lead, 89-77, behind some tremendous play from Jose Juan Barea and Jason Terry.
10:21 P.M.Props, but…
LeBron James is a phenomenal passer. And that might be his biggest weakness as a player. If he were passing to other LeBron Jameses, every pass LeBron makes would be correct. The problem with LeBron is that he makes the same pass whether it’s to D-Wade or to the waterboy.
10:14 P.M.Off-Season Downsizing
With LeBron on the bench, the Heat has more room to operate. When LeBron doesn’t have the ball, his defender can clog the lane and make it difficult for drivers. When he does have the ball, he’s almost too big to get through lanes when teams are shadowing him. Does he really need to be 250 lbs.? Couldn’t he be just as effective at 230?
10:12 P.M.Start of Fourth
With just one potential quarter left in the season, I have to imagine that having LeBron on the bench means the Heat thinks it’s a better idea to make a run without him. And maybe it is.
D-Wade scores the first field goal with a tremendous finish at the basket over Dirk. Mavs up 81-75.
10:06 P.M.Well…
If there ever was a sign that the Mavs are supposed to win this series, consider that buzzer-beater by Mahinmi to be that sign.
At the end of three, Mavericks lead 81-72.
10:00 P.M.Here’s a hint.
LeBron, don’t pass to Juwuan Howard. You shooting a contested shot is a better option than Howard shooting a layup.
9:59 P.M.Update
Mavericks lead the Heat, 72-65, with just over three minutes to go in the third quarter.
9:56 P.M.LeBron
I think LeBron’s actually scared to say anything to Dwyane Wade. During that last play, LeBron stood in the same spot the entire time. And was wide open. Didn’t call for the ball. Didn’t make a cut. Didn’t crash the boards. He can’t wait for this series to be over.
9:55 P.M.Every team…
Every team needs a player like Homer J. Simpson-Cardinal. The little things he does cannot be measured.
9:53 P.M.Inexplicable
Why would you EVER leave Dirk alone? If you’re guarding Dirk, you aren’t responsible for help defense. Or at least you shouldn’t be. Let the other four guys fend for themselves. You’re guarding a loaded weapon with no safety. Don’t leave him.
9:51 P.M.Look Alike
Brian Cardinal looks like a real life, slightly refined, slightly younger Homer J. Simpson.
9:50 P.M.Terrible Strategy
Does Erik Spoelstra have ZERO control over this Heat time? Dwyane Wade dribbling back and forth at the top of the key, looking for a lane to attack is not good playoff offense. Without that stupid foul from Jason Kidd, that would have been a terrible offensive possession.
With over 5 minutes to go, the Mavs lead, 68-62.
9:48 P.M.Nature vs. Nurture
Just because Jose Juan Barea weighs as much as LeBron’s jersey doesn’t mean that he should get fouls called for him when mother nature doesn’t go his way.
9:40 P.M.Updated
When you pass up open shots, it throws the entire offensive rhythm off for everyone else.
LeBron just passed up a couple open shots. The Mavs took theirs. The Mavs are in rhythm. The Heat are not.
Mavs up 63-56 with just under 9 to go.
9:40 P.M.Come On
SHOOT THE BALL, LEBRON.
Driving wildly into the lane and throwing up junk is NOT a better alternative to you taking jumpers. It’s close. But not quite.
9:38 P.M.The Difference
It takes a special kind of player to go 1-12 in the first half and then throw up a quick fade-away jumpshot 20 seconds into the second half.
Dirk off to a 1-2 start here early in the second half.
Mavs up 57-56 with just over 10 to go.
9:22 P.M.LeBron
When LeBron decided to join D-Wade in Miami, the big question was whether or not it was going to work.
The question should have been whether or not it was going to be fun to watch.
The whole double, triple superstar thing is boring. It’s like watching Daniel Day-Lewis and Jeff Bridges share lines for one character. You’d rather just focus on one.
LeBron will never be as entertaining as he was when he was in Cleveland, and that’s why I think everyone hates him, whether they know it or not. At the very least, that’s a reason I can buy.
9:16 P.M.Couple of Stats
Dirk goes 1-12.
LeBron misses 4 of his last 5 shots.
Jason Terry shoots 8-10 for 19 points.
Chris Bosh only takes 4 shots, hits 3.
9:15 P.M.J.T. vs Big Three
Is Jason Terry really going to be the Mav to take down the Big Three?
You’d think Wade or LeBron would have stepped up to the defensive challenge by now.
Terry has 19 at the half and has the Dallas Mavericks up, 53-51.
9:14 P.M.Free Throws
The problem with missing free throws, especially with LeBron James, extends past the lost points.
When LeBron isn’t confident going to the line, he’s going to be more reluctant in attacking the basket. It feels like he doesn’t want to be there. Like he’s hoping the shots will go in instead of just stepping up to the line and going through his routine.
9:05 P.M.Back and Forth
The pace is starting to pick up here late in the second quarter. The Heat are attacking the basket and finishing at the rim. Jason Terry continues to show the hot hand, has 17 points already.
With Dirk shooting only 1-9 and the Mavs up 2, you have to feel good with this first half if you’re a Mavs fan.
9:05 P.M.M.V.P.
Dwyane hearing some M.V.P. chants at the line. I wonder how that sounds in LeBron’s head.
Miami up 45-43 after a Wade freethrow.
9:00 P.M.All or Nothing
Either stay out of the skirmish or throw a punch. Commit to the bad decision.
Every altercation is nothing but a posturing contest. “See these tattoos? I’m super tough.”
8:54 P.M.Obviously
DeShawn Stevenson is clearly a moron.
It’s good to have guys on your team that know how to get under other players’ skin, but Stevenson is just reckless.
Chalmers is not a genius either.
8:53 P.M.With or Without You
With LeBron on the bench, the Heat have gone on a nice little run to take the lead, 42-40.
The run was fueled by defensive stops and big plays from role players Udonis Haslem and Eddie House.
8:49 P.M.Slice the Lead
A couple free throws from D-Wade and a layup from Chalmers has cut the Mavs lead to 5.
With 8:30 to go in the half, Mavs lead 40-35.
8:46 P.M.Quick Draw
I wish Sports Science would do an analysis of Eddie House’s release on his jumpshot. It has to be one of the quickest in the league. He’s hit two threes so far in the first half and has given the Heat a much-needed boost off the bench.
With less than 9 to go, Mavs lead 40-33.
8:44 P.M.Benched
Jason Terry and DeShawn Stevenson each have 9 points off the bench and have completely taken the air out of the building.
The fast start from LeBron is already a fading memory. He’s missed his last three shots and hasn’t scored since early in the first.
8:43 P.M.Who?
Ian Mahinmi is doing a fantastic job for the Mavs right now.
He hit a jumper over Chris Bosh, and followed it with an offensive rebound that eventually led to a three-pointer from DeShawn Stevenson.
The Mavs have opened this one up in the second quarter and are up 12 with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half.
8:37 P.M.New Foul Rule
The N.B.A. needs to combine their existing foul rule with the N.H.L. rule for penalties.
After six fouls, it’s a 2-minute penalty.
Each additional foul is a 2-minute penalty.
Having Dirk sit out the entire quarter after two touch fouls is absurd. It’s not true competition.
8:33 P.M.Why?
For some reason, the Heat have already abandoned any notion of running a play or having good offensive movement. After such a good start that was fueled by moving, cutting, and screening, the Heat are already back to standing and passing around the perimeter.
Make a cut. Set a screen. It’s not impossible.
The Heat stagnation along with a terrific quarter from Jason Terry leaves the Mavs up 5 at the end of the first quarter, 32-27.
8:29 P.M.Making It Impossible
The whole Mocking Dirk Debacle makes it impossible for anyone to cheer for the Heat. At 26 and 29, you’d think LeBron and D-Wade would have a little more restraint or maturity.
8:26 P.M.The Jet
Jason Terry off to a good start, keeping the Mavs close with his jumper.
22-20 Miami with just over 4 to go in the first.
8:23 P.M.Nice Effort, I Guess
It’s remarkable the Jason Kidd can even stay within ten feet of Dwyane Wade on offense. At 38, if I can even walk down the stairs I’ll be ecstatic.
With that being said, even though Kidd remained body to body with Dwyane Wade, the difference in explosion between the two makes it impossible for Kidd to defend Wade in the air.
Five minutes to go in the first, Miami up 22-15.
Dirk Nowitzki just picked up his second foul. All early signs pointing to a game 7.
8:18 P.M.Coach Mark Jackson
Starting to wonder what kind of coach Mark Jackson is going to make. He said he was going to focus on defense. The Warriors’ defensive strategy already is “mama, there goes that man” and “hand down, man down” certainly prevails on offense. Seems like a redundant hire…
8:15 P.M.Uh Oh
LeBron hits his first four shots for nine points and looks like the player that he’s been for the majority of the season.
It’s amazing what one shot will do for your confidence.
Less than five minutes in, the Heat lead 14-10.
Dirk 0-2.
8:15 P.M.Lifts
If Jose Juan Barea really is six-feet tall, then Marc Anthony is six-five.
8:13 P.M.Update
Three minutes in and the Heat lead, 8-5, behind 5 quick points from LeBron James.
8:12 P.M.Too Big to Flail
LeBron, unfortunately, is Too Big to Flail. When you’re 6’8″ and 600 lbs., you’re not going to get the benefit of the doubt on ticky tack fouls and you’re acting isn’t going to help.
8:10 P.M.Good Offense
The Heat actually opens up the game with a play that wasn’t just the stand-around-and-pretend-we’re-on-pavement play, and although Chalmers barely drew rim, the movement looked better than the majority of Heat possessions.
LeBron knocks down his first 3-point attempt. Could be absolutely HUGE for his confidence.
8:04 P.M.Budget
Nothing says recession like ABC using the same digitized N.B.A. Finals montage for the last five years.*
*Guestimate
7:53 P.M.Where’s His Confidence?
Five games into these finals, here’s a couple of things that we’ve learned:
LeBron James doesn’t have a great jumpshot. (O.K., we kind of knew that already.)
He doesn’t have a killer instinct. (We kind of knew that, too.)
LeBron James doesn’t have ANY confidence. (We knew that — wait, really?)
So the question heading into tonight’s game 6 is whether or not LeBron James will find his confidence, and whether or not he can help the Miami Heat extend this series to a game 7.
I’m certainly not saying that lacking confidence is unnatural. There was a moment in my life when I had a bowl cut, braces and more video game controllers than friends (4 to 2). And I’m sure that James had an awkward phase at one point or another in his 26 years. (Now that’s a birth certificate that would be worth tracking down). I’m also sure that his awkward phase must not have lasted very long, and that it certainly didn’t do any lasting damage to his confidence.
You don’t get a tattoo the full length of your back that says “CHOSEN ONE” when you’re in the third grade if you lack confidence.
You don’t skip college to go the league if you lack confidence.
You certainly don’t go by “King” if you lack confidence.
Yet somewhere along the line during this series, James has lost most or all of his confidence. You can see it plastered on his face. It’s a look that says “the bully stole my lunch, he stole my girlfriend, and he framed me for cheating on my social studies test.” He’s not aggressive, he defers to absolutely everyone, and he scores as many points as Mark Cuban does in the fourth quarter.
The intention of this next illustration isn’t to say that money equals confidence. But James makes $14,500,000 a year in base pay, which means it’s safe to say that heading into the 2012 election season, the economy won’t be the biggest issue for him.
Boiled down to a per-minute basis, James (again, just on base salary) makes over $27 a minute (before taxes). If I made $27 a minute, all I would do with the money is buy a bunch of clocks and put them in a room like I was Captain Hook, and when people asked me what time it was, I’d just say that is was $405 after four o’clock.
Again, confidence isn’t about money, but in the general realm of positive reinforcement, James has to know that he’s done a pretty nice job up until now.
7:17 P.M.Jaws
Unless you’re directly affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks franchise, there’s no way you should be rooting for Dirk and the Boys during tonight’s Game 6.
I got into a heated debate with a friend over this. He’s never been to Dallas, he’s never been to Germany, and he probably can’t even spell Dirk Nowitski. His argument for a Mavs win tonight was the usual: “I hate the Heat. I hate LeBron. I want him to suffer.”
I told him that I don’t care for sharks, but that the movie Jaws would have been terrible had the shark died in the opening credits.
We’ve seen LeBron lose the N.B.A. finals in four games. It’s boring. And although this year’s finals will never be categorized as boring, going to a Game 7 would be that much better than ending tonight in Game 6.